Trina Mullen, left,Mary Ann West and LarryHolt, members of Downtown AshevilleResident Neighbors, tend plants in PritchardPark recently. EBRETHAU@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

LIFE IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE, MONTFORD, THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICTAND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.

DSATURDAY

November 12, 2011HOME GARDEN&&ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES • CITIZEN-TIMES.comASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES • CITIZEN-TIMES.com

SHEVILLE — DARN is kind of a funnyname for a serious organization,

but what counts is the impact it has ondowntown Asheville.

DARN stands for Downtown AshevilleResidential Neighbors, and it’s just what it

says: a group of more than 100 householdswhose residents inhabit the lofts, condos,apartments and other housing units scat-tered through the central business district.

But they don’t just live there. They getout on the streets of downtown and plantflowers in pots to brighten the sidewalks,keep Pritchard Park overflowing with

bushes and colorful blooms, advocate forcleaner streets and public spaces, monitorcommunity service projects, raise moneyfor local charities and generally act as avoice for the urban neighborhood they allcall home.

“We think we contribute to making

BY BARBARA BLAKEBBLAKE@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

CALLING DOWNTOWNResidents association is voicefor urban neighborhood

SPECIAL SECTION

A‘HOME’

SEE HOME, Page D7

S ure, downtown Asheville canget a bit funky at times.

But honestly, it’s one of themost alive downtowns you’re evergoing to get panhandled in.

I’m here to help you navigate ourfair city, and as the paper’s residentAnswer Man, I try to answer all man-ner of your questions. Here are twodowntown-specific ones I’ve gotten,as well as my smart-aleck answersand the real deal.

Question: What is the proper eti-quette when observing and enjoyinglocal buskers? When should you tip?How much? What are some no-nos?

My answer: I don’t know, but I’vealways found they love it when you

scream out, “For the love of god, play‘Wagon Wheel!’”

Real answer: Veteran buskersDrayton Aldridge and Mario Piccolohandled this question for me. Thetwo have played music on the streetsfor years but just teamed up abouttwo months ago to entertain passers-by with swing jazz.

Aldridge plays the fiddle (or vio-lin, depending on how high-fallutin’the music is), while Piccolo plays theguitar and sings.

First up: Please don’t ask for“Wagon Wheel.” Requests for thiswell-worn ditty, which Old CrowMedicine Show made famous, drivethem and a lot of other street mu-

sicians, nuts. It’s a fine song — BobDylan wrote the chorus — but it’s,well, worn out.

They welcome other requests, butkeep in mind they don’t know every-thing.

And go easy on photos. Piccolonotes how American Indian culturesthought you were stealing someone’ssoul by taking their picture. Certain-

ly, don’t take photos and then eschewthe tip.

“You feel like a zoo animal whenthey’re taking pictures,” Piccolosaid. “They should at least give you adollar for your soul.”

Which brings us to tipping. Picco-lo and Aldridge teach some lessons

DraytonAldridge andMario Piccoloplay togethernear PackSquare. They'drather you notrequest"WagonWheel." ERINBRETHAUER/EBRETHAU@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

THE ANSWER MANTACKLES SANTA, BUSKERS

... well, not literally

JohnBoyle

COLUMNIST

See ANSWER, Page D7

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D2 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 ASHEVILLE CITIZEN -TIMES • CITIZEN -TIMES .C OMSPECIAL HOME & GARDEN

SHEVILLE —About 15 yearsago, a potential

homebuyer told localRealtor Ben Mansell,“I’m looking for some-thing walkable.”

That was the firsttime Mansell can re-member any client rais-ing the issue of how easyit is to walk in the neigh-borhood around a house.However, “Now, I hear itmore and more andmore.”

Mansell’s experienceis one of several explana-

tions for why the housingmarket in downtown andnear-downtown neigh-borhoods is showingmore strength these daysthan in most of Bun-combe County.

The number of homessold in the 28801 ZIPcode — which includesdowntown, Montford,several neighborhoodsjust north of Interstate240 and areas betweendowntown and BiltmoreVillage — was up 16.8percent during the firstnine months of 2011 com-pared with the same

By Mark Barrettmbarrett@citizen-times.com

... HOME SALESOUTPACE RURAL AREAS

See HOMES, Page D6

H ere’s a sampling ofspots to grab din-ner in downtown

Asheville:

» Asheville Pizza & Brew-ing, 77 Coxe Ave. and 675 MerrimonAve., pizza, salads and sandwiches.$10-15, 255-4077,www.ashevillebrewing.com.

» The Bier Garden, 46Haywood St., American fusion cuisine.285-0002, www.ashevillebiergarden.com.

» Bistro 1896, 7 Pack SquareSW, creative American bistro. 251-1300,www.bistro1896.com.

» Bouchon, 62 N. LexingtonAve., French cuisine. 350-1140,www.ashevillebouchon.com. Opensince 2005.

» Café Ello, 64 Haywood St.,breakfast and American cuisine.$10-15, 252-8333, www.cafeello.com.

» Carmel’s, 1 Page Ave.,American cuisine. $10-$20,www.carmelsofasheville.com.

