Accolades
Asheville has been recognized for its splendors by dozens of magazines, websites and publications in recent years. Accolades range from the designation by Frommer’s as one of a dozen top travel destinations in the world to recognition for the Asheville area arts community, outdoor adventures, cuisine, organic and vegetarian eats, and much more.
2020
TopRetirements.com rated Asheville, NC #1 in their list of “10 Best of the Best Places to Retire for 2020” (December 2019)
Resonance Consultancy rated Asheville, NC #5 in their list of “America’s Best Small City” (December 2019)
Travel+Leisure rated Asheville, NC #3 in their list of “The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020” (December 2019)
Yelp listed Asheville, NC #3 in the “Top U.S. Foodie Destinations of 2020” (December 2019)
2019
Thrillist included Asheville, NC in their international list of “6 Cities That Are Ultimate Foodie Destinations” (December 2019)
Men’s Journal included Asheville, NC in their list of “The 5 Best Dog-Friendly Cities for Adventurous Pups” (December 2019)
Forbes included Asheville, NC in their list of “12 Festive American Towns Offering Holiday Carolers, Boat Parades, Polar Trains — Even Elves” (November 2019)
INSIDER included Asheville, NC in their list of “The 20 most festive places to spend the holidays in the US” (November 2019)
Market Watch included Asheville, NC in their list of “8 cities that are making it easier to go vegan” (November 2019)
Travel Market Report included Asheville, NC in their list of “The 10 Most Festive Christmas Towns in the U.S. for 2019” (November 2019)
Big Seven Travel included Asheville, NC in their list of “The 50 Most Festive Cities In The World” (November 2019)
Travel+Leisure named Asheville, NC “One of the Best Craft Beer Cities in the U.S.” (October 2019)
Food & Wine discusses how “Asheville’s Ambitious Brewers Are Pushing the Boundaries of Beer” (October 2019)
Fortune Magazine “Beer City: These Women Are at the Forefront of Asheville’s Explosive Fermentation Industry” (October 2019)
Forbes discusses how “Breweries Of All Shapes, Sizes Make North Carolina A Craft Beer Mecca” (October 2019)
Jetsetter.com lists Asheville, NC in their “8 Romantic Fall Weekend Trips to Take with a Significant Other” (September 2019)
Thrillist lists Asheville, NC in “The 10 Best U.S. Cities for Bar Hopping” (September 2019)
Boston Globe “Visiting Asheville? It’s like Brooklyn, But cooler.” (September 2019)
New York Times spotlights Asheville’s Appalachian Cuiside in “Long Misunderstood, Appalachian Food Finds the Spotlight” (September 2019)
New York Times mentions Asheville, NC in “Summer’s Not Over Yet! 8 Ways to Extend Your Vacation” (September 2019)
National Geographic lists Asheville, NC in “Top 10 msuic cities in the United States” (September 2019)
JetSetter.com lists Asheville, NC in “The 9 Best Mountain Towns in America” (August 2019)
CNN Travel lists Asheville, NC in “15 best beer cities around the world” (August 2019)
PureWow “The 50 Best Things to Do in Asheville” (July2019)
Washington Post lists Asheville, NC in the “Four mountain towns to visit this summer.” (July 2019)
INSIDER lists Asheville, NC in the “20 underrated cities around the world you should visit in your lifetime” (July 2019)
Travel+Leisure lists Asheville, NC in the “The Top 15 Cities in the United States” (July 2019)
People Magazine lists Asheville, NC in the “100 Reasons to Love America in 2019” (June 2019)
USA Today Travel mentions Asheville, NC in their article “Unexpected Inspiration” (June 2019)
National Geographic lists Asheville, NC in “The 28 friendliest neighborhoods in U.S. cities” (June 2019)
Thrillist lists Asheville, NC in “The 25 Best U.S. Cities to Spend a Weekend” (May 2019)
National Geographic lists Asheville, NC in “10 of the world’s best destinations for blooms” (May 2019)
Luxury Travel Magazine lists Asheville, NC in the “7 Top Destinations for Adventure Seekers” (April 2019)
Travel Pulse lists Asheville, NC in “The Year’s Top Destinations for Adventure Seekers” (March 2019)
RollingStone Magazine explains “Why Asheville, North Carolina, Is the New Must-Visit Music City” (March 2019)
Brit+Co lists Asheville, NC in “12 of the Most Romantic Honeymoon Destinations in the USA “ (March 2019)
Trip Advisor lists Asheville, NC in “20 Of The Top Places To Visit In The US “ (January 2019)
Bloomberg talks about Asheville, NC food scene in their article in “Want to Try the Most Exciting Food in America? Leave New York City” (January 2019)
Travel Pulse lists Asheville, NC in “25 Destinations Beer Lovers Should Travel to in 2019” (January 2019)
2017
Tasting Table picked Asheville for its round-up of “The 7 Under-the-Radar Cities You Must Visit This Year.” (January 2017)
