Downtown Asheville is one of those rare cities where you feel comfortable walking around, and for more than one reason. With one of the best collections of art deco architecture in the country, antique stores galore, art galleries and boutiques, and a diverse selection of downtowners, you'll never want to leave. Asheville has a downtown with a broad character and its architecture sets a romantic European mood that you want find the likes of anywhere else in the state. The sparkling, stylized details found in Asheville's early art deco and gothic buildings echo the pre-depression heyday of the 1920's. While enjoying the views and architecture in downtown Asheville don't forget to visit one of the 100 retail shops where you can buy local goods and crafts as well as unique treasures from around the world. Both moderate and upscale restaurants can be found throughout downtown offering every kind of cuisine imaginable from Italian and Cajun to vegetarian. Those who prefer the outdoor cafe or coffee house setting will also find themselves at home at the many cafes spread throughout downtown, each with its own particular brand of local art, music and charm.

There is something to do every day of the week in downtown Asheville. Visit the home of one of Asheville's famous sons, writer Thomas Wolfe, or browse through an art gallery on Biltmore Avenue. Have a look inside the historic St. Lawrence Basilica with one of the few self-supporting domes in the country - the doors are always open. Or, have an espresso and watch the city pass by until evening falls. Then head down to the Community Theater or Diana Wortham Theater for a play, a symphony or a modern dance performance. If you're into old time blues or rock n' roll check out one of downtown's many clubs or bars. Don't forget the Craft Fair or the poetry reading at the bookstore.

The people are friendly. Entangled in the diversity of architecture are Asheville's people, from artists and musicians to corporate executives, merchants and entrepreneurs. Some say that parking can be a problem, but a few quarters in a parking meter and a short walk to a secure parking deck is a small price to pay for a city made of stone, marble, granite, reaching towards the sky.

City Highlights:

Pack Square

In the center of town is Pack Square, the heart of Asheville's historic downtown. It's a bustling center of commerce and culture with several restaurants, second-hand stores, cigar store and many small business and corporate offices. A central landmark to Pack Square is the Vance Monument, an obelisk that honors the memory of Zebulon B. Vance, an outstanding North Carolina statesman. At Pack Square you can see the contrast between the modern glass Biltmore building which looks like a ship out of water, surrounded by sturdy structures built during the early-1900's.

One of Pack Square's most amazing pieces of architecture is the 15-story Jackson Building, Asheville's first skyscraper. Built in 1925 by L.B. Jackson, the building is a strange adaption of Gothic character and details.

Pack Place, a newly renovated collection of buildings from the late 19th and early-20th centuries, is a celebrated regional arts, science and education center that enhances the historical aspects of downtown Asheville.

From Pack Square, you can view the beautiful city building, built by Douglas Ellington at City County Plaza. The fortress-like design formed especially for mountainous Asheville, is reminiscent of an Indian headdress. If you are interested in more of downtown Asheville's history, the Urban Trail (a local non-profit effort) has placed 27 markers at historic points of interest throughout the downtown area.

Lexington Avenue

Lexington Avenue has the feel of a side street you might find in a big city. Its cafes are the meeting place of intelligent minds of all ages and its antique and thrift stores add even more of a rich flavor, along with several boutiques and one of the best shoe stores in Western North Carolina (Topps for Shoes).

Market Street

The Market Street area is a unique cobble stoned street with two fine restaurants, a dance club, the Asheville Community Theater, the Thomas Wolfe Home and Welcome Center, and a great view of the Jackson Building. If you go down the street and take a right, you'll be at Pack Square; go left and you'll end up at City County Plaza. Either way, you'll enjoy a stroll down historic Market Street.

Broadway

Points of interest on Broadway include the Broadway Arts Building, an independent video store, several retail shops, an Australian out-fitter, and one of the most popular coffee shops in town "Beanstreets". Broadway is a street that is always bustling, day or night because it is located close to many of the frequented night spots.

Biltmore Avenue

You'll find many delights on Biltmore Avenue, a street rich in art, cuisine and cultural diversity. Across from Pack Place art and science center, you'll find several restaurants on the square that offer indoor and outdoor dining. If you head down the hill on Biltmore, you'll come to a block that is a combination of art galleries, thrift stores and a top-notch European Bakery, with a food co-op at the bottom. If you were to keep driving on Biltmore Avenue you would come to Biltmore Village and the Biltmore House.

Haywood Street

Haywood Street is home to the Pack Memorial Library, the Haywood Park Hotel Building which includes a spa, several upscale restaurants, shops and businesses, and several coffee shops and boutiques. A couple of drugstores and craft stores can also be found on Haywood Street. In this two-block radius that comprises the downtown portion of Haywood Street, you are guaranteed to bump into someone you've met before, or simply a friendly face.

Battery Park Avenue

Off of Haywood Street and parallel to Wall Street, Battery Park is a combination of offices, retail shops, a European coffee house and a very cozy cafe/restaurant. Some of the buildings of interest are the Miles Building, the Flat Iron Building and the Grove Arcade, a unique piece of architecture that was never completed. The Grove Arcade is one of the first indoor malls in the nation and is slated for a 12 million dollar restoration project to begin shortly. This will restoring it to it original condition.

Wall Street

Brick-lined Wall Street has an earthy feel to it with many shops and boutiques that carry exotic clothing and other items, and several restaurants including a vegetarian restaurant, a Cajun eatery, and an up-scale continental restaurant. The Public Service Building, home to many non-profit and local organizations and businesses looks over Wall Street's cobblestones and quaint lamp posts.

Patton Avenue

Patton Avenue begins in West Asheville and runs through downtown, coming to a head at Battery Park, a triangle in the center of town which is a public bus stop surrounded by many retail shops, banks and delicatessens. You will also find several music stores in this area selling both new and used CD's, records and tapes, as well as videos.