Take a walk through the heart of asheville
Downtown Asheville, NC – A staple to the entire region. A city that stands out differently amongst the other southern towns and metropolitan areas. A city that has become known for a great destination, with endless fine dining and experimental eats, to local arts and crafts that you’ve never seen.
One problem – there is so much to do and see! How do you choose? What are you looking to do while you’re downtown? Well, we want to let you in on the up-and-coming!
West Asheville is cool too, but we’re talking about right here in Downtown – in the heart of Asheville. With new restaurants and experiences popping up, even amongst the difficult times of COVID-19, you can spend the entire day between three blocks of Asheville. With that said, here are our top five things to do in Downtown Asheville!
5) Cultivated Cocktails
Since 2015, this family distillery has been crafting award-winning spirits with a twist. Formerly H&H Distillery, Cultivated Cocktails Distillery, across the street from Grove Arcade, blends legacy with innovation and art with science to distill some of the best liquor in the region. They age their spirits with choice oaks and unique flavors by working with the highest quality ingredients, responsible for producing spirits that are sought after across the United States.
We definitely recommend stopping in and trying some of their rum, vodka or gin as a hand crafted cocktail!
4) Citizen Vinyl
This is a super exciting new addition to West Downtown! Citizen Vinyl is the newly revised American Vinyl Co that has moved into the recently renovated Asheville Citizen Times building. The shop hopes to open in about four weeks (mid September!) Not only is this a record shop, but you can even press your own customized vinyls here as a label or independent artist! In addition to the Vinyl shop, they will have a vinyl-themed craft cocktail bar and a farm-to-table cafe. To top it off, the group also renovated the historic third floor radio station for a modern recording and post-production facility.
Downtown Asheville’s westside is on its way to becoming the birthplace of many musical creations! Stop in and see where the magic will happen.
3) Asheville Pinball Museum
If you have ever enjoyed an arcade or video game in your life, you must visit this place. This is an all-you-can-play arcade featuring over 75 pinball machines & classic video games, plus beer & retro sodas and snacks! You will lose track of time engulfed in nostalgia and entertainment while in the Historic Battery Park Hotel, located right across from Grove Arcade.
Unfortunately, they are temporarily closed due to COVID, but we will update this post and make sure to share with our readers and followers when they re-open!
2) Montford Rooftop Bar
Rooftop bars are such a great time! And Asheville’s 360 degree views of Blue Ridge Mountain ranges and the stunning downtown landscape and architecture make it a must-do for a beautiful evening. Montford has an amazing view of West Asheville, delicious small bites, and seasonally driven craft cocktails. Go check out this view, you will not regret it!
1) Grove Arcade
Number one on our list, could you guess it? We don’t just say we are number one because we love our historic Grove Arcade, but because we believe we have the most diverse and well-rounded experience to offer in Asheville. Stop in for lunch or beverage, stay for the beautiful architecture, rich history, unique crafts and stores, and you’ll end up staying for dinner! Grove Arcade has a lot of exciting news, including new Asheville Proper Steak House, Bebette’s New Orleans Coffes House selling authentic french Bengiets, and NC Craft Beverage Museum offering craft beers and wines to enjoy throughout the interior of the Arcade. Check out our new post coming soon with a full list of all of the new experiences coming to Grove Arcade this Fall of 2020!
We hope you enjoy your day through West Downtown Asheville, and we’ll look for you as you walk through our Grove Arcade halls!