Asheville was included on lists of “The 17 Best Places to Travel in 2017” by both Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire. (January 2017)
Travel + Leisure selected Asheville as one of the “18 Best Cities in America for Solo Travelers.” (January 2017)
AFAR ranked Asheville among its 16 U.S. destinations to explore now. (January 2017)
Asheville was named Lonely Planet’s #1 “Best in the U.S. Destination for 2017.” (January 2017)
2016
SmartAsset.com ranked Asheville #1 among “The Best Cities for Beer Drinkers – 2016 Edition.” (December 2016)
Black Mountain won TripAdvisor.com’s readers’ choice “America’s Prettiest Small Town Vacations.” (December 2016)
Travelocity.com included Asheville on its list of “Festive Favorites: The Top 15 Cities for Seasonal Brews.” (November 2016)
VacationIdea.com featured Asheville among its “25 Best Places to Visit in North Carolina.” (November 2016)
Readers of Condé Nast Traveler picked Asheville as #10 among “The Best Small Cities in the U.S.” (October 2016)
Asheville was among TripstoDiscover.com’s “Most Beautiful Small Towns to Visit in the U.S.” (August 2016)
Readers of Condé Nast Traveler again voted Asheville #7 among “The 2016 Friendliest Cities in the U.S.” (August 2016)
In a poll conducted by American Craft Week, Asheville came in at #7 on a list of “America’s Top 10 Towns for Craft Lovers.” (July 2016)
Travel + Leisure selected Asheville as #10 on its ranking of “The Best Cities in the U.S.” (July 2016)
Asheville was included as one of “10 Small Cities With World-Class Food Scenes” by THRILLIST. (June 2016)
Asheville topped the list of “The 12 Best Places to Retire in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler. (May 2016)
Asheville made Condé Nast Traveler’s round-up of “Where to Find the Best Beer in the World.” (April 2016)
THRILLIST named Asheville one of its “25 Best U.S. Cities to Spend a Weekend.” (March 2016)
Fortune ranked Asheville among its “Best New Cities for Beer Lovers” after a survey of those in the industry. (March 2016)
Asheville’s The Orange Peel made the cut for Matador Network’s list of “7 Places to See Incredible Live Music in North Carolina.” (March 2016)
Asheville was considered one of the “Best Cities to Visit While Vacationing Solo” by AFAR deputy editor Jennifer Flowers during an appearance on CBS This Morning: Saturday. (March 2016)
Travel + Leisure featured Asheville at #11 on its list of “The Best Cities in North America.” (February 2016)
U.S. News & World Report put Asheville on its round-up of the “Best Foodie Destinations in the USA.” (February 2016)
Asheville topped the list of “The Coziest Cities in America,” as reported by Elle Decor following a third-annual study sponsored by Honeywell Heaters. (February 2016)
Budget Travel named Asheville among its “Where to Go in 2016” destinations. (January 2016)
Expedia Viewfinder picked Asheville as one of the “Best Cities for Keeping Your Resolutions,” specifically to “spend more quality time with family and friends.” (January 2016)
Garden & Gun included The Grey Eagle on a round-up of “10 Must-See Southern Music Venues.” (January 2016)
2015
SmartAsset.com ranked Asheville #2 among “The Best Cities for Beer Drinkers” following a study that analyzed various sources of data. (December 2015)
Asheville was featured by VacationIdea.com on its list of the “22 Best Small-Town Family Weekend Destinations.” (November 2015)
Booking.com named Asheville one of its “Top Emerging Foodie Cities Across the U.S.” (October 2015)
SmarterTravel.com chose Asheville among its “10 Best Outdoor Towns in America.” (October 2015)
Asheville was once again included on TripAdvisor.com’s list of the “Top 10 Fall-Foliage Destinations in the U.S.” (September 2015)
Readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted Asheville #9 among “The 30 Best Small Cities in America” and #7 among “The 2015 Friendliest Cities in the U.S.” (August 2015)
Asheville was picked at #6 on MusicFromTheRow.com’s list of the “Top 10 Music Cities Other Than Nashville.” (July 2015)
Travel + Leisure featured Asheville at #10 on its 2015 list of the “World’s Best Cities” for the United States and Canada. (July 2015)
Asheville was one of six cities spotlighted by Business Jet Traveler as “Best U.S. Foodie Meccas.” (June 2015)
TravelChannel.com named Asheville one of its “Top 5 Pet-Friendly Towns.” (April 2015)
THRILLIST ranked the live-music scene in Asheville as #10 in its round-up of “America’s 12 Greatest Music Cities.” (April 2015)
Collaborate Magazine included Asheville on its list of the “Top 12 Foodie Cities for Meetings in 2015.” (April 2015)
Asheville is considered one of “The 11 Best Drinking Cities in America” by THRILLIST. (March 2015)
The Huffington Post featured Asheville on its list of “The 9 Most Romantic Cities in the South.” (March 2015)
