Wonderful 1920's Arts and Crafts 2-story, 2000 sf home in the heart of West Asheville - walking distance to shops and restaurants on Haywood Road and 7 minutes to downtown Asheville. Huge covered deck with winter views of the mountains, in summer it's like being in a magical tree house! Warm and cozy with tons of charm and abundant original architectural details. Hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen, fireplace, beautiful park-like yard. Downstairs is a large living/dining area with a gas log fireplace, an open floorplan kitchen and den and a half bath, plus a 400 sf covered deck with a fireplace, hammock, dining area and views of mountains and gardens. Upstairs are 3 spacious bedrooms plus an office. Master bedroom sleeps 2 in a queen-sized bed, second bedroom is the same, and third bedroom is a large office with a futon chair that pulls out to a single bed. There is also a full bath on the upper level and a small 4th bedroom being used as an office. Additional sleeping area for 2 is possible in the living room on the pull-out couch.

West Asheville is the artsy, funky part of Asheville - home to streets lined by 1920's bungalows and a diverse amalgam of studios, shops, music venues, and some of Asheville's best restaurants, including Sunny Point cafe (voted "best breakfast in the U.S." by Good Morning America) and The Admiral (hands down the top-rated restaurant in a city filled with exceptional restaurants!). West Asheville is its own little village, yet still part of Asheville, adjacent to the River Arts District and a short 7-minute ride to the heart of downtown by car. Blue Ridge Parkway and French Broad River access are minutes from West Asheville, so hiking, canoeing, kayaking are all within easy reach, and easy highway access makes traveling to other sightseeing destinations in the area simple.

Although there are lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance from our house, a car is really necessary to get downtown or to get out and enjoy the vast array of trails and vistas from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Trail and Mountains to the Sea Trail. We would be happy to leave our Honda CRV as part of the exchange to any insured driver with a good driving record. It's no luxury vehicle (circa 1997), but it has all-wheel drive and runs just fine!

New York - We would like to exchange from December 22, 2012 through January 1, 2013, or any portion thereof as we are visiting relatives in Pennsylvania for the holidays but would like to spend the majority of our time in the city.

Los Angeles - we would like to get back to LA for about a week sometime this year - dates very flexible!

New York - We would like Manhattan only.

Los Angeles - Westside preferred, but West Hollywood, Silverlake and other options considered.

Portland - never been, would love to check it out!

My name is Maggie. I am a writer and real estate broker. My husband, Stephen, is a chiropractor who is currently working for a diagnostic lab as a medical education specialist. We relocated to Asheville in 2006 from Los Angeles (Venice) and have never looked back! We love Asheville and the past 6 years here have been absolute bliss. I am an avid hiker and backpacker and Western North Carolina is absolute heaven for hiking. I belong to the Carolina Mountain Club which offers hikes 2-3 times a week for every level of hiker - I will be happy to leave info about them for anyone staying in our house. I was originally a screenwriter but am currently working on a novel and will also be happy to guide anyone staying here towards all the many literary events in what is a very vibrant writing community. My husband is a musician and takes advantage of the myriad jam session opportunities here and also plays in a band at one of the local pubs. Music venues abound and we're happy to give visitors guidance on that too!

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