» Chai Pani, 22 Battery ParkAve., Indian street food. 254-4003,www.chaipani.net. Open since 2009.

» Cucina 24, 24 Wall St.,Italian fine dining. 254-6170,www.cucina24 restaurant.com. Opensince 2007.

» Doc Chey’s NoodleHouse, 37 Biltmore Ave., pan-Asian.252-8220, www.doccheys.com. Opensince 2002.

» Early Girl Eatery, 8 WallSt. Southern cuisine. 259-9292,www.earlygirl eatery.com. Open since2001.

» Ed Boudreaux’s BayouBBQ, 48 Biltmore Ave., Cajun andbarbecue. 296-0100, www.edbbq.com.Open since 2005.

» Circle in the Square

Pizza, 12 Biltmore Ave, pizza andmore. $10-15, 225-5552,www.circleinthesquarepizza.com. Opensince 2011.

» Fiore’s, 122 College St.,upscale Italian. 281-0710,www.fioresasheville.com.

» The Green Sage , 5Broadway St, soups, salads, wraps andsandwiches. $10-15, 252-4450www.thegreensage.net.

» Havana Restaurant, 1Battle Square, Cuban specialties.252-1611, www.havanaasheville.com.Open since 2006.

» Heiwa Shokudo, 87 N.Lexington Ave., Japanese. 254-7761,http://heiwashokudo .com. Open since1995.

» Kanpai, 3 Biltmore Ave., Thai,sushi. 225-8885, www.ichibanwasabi.com. Open since 2005.

» Jack of the Wood, 95Patton Ave., Irish and English pub food.$10-15. 252-5445,http://jackofthewood.com.

» Jackson Underground,22 Pack Square, soups and sandwiches.$10-12. 255-8585www.jacksonundergroundcafe.com.

» Jerusalem Garden Café,78 Patton Ave. Mediterranean andMoroccan. 254-0255, www.jerusalemgardencafe.com. Open since 1999.

» Kathmandu Café, 90Patton Ave., Nepalese food. 252-1080,http://kathmanducafeasheville.com.Open since 2010.

» The Laughing Seed, 40Wall St., International vegetarian andvegan. 252-3445, http://laughingseed.jackofthewood.com. Open since1991.

» Lexington AvenueBrewery, 39 N. Lexington Ave,American cuisine. $10-15. 252-0212,www.lexavebrew.com.

» Limones, 13 Eagle St.,Mexican, California cuisine. 252-2327,http://limonesrestaurant .com. Open

since 2004.» The Lobster Trap, 35

Patton Ave., seafood. $15-$25. 350-0505, www.thelobstertrap.biz.

» Loretta’s, 114 N. LexingtonAve., vegetarian dishes. $8-12. 253-3747, www.lorettascafe.com.

» Mamacitas, 77A BiltmoreAve., fast Mexican. 255-8080, http://mamacitasgrill.com. Open since 2004.

» The Market Place, 20 WallSt., homegrown cuisine. $12-20,252-4162, www.market-restaurant.com.

» Mayfel’s, 22 College St.,Southern cuisine. 252-8840, http://mayfels.org. Open since 2003.

» Modesto Wood FireKitchen, 1 Page Ave., Grove Arcade,Italian. Grove Arcade. 225- 4133,http://modestonc.com. Open since2006.

» The Mediterranean, 57College St., breakfast and lunchstandards. $5-10. 258-0476

» Mela, 70 N. Lexington Ave.,fine Indian cuisine. 225-8880, www.melaasheville.com. Open since 2005.

» Never Blue, BroadwayStreet, tapas cuisine, $10-$20.www.theneverblue.com Open since2011.

» The Noodle Shop, 3 PackSquare SW, Chinese. 250-9898. Opensince 1999.

» Olive or Twist, 81 BroadwaySt., American bistro. 254-0555. Opensince 2010.

» Posana Café, 1 BiltmoreAve., contemporary American. 505-3969, www.posanacafe.com. Opensince 2009.

» Rankin Vault CocktailLounge, 7 Rankin Ave., light farefusing American, Latin and Indianflavors. Open since 2008.

» Roman’s, 75 Haywood St.,soups, burgers, sandwiches, Boar’s Headdeli meats. $10-20,www.romanstakeout.com.

» Rosetta’s Kitchen, 111

Broadway St., vegetarian and vegan.232-0738 or www.rosettaskitchen.com. Open since 2002.

» Salsa’s, 6 Patton Ave.,Mexican with Caribbean twist. 252-9805, www.salsas-asheville .com. Opensince 1994.

» Sazerac, 29 Broadway St.,Cajun/Creole. 225-2553, http://ashe-villesazerac.com. Open since 2009.

» Simma Down, 42 S. MarketSt., Jamaican and Caribbean. 252-8169.Open since 2010.

» The Southern, 41 N.Lexington Ave., Southern specialties.$8-12. 251-1777, www.southernkitchenandbar.com. Open since 2010.

» Table, 48 College St., seasonalAmerican fine dining. 254-8980,http://tableasheville.com. Open since2005.

» Thai Basil, 1 Page Ave, Suite151, authentic Thai cuisine. $10-15,www.thaibasilnc.com.