Matador Network selected Asheville for the number-one slot in its round-up of “The 20 Coolest Towns in the U.S.” (February 2015)
Asheville was listed among the “14 Best Small Cities for a First Date” by DatingAdvice.com. (February 2015)
Asheville was ranked as the third “Coziest City” in the country, according to a study sponsored by Honeywell Heaters. (February 2015)
Gear Patrol named Asheville one of its “25 Best Places to Travel in 2015.” (January 2015)
Asheville is featured on TripAdvisor.com’s “Top Romantic Trip Destinations.” (January 2015)
MovieMaker chose Asheville as #2 on its annual “Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker” list. (January 2015)
Condé Nast Traveler included Asheville among its “America’s Best Beer Cities” round-up. (January 2015)
2014
Asheville is among Frommer’s’“Best Places to Go in 2015.” (December 2014)
Yelp ranked Asheville #4 on its list of the “Top 20 Cities to Shop Local for the Holidays.” (November 2014)
Asheville is considered one of “America’s Smartest Cities” by Forbes. (November 2014)
Orbitz.com’s Travel Blog chose taking a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway as #1 on its list of “Seven Things You Absolutely Must Try in a National Park.” (November 2014)
USA TODAY picked Asheville as one of the 10 best places to see “The Brightest Fall Foliage Around the USA.” (November 2014)
Asheville was featured in a round-up by The Huffington Post on “The 13 Greatest Destination Food Towns in America.” (October 2014)
A just-released National Geographic Travel book named Asheville one of the “World’s Best Cities.” (October 2014)
MusicSchoolCentral.com included Asheville on its list of “The 10 College Towns With the Best Music Scenes in America.” (October 2014)
Asheville is among TravelandLeisure.com’s “Most Romantic Fall Getaways.” (October 2014)
FlipKey.com, the vacation-rental company of TripAdvisor, recognized Asheville on its top-10 list of the “Best Fall East Coast Vacation Spots.” (September 2014)
Livability.com’s second-annual ranking of the 100 best small- to mid-sized cities in the U.S. included Asheville in the #12 slot. (September 2014)
Asheville is considered America’s #1 “Quirkiest Town,” according to TravelandLeisure.com. (August 2014)
USA TODAY selected Asheville as one of the top “Southern Literary Destinations.” (August 2014)
Rhubarb and Curate were recently featured in round-ups of the best restaurants in the South by CNN.com and Food Republic. (August 2014)
In a bracket-style vote, Outside Magazine readers picked Asheville as one of this year’s “Best Towns Ever.” (August 2014)
Readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted Asheville #10 among the “2014 Friendliest Cities in the U.S.” (August 2014)
Asheville was highlighted as one of “America’s Five Best Beer Cities” by Wine Enthusiast. (July 2014)
Real Estate Scorecard recognized Asheville as the “Most Beautiful Place in America to Live and More.” (July 2014)
Asheville was chosen as one of BrideMeetsWedding.com’s “10 Great Honeymoon Locations Within the U.S.,” coming in at #5. (July 2014)
SingleTracks.com listed Asheville among its “10 Beer Towns With a Mountain Biking Problem.” (July 2014)
Livability.com placed Asheville at #4 on its “Top 10 Foodie Cities 2014” round-up. (June 2014)
Departures called Asheville “The Biggest Little Culinary Capital in America.” (June 2014)
Asheville was featured on USA Today’s “Best Summer Weekend Escapes” list, chosen by readers of USA Today and 10Best. (May 2014)
Purina ONE selected Asheville as a “perfect dog-friendly city” after touring the country to find the best place to kick off its 28-Day Challenge. (May 2014)
THRILLIST named Asheville one of the “7 Most Underrated Food Cities in America.” (March 2014)
National Geographic featured Asheville on its editors’ list of the “Best Spring Trips 2014.” (March 2014)
Asheville made SaveOnEnergy.com’s list of the “Top 10 Cities to Visit for Earth Day 2014,” coming in at #5. (March 2014)
Men’s Journal included Black Mountain on its list of the “Best Places to Rent a Summer Home.” (March 2014)
The Omni Grove Park Inn made USA Today’s “10 Best Places: Have a Heart-to-Hearth at These Hotels” list. (February 2014)
MovieMaker designated Asheville as #1 on its 2014 edition of the “Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.” (January 2014)
Asheville was spotlighted on a list of “Alternative Travel Destinations For 2014” by Men’s Journal. (January 2014)
Forbes Travel Guide Blog featured Asheville as one of its “Five Secret Foodie Cities.” (January 2014)
Asheville was named one of Imbibe Magazine’s “75 People, Places and Flavors That Will Shape the Way You Drink in 2014.” (January 2014)
2013
