Opinion

Welcome to a Insider Asheville here at AshevilleBlog.com. In this monthly post, I’ll spill the local secrets, and what better place to start than where to park when you’re heading downtown?

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In this issue of Insider Asheville, a monthly feature here at AshevilleBlog, I drop a deuce on the corporate entities that feed off the good people of Asheville. Don’t get me wrong; the big box and little box stores at the Mall aren’t all bad. Most aren't even evil. The Mall employs a lot of people, even if they are mostly minimum-wage jobs, and the Mall management only occasionally practices racial profiling.

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Welcome to a new regular feature here at AshevilleBlog.com., where I spill the beans and let the cat out of the bag without hanging around long enough to clean up the mess. Here is what you need to know. Asheville is a friendly place. People smile here. They wave to each other. Parking lots are littered with loitering companions, either unwilling to leave each others’ company or unable to find a gap in the conversation long enough to say “Goodbye.” Honking your horn in this town is just plain rude. But what if someone asks you to? Pack Square has long been the city center … and a rather confusing intersection. I suppose that’s the reason dissidents flock there. It’s an inviting and visible place to exercise your constitutional right to free speech, and drivers must slow down to navigate the traffic lights. But outspoken protesters aren’t satisfied unless they can coerce you to exercise your rights as well, assuming you agree with them: “Honk if you love Jesus.” “Honk to stop the war.” “Flash your lights if you’d rather be hiking.” “Flash your breasts to annoy the conservatives.” I’ve seen (and heard) my share of drivers join the protests, but while civil disobedience can be the seed of …

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Dark farm by Asheville Brewing Company

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The other day while at work, I struck up a conversation with the man next to me. We were both at McDonald’s letting our children wear themselves out. We were talking about his situation and he said that Asheville is a more expensive place to live than the plains of Texas, which is where he and his family moved from not to long ago. After chatting awhile longer, we realized that we both had something in common, we both are searching for a job in Asheville. He being an educated man, with a four year degree in journalism and I with my extensive years in childcare thought that we would land replacement jobs in no time. However, we both came to the realization that both of our lines of work had limited opportunities in the area. That leaves us with having to apply for jobs outside of our field. We quickly discovered that we are both at a disadvantage, as most job seekers are now days. Most if not all job postings will say, sometimes in capital letters, EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. Some go as far as to say, “Do not waste my time or yours by applying if you do not …

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Blue Sky Cafe 3987 Hendersonville Rd Fletcher, NC 28732 We visited the Blue Sky Cafe on a Friday evening with high hopes as it came recommended by a friend who had heard nothing but praise. The full parking lot as we arrived seemed to confirm that this was a good choice for dinner. The cafe is obviously a refurbished fast food restaurant that had undergone a kitschy blue theme inside and out. The “mom and pops” decor had a sort of Bob Marley meets Cape Cod feel to it. The sign on the door stating take a menu and be seated added to the “this is a little different” feel of the experience. Once seated we were quickly greeted by our server and our drinks were promptly delivered. The menu fare of burgers and wraps with entrées of the same caliber were moderately priced. We ordered a plate of onion rings with chipotle sauce for an appetizer, one “black and blue” hamburger plate which was a blackened hamburger topped with blue cheese and one blackened chicken breast plate. For sides, we both chose a Caesar salad and with the chicken I requested their autumn couscous which I was informed was …

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Where: West Asheville Who: Citizens of the West Asheville Neighborhood What: A walk, using proper crossing places, to increase and show awareness of pedestrians and bikers in the area Why: Increasing traffic and inattentive motorists are making walking and biking in the West Asheville community dangerous at times. This walk is to remind everyone of where the proper crossing places are, and promote safety. You can check out the Facebook event here : Walk for Safety  

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