Eco Friendly Real Estate Blog: North Carolina: Asheville: Montford

WALKABLE "The road to profitability may be a foot path!" (2)

 

Real Estate Journal: Asheville Walkable Neighborhoods

Montford -The MONTFORD NEIGBORHOOD in Asheville, North Carolina not only is  Historic and Happening…but it is SO walkable!

 

Montford, a neighborhood of about 300 acres, offers a diversity of architectural styles. A good number of the homes such as you see in the photo here, were constructed between 1890 and 1920. Montford, like its residents, is a place of complex overall character.

 

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 As you walk make your way from street to street on the sidewalks, you may notice that a certain romance is in the air.  

You may even " feel"  the artistic” influences.”  You may see residents of this sustainable community strolling down a tree-lined boulevard, possibly stopping to gaze at one of the majestic homes that never fail to catch your attention.  

And Yes! There are wondrous architectural details including those from such  trendsetters as Bruce Price, Bernard Maybeck, the prominent Arts and Crafts architect, and Frank Lloyd Wright.   The Arts and Crafts style made popular in Asheville by noted society architect, Richard Sharp Smith, supervising Architect to Biltmore House is well-represented here in Montford.

Here is a walkable community where neighborhood parks greet families, the coffee shoppe is close at hand, and so are friends and families.

 

ReGreening. - “If you’re here, you probably already know that green homes are healthier places to live, are better for the environment and can save money…” But, REALTORS®,  did you know that the US Green Building Council (USGBC) is busy developing  best practice guidelines for sustainable residential improvement projects?

REALTORS ® who hold the NAR GREEN Designation, may find the effort and results of regreening not only fascinating, as I do,
but a trend with a positive impact on our real estate markets as,  

according to the USGBC, “REGREEN fosters sustainable renovation practices and benefits by providing quality resources, including REGREEN Residential Remodeling Guidelines, numerous case studies, educational offerings, a Certificate of designation for green remodel professionals, a green strategy generator that specifies green measures based on project scope and goals and much more.” So...does this point to a trend..or is this just so much marketing hype?

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Trends and Green Measures.  -  As we look into it, we find that communities and individuals, including a number of REALTORS® are indeed  working together to develop programs and initiatives to reconnect all of us with nature and wellness in our own neighborhoods. Here at Active Rain, Dena Stevens and I began the Eco-All-Stars Group back in 2007, for example, and watched it grow from just the two of us to over 1,200 real estate professionals (so far!) (You're invited) ...

Green measures nationally may bring awareness. Green measures locally could mean that everybody wins.

 

->REGREENING - An emerging trend? -Quite Possibly....

Regreening is taking place all across the USA.

Asheville, NC  joins “regreening” efforts taking place in  Chicago, Philadelphia, LA, and Seattle.  where   investing in  sustainable urban ecosystems that can improve quality of life makes sense.

...you can see one of Asheville's most charming historic regreen neighborhoods, Montford-  known for holding solid residential real estate values and community regreening HERE.

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Resources

1. The Regreen Program: “If you’re here, you probably already know that green homes are healthier places to live, are better for the environment and can save money. They have better air quality than non-green homes, cost less to operate and significantly decrease the negative impact of the home on the environment. Green homes are also an immediate and measurable way individuals can make a difference in the environment.”

http://www.regreenprogram.org/

2. Lovely Reading : Last Child in the Woods.  A book that might impact how we build neighborhoods.

Derek Thomas, founder and chief operating officer of Newland Communities, the nation's largest privately owned residential developer, has committed his company to changing its design approach. "We need to find more ways to integrate community into nature," he told CBS News.

3. EDENS LOST AND FOUND
http://edenslostandfound.org/

 

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(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............Asheville NC Real Estate Journal for Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville 1031 Realty© 2011. My Designations: NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant, ePRO®. Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos and graphics on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

 

* INFORMED CHOICES* THOUGHTFUL ADVICE* DATA INTERPRETATION*

 Email me janeAnne@janeAnne.com  or give a call at: 828-776-0773

-Timely Real Estate Talk-  Asheville 1031 Realty, Inc © 2011.

The Montford Neighborhood ~ Asheville, N.C. ~A Community Embracing a Sustainable Future.

     MONTFORD:  Where one picture tells the story.  

The MONTFORD NEIGBORHOOD in Asheville, North Carolina: Historic and Happening!

Here is a neighborhood of about 300 acres that expresses a rich diversity of architectural styles,   most constructed between 1890 and 1920.