ConventionSouth recognized Asheville as one of its “Best Meeting Sites in the South Readers’ Choice Awards” recipients. (December 2013)
Cúrate was included among OpenTable’s “2013 Diners’ Choice Top 100 Best Restaurants in America.” (December 2013)
Asheville Brewing Company earned a spot (#11) on Travel+Leisure’s list of “America’s Coolest Breweries.”(October 2013)
Asheville topped VegNews‘ round-up of “12 Dreamy Towns for Vegan Living.” (July 2013)
FlipKey listed Asheville Beer Week (May 23-June 1) as one of the nation’s Top Ten Summer Beer Festivals. (May 2013)
Forbes featured Asheville as one of the top 5 Beer Cities to Hit This Summer. (May 2013)
Southern Living magazine named Asheville one of the “Tastiest Towns in the South.” Asheville was recognized for its intrepid casual fare led by a tight-knit group of indie-chefs. (May 2013)
2012
Wedge Brewing earned a spot on the “Best Beers of 2012” list by CNN’s Eatocracy blog, which gave a shout out to Wedge’s Vadim Bora Russian Imperial Stout. (December 2012)
Asheville became America’s first Green Dining Destination as the 16th area restaurant earned its Green Restaurant Certification. (November 2012)
Fodor’s named Asheville as a Best Destination for Fall Foliage in a feature on the TODAY Show. (September 2012)
Readers of Condé Nast Traveler ranked the Spa at the Inn on Biltmore Estate as one of the top 75 spas on the U.S. mainland. (June 2012)
Outside magazine and American Rivers named Asheville among America’s best river towns. (June 2012)
Readers of Conde Nast Traveler ranked the Spa at the Inn on Biltmore Estate as one of the top 75 spas on the U.S. mainland. (June 2012)
Asheville maintained its “Beer City USA” reign, tying with Grand Rapids, Mich. in the fourth year of an online poll posted on Examiner.com. (May 2012)
Asheville won the 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards on About.com for Most Romantic Place in the USA and Canada. (April 2012)
2011
Users of TripAdvisor.com pick three Asheville B&Bs among the Top 25 in the U.S. The Reynolds Mansion (#2), Biltmore Village Inn (#8) and 1900 Inn on Montford (#20) all take top honors.
TripAdvisor.com lists Asheville as one of its “15 Destinations on the Rise.” (December 2011)
Zagat.com included Firestorm Cafe & Books in a list of the “10 Coolest Independent Coffee Shops Across the US.”
Condé Nast Traveler‘s annual Reader’s Choice Awards Poll chose two Asheville properties among the best in the nation. The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa was rated a Top U.S. Resort, and the Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville was rated at Top U.S. Hotel.
Asheville is named “Best Place to Start a Fall Foliage Tour” by Livability.com (October 2011)
The editors of Prevention magazine and Fitbie rank Asheville as the #5 best U.S. city for weight loss, thanks to a wide variety of options for finding farm fresh food choices. (October 2011)
Asheville comes in at #10 in TripAdvisor.com’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for top food and wine destinations in the U.S. (October 2011)
Good Morning America featured Asheville as one of its “Most Beautiful Places in America.” (August 2011)
DogFriendly.com released its list of “Top 10 Resort Areas to Visit with your Dog” in the U.S. and named Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway as #2. (August 2011)
Yoga Journal magazine includes Asheville in its list of “10 Fantastically Yoga-Friendly Towns.” (August 2011)
Asheville again rises to the top of AmericanStyle magazine’s Top 25 Small City Arts Destinations, narrowly beating Santa Fe in the annual readers’ poll. (May 2011)
Online poll on Examiner.com: “Asheville, BeerCity USA 2011 makes it a three-pete” Asheville won with more than 46% of the vote and significant support from outside North Carolina. (May 2011)
Livability lists McCormick Field, the home of the Asheville Tourists, as one of the top 10 minor league stadiums. (March 2011)
The Donald Ross-designed course at the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa makes the reader-nominated list of “125 Top Golf Resorts.” (April 2011)
Fodors.com names Asheville as one of the “21 Places We’re Going in 2011,” highlighting the city’s food and drink scene and its artsy vibe. (January 2011)
The Traveler’s Choice Awards on TripAdvisor.com named the Residences at Biltmore the #23 hotel in the nation. (January 2011)
2010
TripAdvisor.com: Asheville was named #1 place to view fall foilage in 2010. (September 2010)
White House Statement: During President Obama’s spring vacation in Asheville, White House spokeswoman Moira Mack issued the following statement, “The president first visited the Asheville area during the campaign, and he liked it so much that he vowed to take his family there. The president and first lady are planning to spend a quiet weekend enjoying some of the many things this beautiful part of the country has to offer.” (April 2010)
