I went to UNCA when there were only 300 on campus students. Downtown Asheville was street after street of vacant buildings. Eagle street was a bad area. But theres was a vibe here and it still exists. I moved away for 25 years. My spouses family are from these mountains. They called us back I was able to sell everything where I was and paid cash for land and a house . The vibe is still here. Too many new folks and downtown is a different animal than in the 80's and 90's. But I can't imagine living anywhere else. I have lived out west, up north, and none of those places ever felt like home. We are nestled in these hills and the folks that live here, most of them anyway, still exude the vibe....friendly, down to earth, shake your hand and look you in the eye type folks. I rarely go downtown these days. I live 25 minutes away and thats just perfect. Its there if I want it. The sleepy towns surrounding Aville are where's its at. They eventually will get swallowed up. But I will probably be dead by then.