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The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is the largest private house in the world, with 250 rooms and more than 175,000 square feet

 

Asheville-born writer Thomas Wolfe's posthumous novel might be titled with the quip, "You Can't Go Home Again," but his hometown oozes Southern charm attractive to tourists, history buffs, leaf-watchers, hikers, bikers and more. 

Asheville, situated along the Blue Ridge Parkway, beckons to be explored, either in the green hills and mountains throughout surrounding Buncombe County or in the hilly downtown with interesting bookshops, eateries and stores. 

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Great diversity

Residents love the diversity of people in Asheville, as highlighted in the culture, art and laid-back frame of mind.  They say the area has an indescrible energy.  (Maybe its fueled by locally-brewed beer as the city has more than three dozen craft brewers and is making a big name for itself as a place for a great pub crawl.)

Tourism is the area's major business.  More people are moving in annually, but the community, named as the best town in the Southeast by Outside Magazine in 2007, still seems small. 

• Asheville's minor league baseball team has been playing as the "Asheville Tourists" since 1915, although the earliest paid baseball team (The Moonshiners) dates to 1897.

• Famous hometown
  Asheville is hometown to many living and deceased celebrities including Harry Anderson (NBC's "Night Court"), singers Roberta Flack and Nina Simone, actress Andie MacDowell, author Thomas Wolfe, early 20th century presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, Zelda Fitzgerald, Charlton Heston, blues musician Root Boy Slim and synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog.

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