Online Poll Posted on Examiner.com: Asheville holds onto its title as Beer City USA. (May 2010)
AmericanStyle.com: Asheville was ranked the number one small city (population under 100,000) for the arts in their annual “Top 25 Arts Destinations” reader’s poll. (May 2010)
Livability.com: Ranked Asheville one of their 10 most surprisingly vibrant food cities. (April 2010)
Sherman’s Travel: Named Asheville as one of its top 10 spring getaways. (March 2010)
Golf Magazine: The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa’s Donald Ross designed golf course was honored as a new gold medal winner in the 12th edition of their Premier Resorts ranking. More than 6,000 readers cast votes on Golf.com to determine the winners. (March 2010)
TopRetirements.com: Asheville was rated number one in TopRetirement.com’s list of the most popular retirement towns for 2010. (February 2010)
RateBeer.com: This craft beer aficionado Web site named several Asheville area restaurants, breweries and craft beer stores in their annual RateBeer Best 2010. (January 2010)
Bruisin’ Ales – Number three best beer retailer worldwide
The Thirsty Monk – Number 41 Beer Bar
Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria – Number 27 Beer Restaurant
Mellow Mushroom – Number 41 Beer Restaurant
Highland Brewing – Number 26 Brewery to Visit
Wedge Brewery – Number 43 Brewpub
Southern Living: In the magazine’s “Best of the South Travel Awards,” Asheville’s Little Pigs BBQ placed second in the best barbecue in North Carolina category. (January 2010)
Points North: The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa made Point’s North list of the editorial staff’s top 10 favorite resorts in the Southeast and the Caribbean isles. (January 2010)
Travel+Leisure: Asheville’s Inn on Biltmore Estate and Richmond Hill Inn were named in the magazine’s “500 Best Hotels” list. (January 2010)
2009
Byways: Named Asheville as one of the magazine’s “Top 50 North American Group Tour Destinations of 2010.” (December 2009)
Sherman’s Travel: The online travel resource, Sherman’s Travel, named the Blue Ridge Parkway in their list of “Top 10 Value Destinations for 2010.” (December 2009)
U.S. News & World Report: Named Asheville as one of “America’s Best Affordable Places to Retire.” (September 28, 2009)
USA Today’s Road Warrior Panel: A panel of 1,000+ travelers who voluntarily provide travel information for USA Today named Asheville as one of their top cities for business trips. Asheville got high marks from the panel for its “great arts and music scene; a community mix of mountain folk, bohemians, business people and highly educated locals; wonderful outdoors lifestyle and fly-fishing; and organic Caribbean-Cuban-Mexican-Jamaican food at Salsa Mexican Caribbean Restaurant.” (August 12, 2009)
HuffingtonPost.com: Named Asheville as one of its “Top 10 Undiscovered Local Food Cities.” (August 2009)
Imbibe Magazine’s Internet Poll: Asheville took first place with over 55% of the votes as “Best Craft Beer City in America.” (July 2009)
DogFriendly.com: Released its “Top 10 Dog-Friendly Resort Regions” in the U.S. and named Asheville as one of the best vacation spots to visit with your dog. (June 23, 2009)
Online Poll Posted on Examiner.com: Asheville won the East Coast title for “Beer City U.S.A.” in an online poll posted by founder of the American Homebrewers Association Charlie Papazian on Examiner.com. (May 2009)
AmericanStyle: For the second year, Asheville held the number two spot in the small cities category (population under 100,000) in the annual “Top 25 Arts Destinations” reader’s poll. (April 2009)
Forbes.com: In their 11th annual ranking of the “Best Places for Business and Careers,” Asheville ranked as #6 in the top metro areas category. (March 25, 2009)
D.K. Shifflet & Associates: This leading travel and tourism research company ranked Asheville as a top 10 value destination for couples in search of romance on its list of cities with the best value for the money. Asheville came in third place, beating out Nashville, San Diego, San Francisco, Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas. (February 2009)
Southern Living: Announced their “Best of the South Readers’ Choice Awards” and readers of the magazine recognized these Asheville favorites:
- Best Breakfast or Brunch Restaurant – Moose Café (Placed #9 out of 10)
- Southern Favorite Restaurants – Moose Café (Placed #10 out of 10)
- Best Splurge Restaurants – The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa (Placed #3 out of 10)
- Best Scenic View – Grandfather Mountain (Placed #2 out of 10) and Chimney Rock Park (Placed #3 out of 10)