Montford, like its residents, is a place of complex overall character.. .Romance and history are in the air, so expect to " feel"  the artistic influences. Even residents of other neighborhoods in and around Asheville find themselves drawn to Montford. Maybe you will see them strolling down a tree-lined boulevard. Maybe you will notice how often they stop  to gaze at  the majestic homes that grace the streets There are wondrous architectural details including those from such  trendsetters as Bruce Price, Bernard Maybeck, the prominent Arts and Crafts architect, and Frank Lloyd Wright.   The Arts and Crafts style made popular in Asheville by noted society architect, Richard Sharp Smith, supervising Architect to Biltmore House is well-represented here in Montford. According to the National Park Service, "Smith's preference for pebbledash, shingles, high-pitched roofs and heavy stone foundations contributed to an overall form for the neighborhood.

 

Even with the variety of designs throughout Montford, consistent patterns and use of materials like shingles, stucco, pebbledash and half-timbering comprise a cohesive Montford impression." .  But, as you may surmise from the photo above, it is the people in the neighborhood, through their vibrant sustainable community spirit, that make this neighborhood a great place to visit and an even greater place in which to live. 

Much of the Montford neighborhood was designated as an Historic District and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Since that time, historic restoration has been on the rise. Today the Montford community is home to several businesses (see photos) and the neighborhood has developed a new business, centered around the historical restoration projects of a number of devoted stewards of fine buildings.

That business is the Bed & Breakfast business. Montford is home to about a dozen B&B's.   

Our out-of-town(and some local) clients tell us that they truly enjoy staying in Montford at one of those B&Bs. Like you, they look forward to  enjoying the many amenities in and around Asheville-- Art Galleries, Gourmet Vegetarian  or French 'comfort food" ,  Live Music, a Ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Horseback Riding at the Biltmore Estate, , or a Raft-ride on the French Broad River ... Like you, they look forward then to returning to inspired lodging, possibly to listen to traditional Appalachian music, attend a "social",  or  walk in lush gardens. And in the morning? A gourmet breakfast served on fine china, crystal and heirloom silver and organic coffee. You can expect the Montford B&Bs to bring you  hospitality with a warmth and graciousness that is typical of the Asheville area.

For those who choose to amble into downtown, many of the following B&Bs are within walking distance ... Check out photos (such as the one just below) that we took of a number of Montford's B&Bs one sunny winter's day at the Photos link.                                        

                                                                             

And here are a few links you  might explore.

Abbington Green  
 
Applewood Manor  

Carolina B&B 

Katherine's Place  

The Black Walnut B&B   

The Lion & The Rose B&B  

The Wright Inn  

 

 

Montford Community  Very Interesting Links

The Montford Arts Center

• Historic Montford Tours
•  Annual Montford Arts and Music Festival - (This year, May 19th, 2007)
• Montford Area Historic District \
• The Montford Park Players NC's Longest Running Shakespeare Festival

We are in the mountains , so if you are into elevation, here is a  link to a map that will give you a "bird's eye view"  of Montford in terms of the topography, or land contour, by means of contour lines.
Montford Topography TOPO Map

 

 

Famous (and some infamous) People Who Have Lived in Montford

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald lived and worked in Asheville during some of his literary career. |
His wife, Zelda Fitzgerald lived and died here.
A few disgruntled Montford residents found themselves immortalized in Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward Angel. In Look Homeward Angel, a fictional account of Asheville, the character named Tommy French was based on a contemporary of Wolfe named Charles French Toms, who lived in one of the Montford B&Bs. 

We sent the dogs out to scout the neighborhood to ask current residents what
the MONTOFRD neighborhood itself is famous for...here they are (see photo) and here is
what they told us the buzz on the street is...

                

Sharon, who you will find at the Newletter Offices in Montford told us that Montford is famous for

•1.       The stories behind the people and houses

•2.       You can imagine history

•3.       Friendliness of neighbors

•4.       Variety of architecture

•5.        Riverside cemetery

•6.       Walking tours

•7.       Newsletter

•8.       Neighborhood events

•9.       The Music and Arts Festival

•10.      Diversity of residents

All in all, we'd like to say that Montford is an amazing place to call home!

more Photos of Montford click here

Real Estate Market Report here   (coming soon)                                                

The Ivory -Billed Woodpecker you see depicted here  is our mascot. Symbol of the potential for stewardship, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, thought extinct for the past 60 years, has somehow survived to be recently re-discovered. With that hopeful finding comes inspiration for a sustainable future.

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