Gabe Swinney Asheville New Urbanism

Well, Halloween this year was one for the record books. First time I ever dressed at the command of a three-year-old, (Ruby insisted I be a pirate) the most trick-or-treaters I have ever had, (we turned out the light after handing out over one thousand pieces of candy!) and it was the scene for the first Hickory Nut Forest M.O.N.S.T.E.R Jam. If you would like to know what the acronym stands for I will refer you back to other blogs, however I can sum it up by saying that it is all of the good stuff, words like sustainability, eco, and mountain. We started off preparing for the event by gathering a modest thousand apples or so from the Eco-Communities organic orchard, probably the last major pick of the year. These delicious little prizes went one after another into the cider press as friends new and old arrived to mingle and play on what was one of the most beautiful fall days this season. The trail system was being explored by some of the more curious of the guests and the children couldn't take their eyes off the balloons, or the bags of candy they were tied to. It is hard to have a bad day when there is bluegrass music playing and people laughing, and that was certainly the case at the Hickory Nut Forest M.O.N.S.T.E.R. Jam.

If you were there then you know and if you couldn't make it, well then we hope to see you next year.

Asheville Eco Community Hickory Nut Forest has been getting people together for various events over the past several months. This November the sustainable community is hosting the inaugural trek along the new Hickory Nut Gorge Trail. Many people from the Asheville area are expected to attend this exciting event. The hike will be followed a by a pot luck style dinner as well as bonfire. To me this sounds like a great chance to get out into the woods and explore with good people; and there are few things I like more then sitting around a bonfire and enjoying nature with my friends and family, there is just something about that glow after twilight especially when accompanied by the sound of a creek running by that seems to tie together an otherwise ordinary night and make it a holiday. The Asheville area has such a love for things like these; hiking, food, camp-fires, and community; and these are some of the reasons that this is such a special place to live.

Feel free to give me a call if you would like more information about this event, or would just like to know more about sustainability in Asheville, NC.

Hey there this is my spooktacular second installment of a short series focusing on what to do around Asheville, NC this Halloween season. In the last blog we looked at two of the best trick or treat haunts and talked briefly about events. This time I want to talk more specifically about events. Three in particular that seem to focus on fun for the whole family.

One I want toalk about is the MONSTER Jam out at Hickory Nut Forest. This event features family entertainment in the form of costume contests, pumpkin carving, guided trail treasure hunts, and more. I think the two chief strengths of this Halloween event is that its location is stunning, nestled out in the mountains of Gerton outside Asheville the setting couldn't be more alluring. Secondly, the MONSTER Jam is set for Sunday the 26th, leaving Halloween itself open to explore more of the community events. Another exciting event is held out in Brevard on Halloween day; this event is the Tranysylvania Countys contribution to the season; it features a costume parade, bike rodeo, pumpkin carving and lots of Halloween fun, lastly I wanted to mention the Ghost and Goblins in the Gardens event which takes place on the 28th. This sounds awesome with costumed guides and spooky Halloween characters along the way as you make your way through UNCA's Botanical Gardens.

I hope to see you all out there at these events and in the neighborhood trick or treating this Halloween in Asheville, NC.

It is that time again in Asheville, North Carolina. The leaves are changing, the shadows are growing a little longer, and the nights have taken on a certain surreal enchanting indicative of those last few weeks before Halloween. Asheville Halloween is a wonderful and exciting holiday, the only trouble is people often don't know exactly where to go to enjoy this time of year with their community. And so I wanted to take a moment to write about some of the things that I know are going on and that make this one of my favorite times of year.

First and foremost on most people's mind when it comes to Halloween is trick-or-treating. For this time honored night time walk around town I have to suggest heading to either Black Mountain or Brevard, NC. Black Mountain transforms from the quaint picturesque little village that it is into a Mardi Gras for kids of all ages. Hundreds if not thousands of children come out with their families, the city closes some of the streets, and lots of spooky and sugary fun ensues. Brevard also hosts masses of happy trick-or-treaters during Halloween. And after all it is in Transylvania County!

I also really want to talk about the Monster Jam at Hickory Nut Forest. This Halloween season outside Asheville, NC Hickory Nut Forest is inviting out the community to come and join them out in the mountains nestled in hundreds of acres of conservation easements for their first annual Monster Jam; Monster being a Green Halloween inspired acronym for Mountain Music, Organic Foods, Natural Building, Sustainable Living, Treasure Hunt, Eco-Friendly, Renewable Energy. A little wordy maybe but still lots of good stuff. The event should consist of pumpkin carving, Halloween costume contests, guided trail treasure hunts, and organic snacks throughout the day. They are also encouraging everyone to brings their instruments and really make it a "Monster Jam". The event is slotted for the Sunday before Halloween, the 26th, so it should be a great chance to get the family out and really kick off the Asheville Halloween season. I look forward to seeing you there.

Asheville, Halloween is a great time of year, one that really showcases the fun loving creative spirit that our area is so loved for. I myself can't wait.

Asheville traditional neighborhood developments are a growing force in the Asheville real estate market. No surprise there, with so many people moving to the mountains of North Carolina from out of state, developers are taking advantage of every opportunity to receive them. A substantially large portion of the new arrivals are people moving up from Florida. The Florida market was more or less the hometown for the concept of New Urbanism, largely put forward by Seaside and than followed by such communities as Rosemary Beach and Celebration. What are some of the things these traditional neighborhood developments have in common? Well for one the share a history of massive rates of appreciation, and secondly they share national recognition as groundbreaking concepts, resort communities, and general tourist destinations. Makes sense that the Asheville area would be open to this relatively new style of development.

There are other reasons for traditional neighborhood developments to do well in Asheville. Some of the basic principals behind New Urbanism harmonize nicely with some of the mind sets that Asheville has become famous for. Another name for the traditional neighborhood development is transit minded community, meaning that the planning for these towns keeps in mind making transportation to amenities and work simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Traditional Neighborhoods are built around a "town center", a sort of hub for the community to gather for events, activities, or just about anything you can think of. The people of Asheville are well known for loving to get together and have a good time. Anyone who has ever been to Asheville on a Friday night in the spring has witnessed a town teaming with happiness, life, and enthusiasm. One more thing that the principals of traditional neighborhood developments have in common with Asheville is the struggle to control sprawling development. Many people in Asheville have very strong feelings against new sprawling development which they feel threatens to change the wonderful culture and image their fair city enjoys. New Urbanist communities are intentionally designed to create and draw together communities while preventing urban sprawl. The lot sizes in TND's are smaller and homes are often built more vertically than horizontally. The anti-sprawl effect is considered one of the chief virtues of Traditional Neighborhood Developments.

And so it seems to just make sense that with so many new arrivals to the Asheville area every year that the new urbanist traditional neighborhood development is a great tool to provide communities for the new residents. With change being inevitable we must do the best we can to make these changes for the best.