- Best Public Gardens – Biltmore Gardens (Placed #3 out of 10)
- Best Southern City – Asheville (Placed #8 out of 10)
- Best Hotel – The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa (Placed #1 out of 10) and the Inn on Biltmore Estate (Placed #8 out of 10)
(January 2009)
2008
Yahoo! Real Estate: Asheville was named as one of the top ten places to live. (December 2008)
National Geographic Traveler: Asheville received honors in the magazine’s Fifth Annual Places Rated Survey. Asheville ranked in the top 50 globally and top 10 nationally. The city placed first among North Carolina destinations. (October 2008)
Forbes Traveler: Included Asheville Green Cottage in its list of top green hotels in America. (September 2008)
Travel+Leisure: Asheville’s Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa ranked number 13 in magazine’s list of Top 20 Hotel Spas. (August 2008)
Travel+Leisure: Asheville’s Inn on Biltmore Estate ranked number 36 in magazine’s list of Top 100 Hotels in the Continental U.S. and Canada. (August 2008)
Travel+Leisure: Asheville’s Richmond Hill Inn ranked number 9 in magazine’s list of Top 10 Hotels: $250 or Less. (August 2008)
AmericanStyle: Ranked Asheville number two in the small cities category (population under 100,000) in the annual “Top 25 Arts Destinations” reader’s poll. (June 2008)
Where to Retire Magazine: Honored Asheville as one of its “Eight Enriching Towns for Art and Music Lovers,” touting the many wonderful art studios, seasonal art walks and Bele Chere, the largest free outdoor music festival in the Southeast. (May/June 2008)
Rolling Stone: The Orange Peel music club was named one of America’s best rock music venues in its “Best of Rock” issue. (April 2008)
NuWire Investor: Named Asheville one of the top 10 places to buy vacation rental homes in the U.S. (March 2008)
Condé Nast Traveler: Announced its fourteenth annual Gold List and recognized the Inn on Biltmore Estate. For the Gold List, the magazine takes its 2007 Readers’ Choice Awards winners and delves deeper in the responses, rating hotels for their food, activities, service, rooms, design and location. (January 2008)
Country Home Magazine: Asheville was recognized as one of the top 25 green cities in America for their “2007 Best Green Places” rankings. (January 2008)
Southern Living: Announced their “Best of the South Readers’ Choice Awards” and readers of the magazine recognized these Asheville favorites:
Best Resorts/Hotels – The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa and Inn on Biltmore Estate
Best Mountain Destination – Asheville
Best Scenic Highway – Blue Ridge Parkway in the Asheville corridor
(January 2008)
2007
Conde Nast Traveler: The Inn on Biltmore Estate was recognized in Conde Nast Traveler’s readers’ choice awards as one of the top 100 best hotels in the world. (November 2007)
Outside Magazine: Asheville ranked as “Best Southern Town” in its “Best Towns In America” story. In each region of the country, the magazine selected the best town with a population of fewer than 100,000 people and the best city with a population of more than 100,000 people. Winners are all “smart, progressive burgs with gorgeous wilderness playgrounds,”places that “have realistic housing and job markets,” according to the magazine. (August 2007)
TopRetirements.com: Asheville made the list as number one in topretirements.com’s “Top 10 Most Popular Retirement Towns.” (August 2007)
AmericanStyle Magazine: Ranked Asheville number five in the small cities and towns category (population under 100,000) in the annual “Top 25 Arts Destinations” reader’s poll. (June 2007)
Cities Ranked & Rated: This sourcebook for anyone looking to find the best place to live ranked Asheville as number seven among their analysis of more than 400 metro areas in the U.S. and Canada. Asheville was ranked on the following criteria: economy and jobs, cost of living, climate, education, health and healthcare, crime, transportation, leisure, arts and culture, and overall quality of life. (May 2007)
Relocate-America.com: Asheville rated number one in the Web site’s annual ranking of the most popular places to live for 2007. (April 2007)
America’s 100 Best Places to Retire: This guide to today’s top retirement towns included Asheville as one of the best cities or towns for modern retirees. (April 2007)
VirtualTourist.com: Asheville is featured as one of the “Top 10 Up-and-Coming Travel Destinations” announced by VirtualTourist. (March 2007)
American Institute of Architects: Named Biltmore Estate on its list of Top 10 Architectural Wonders based on a public poll. Biltmore Estate is ranked among the Empire State Building, White House, Golden Gate Bridge and Chrysler Building on this prestigious list issued by the AIA.
Condé Nast Traveler: Announced its thirteenth annual Gold List and among those recognized are Inn on Biltmore Estate and Richmond Hill Inn. For the Gold List, the magazine takes its 2006 Readers’ Choice Awards winners and delves deeper in the responses, rating hotels for their food, activities, service, rooms, design and location. (January 2007)
Southern Living: Announced their Best of the South Readers’ Choice Awards and readers of the magazine recognized these Asheville favorites:
Resort/Hotel – The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa
Mountain Destination – Asheville
Scenic Drive – Blue Ridge Parkway
Public Gardens – Biltmore Estate
Country Inn/ Bed & Breakfast – The Red Rock Inn, Black Mountain
(January 2007)
2006
Frommer’s: Named Asheville one of twelve top travel destinations for 2007. (November 21, 2006)
Conde Nast Traveler: Named the Inn on Biltmore Estate in its “2006 Gold List: The World’s Best Places to Stay.” (January 2006)
Southern Living: In the 2006 Reader’s Choice Awards, Asheville took first place in the best mountain destination category. The Blue Ridge Parkway also ranked first in the scenic drive category and the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa won the best resort / hotel top spot. (February 2006)
GoVeg.com: Asheville voted first as “America’s Best Vegetarian-Friendly Small City.” (March 2006)
Men’s Journal: Named Asheville one of the 50 best places to live in the “Singles Scene” category. (April 2006)
Forbes: In its annual ranking of “Best Places for Business and Careers,” Asheville ranked #24. (May 4, 2006)
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: The magazine combed the country for cities that embody a reasonable cost of living coupled with a great quality of life. Asheville ranked seventh in the “50 Smart Cities” list. (May 8, 2006)
AmericanStyle Magazine: Ranked Asheville second in the small cities and towns category (population under 100,000) in the ninth annual “Top 25 Arts Destinations” reader’s poll. (June 2006)
Southern Accents: Asheville was ranked first in the favorite mountain getaway and third in the favorite golf and spa destination in the Southern Accents Reader Travel Awards. (May/June 2006)
Cottage Living: Asheville’s Albermarle Park neighborhood was chosen by Cottage Living magazine as one of the “Top Ten Cottage Communities in the U.S.” (June 20, 2006)
Blue Ridge Outdoors: Saw Asheville as a Southern town leading the Green Revolution and named Asheville one of the greenest towns in the south. (July 2006)
Outside Magazine: Asheville rated the number one whitewater town in the country. (August 2006)
Designated Preserve America Community by First Lady Laura Bush: Asheville’s communities and neighborhoods were designated as preserving and using their heritage resources for community economic, educational, and cultural benefit and development. (October 2006)
2005
Organic Style: Asheville was ranked seventh in a listing of the 10 Greatest Escapes in America. (July/August 2005).
Vegetarian Times: Asheville named one of 10 small towns in the article, “The 20 greenest spots in the country.”
Southern Living: Readers voted Asheville the First Place winner in the “Mountain Destination” Category.
AmericanStyle Magazine: Readers voted Asheville eighth in a poll of the Top 25 Arts Destinations, up from tenth in the 2004 poll.
RelocateAmerica.com: Named Asheville ninth in “America’s Top 100 Places to Live in 2005.” The nominated towns were compared against education, crime, employment and housing data for the past year.
Men’s Journal: Western North Carolina attractions, Asheville’s Early Girl Eatery and The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa listed in its “12 Months of Adventure” expert’s guide to the perfect trip in 2005. (February 2005)
Conde Nast Traveler: Named the Inn on Biltmore Estate to its 2005 Gold List: The World’s Best Places to Stay. The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa was named to the 2005 Gold List Reserve.
Pinnacle Living Magazine: Asheville rated one of the top 25 towns in the Southern mountains for relocation, second homes and retirement. (2005)
2004
Mountain Bike Magazine: Pisgah Forest voted one of the best trails for mountain biking. (October 2004)
USA Weekend Magazine: Asheville named one of five “Cities that are Special.” (July 2004)
National Geographic Adventure: Asheville listed as one of the “10 Great Adventure Towns.” (September 2004)
Men’s Journal: Asheville ranked as one of “The 10 Best Fall Mountain Bike Rides” in North America. (September 2004)
Southern Living Magazine: Asheville chosen as one of the top mountain destinations in the Southeast in a Reader’s Choice poll. (April 2004)
RelocateAmerica.com: Asheville came in fifth in “America’s Top 100 Places to Live in 2004.” The nominated towns were compared against education, crime, employment and housing data for the past year.
Where to Retire Magazine: Named Asheville one of eight great college towns. (May/June 2004)
AmericanStyle Magazine: Readers voted Asheville #10 in a poll of the Top 25 Arts Destinations, up from #18 in the previous year’s poll.
Men’s Journal: Nantahala Outdoor Center — “the Harvard of paddling instruction” — named one of the 100 Best Trips on the Planet. (April 2004)
Cities Ranked and Rated: Named Asheville the #8 rated city in America to live in 2004. Determined by a number of essential factors, including economy and jobs, cost of living, climate, education, health and health care, crime, transportation, leisure, and arts and crafts. Presented by Frommer’s Travel Guides. (March 30, 2004)
Travel and Leisure: Named The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa as one of the top 500 greatest hotels in the world. (January 2004)
Travel and Leisure: Named The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa as one of the top resort spas in the world. (2004)
2003
Where to Retire Magazine: Asheville selected as one of eight great walking towns. (12/15/2003)
MSN Money: Named Asheville one of the top 10 towns for a second-home investment. (2003)
MSN: Asheville named one of the top five “Best Places to Retire.” (2003)
AmericanStyle Magazine: Readers voted Asheville #18 in a poll of the Top 25 Arts Destinations. (2003)
Travel and Leisure: Named Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa as one the world’s best golf resorts in a reader survey. (2003)
Blue Ridge Country Magazine: In the 15th Anniversary edition, Asheville was ranked in the top three in “Best Mountain Town,” “Best Couples Getaway,” “Best Festival,” for Bele Chere, “Best Retirement Town,” “Best Weekend Getaway,” and “Best Shopping Overall.” (August 2003)
Southern Living Magazine: Asheville chosen by a Reader’s Choice poll as one of the top mountain destinations and weekend getaways in the Southeast. (May 2003)
Mountain Bike Action: Named Asheville one of the 10 best mountain bike towns. (May 2003)
National Geographic Adventure: In their Best of Adventure 2003 Issue, Asheville was named one of the top mountain biking destinations in the Southeast. Asheville “is fast becoming the Boulder of the Southeast – with better riding.”
AARP Magazine: Asheville selected as one of the Top 15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life. (May-June 2003)
Parents Magazine: In the round-up of “editors’ picks,” Asheville is listed among of the top destinations for family travel. (April 2003)
2002
Self Magazine: Named Asheville the Happiest City in the United States.
New York Times: Asheville made the Harris Poll list of “Most Desirable Places to Live”. (September 2002).
Hemispheres: Asheville joined a select list of 70 of the world’s most visible and visited cities—the only in NC ever featured in the popular United Airlines magazine. The feature piece is titled, “Three Perfect Days in Asheville.” (September 2002)
USA Weekend: Blue Ridge Parkway listed as one of noted cyclist Greg LeMond’s best scenic routes to train. (August 2002)
USA Today ran two stories one week apart entitled, “Top 10 Literary Destinations” and “Historic towns that invite you to stroll.” (July 2002).
National Trust for Historic Preservation: Listed Asheville among its List of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, describing it as “offering diverse natural, historic, and cultural experiences that preserve generations of the ‘Appalachian tradition.'” (July 2002)
Men’s Journal: In the Best of Summer Issue, Asheville was listed as one of the Top 50 Hot Road Trips that “will make the greatest three months of your life.”
AmericanStyle Magazine: Readers voted Asheville as #13 in the list of the Top 25 Arts Destinations in America for “sharing a love for the arts and promoting cultural tourism.” (Summer 2002)
Bike Magazine: In nominating 2002’s premium places to live and ride, Asheville was ranked as one of America’s Top Five Best Mountain Biking Towns. (June 2002)
Where to Retire Magazine: Asheville listed as one of the Best Tax Heavens in the Country. (Spring 2002)
Book Magazine: Asheville ranked 3rd in the Top 10 Great Literary Trips in the nation. (May/June 2002)
USA Today: Ranked Gold Hill Cafe in Asheville one of “10 Great Places for Caffeine and Conversation.” (March 2002)
Barron’s Online: Asheville listed as one of the Best Places to Retire. (March 2002)
Wallpaper Magazine Annual Round-Up Edition: Asheville ranked the #1 Urban Haven in the World—with benefits of rural life, urban sophistication and energy. (Jan./Feb. 2002)
Outside Magazine: Named Asheville one of the ten best outdoor towns.
2001
Southern Living Magazine: Asheville was chosen by Reader’s Choice poll as one of the top mountain destinations and weekend getaways in the Southeast. (Fall 2001)
National Geographic Traveler: Rated Biltmore Estate in Asheville as one of America’s Top 50 Places of a Lifetime. (October 2001)
MSN Home Advisor: Ranked Asheville among the Best Five Places to Retire.
Where to Retire Magazine: Asheville rated in Ten Great Towns for Retired Singles. (Summer 2001)
Employment Review: Asheville rated one of Ten Top Small Cities in America’s Best Places to Live and Work.
American Style Magazine: Asheville rated eighth of the top 25 arts destinations in the USA. (Summer 2001)
Whitewater Paddling Magazine: Rated Asheville a Top 10 Whitewater Town.
Canoe and Kayak Magazine: Asheville named one of the top 10 paddle towns. (April 2001)
FamilyFun Magazine: Asheville named one of the top five Southeast cities for family vacations.
Mountain Bike Magazine: Named Asheville one of the 10 best U.S. cities for mountain bikers. (June 2001)
2000
AmericanStyle Magazine: Asheville rated sixth of the top 25 arts destinations in the USA.
Modern Maturity Magazine: Ranked Asheville the #1 place to live in the small town category of 50 Most Alive Places to Live. (May-June 2000)
Money Magazine: Asheville ranked in the top five best places to retire. (July 2000)
Southern Living Magazine: Asheville was chosen in a Reader’s Choice poll as one of the top mountain destinations in the Southeast. (Fall 2000)
Expansion Management Magazine: Ranked Asheville 43rd in a Top 50 Hottest Cities list.
Rand McNally Places Rated Almanac: Ranked Asheville one of the best places to live in the United States among metropolitan areas smaller than 250,000 people, as well as one of the top five places to retire. (2000)