» Tupelo Honey, 12 CollegeSt., upscale Southern. 255-4863. Opensince 2000.

» The Twisted Crepe, 62Haywood St., savory and sweet crepes.505-3855, www.facebook.com/pages/twisted-crepe/105033846210084Open since 2010.

» Vincenzo’s Ristorante &Bistro, 10 N. Market St., Italian.254-4698, www.vincenzos.com. Opensince 1990.

» Wasabi, 19 Broadway St.;Japanese, sushi. 225-2551,www.ichibanwasabi.com. Open since2003.

» Yacht Club, 87 Patton Ave.,American bistro. 255-8454. Open since2008.

» Zambra, 85 W. Walnut St.,Spanish-inspired tapas. 232-1060,www.zambratapas.com.

From staff reports

People eat at Fiore's downtown beneath a gallery of colorful local artworks. ERIN BRETHAUER/EBRETHAU@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

... RESTAURANTS, FROM A TO ZAMBRA

DOWNTOWN ...

A

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ASHEVILLE CITIZEN -TIMES • CITIZEN -TIMES .C OM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 D3

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D4 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 ASHEVILLE CITIZEN -TIMES • CITIZEN -TIMES .C OM

he 1900 Inn on Montford didindeed turn 111 years old this

year, but under the guidanceof owners Lynn and Ron Carl-son, the bed and breakfast

remains fresh and ever evolving.Whether it’s a major addition, suchas the two-story Griffin Cottagecarriage house built five years agobehind the main building, or justLynn’s need to replace the floraldraperies in the Edith Whartonroom, there’s always a project inthe works.

“We are now watching the tran-sition into that cleaner look” forbed and breakfast accommoda-tions, Lynn said. “You know —clear the clutter in your life, clearthe clutter in your room.”

The three suites in the GriffinCottage, designed by Ashevillearchitect Robert Griffin, fit thataesthetic. Each is dog-friendly,with stone floors, elegant decorwith Arts & Crafts touches, com-fortable but not overwhelmingfurnishings, spa tubs and privategardens, where pups can be un-leashed. Most of a spa room in theupper floor’s 1,300-square-footsuite is devoted to a luxurious tub,with windows on three sides — and,of course, an original sculpture of agriffin, commissioned from localartist Cleo Wolfe.

The main house, built by legend-ary architect Richard Sharp Smith,became a bed and breakfast some-time in the 1930s (“Two weeks agowe had the daughter of the familythat owned us in the 1940s,” Lynnrelated). It experienced some hardtimes before being rescued andrenovated in the early 1990s byRipley Hotch, author of “How toStart & Run Your Own Bed &Breakfast.”

The Carlsons took over in 1997,moving here from Philadelphia,where they had tried out running aone-room B&B in their home andloved it. “We had traveled and hada lot of interesting stories andthings, and it was fun to sharethem,” Lynn said.

When the Carlsons moved in, thehouse had just four rooms to rent,on its second floor, as well as theguest areas on the first floor —three sitting rooms and the diningroom — plus the big kitchen. Theowners now live in renovatedmaid’s quarters below the mainfloor, freeing up the third floor tobe “the first large suite in a B&B in

Asheville,” Lynn said, with severalrooms, a big tub and steam show-er.

One weekend in October, that

suite was occupied by a honey-mooning couple — who came down,barefoot, on Saturday night to en-joy the B&B’s weekly live music.

Local musicians perform bythe foyer fireplace in coolerweather, on the spacious porchwhen it’s warmer.

It’s just one more way theCarlsons try to make guests’stay at the inn more memora-ble. These days, “people seemto have everything,” Lynn said.“It’s really hard to get to some-thing special.”

HOME AWAYFROM HOMEHOME AWAYFROM HOMETHE 1900 INN ON MONTFORD IS BOTHA COUPLE’S HOME AND AN 8-ROOM B&B

Ron and Lynn Carlson own and operate the 1900 Inn on Montford. Ron doesmost of the cooking at the bed and breakfast.

TEXT BY BRUCE STEELE ♦ BSTEELE@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM♦ PHOTOS BY JOHN FLETCHER ♦ JFLETCHER@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

The Carriage House at the 1900 Inn on Montford offers a 1,300-square-foot suite on the second floor.

HOME OF THE WEEK

T

NUTS & BOLTSThe house: Built in 1900 by RichardSharp Smith, now with four guestrooms with baths, one full-floor suite,owners quarters below main floor.The carriage house: Designed byRobert Griffin, two ground-floor guestsuites (one handcap accessible), one1,300-square-foot suite on the secondfloor.Learn more: Visitwww.innonmontford.com.

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ASHEVILLE CITIZEN -TIMES • CITIZEN -TIMES .C OM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 D5HOME OF THE WEEK

TO VIEW A VIDEO AND PHOTO GALLERY OF THEHOUSE VISIT CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

The spa room in the Carriage House suite offers windows on three sides and a griffin statue by artist Cleo Wolfe, who trained in Haywood County.

Zelda's retreat is one of four rooms and one suite available in the main house at the inn.The inn's sun room is one of three inside sitting areas guests may enjoy, along with alibrary and front parlor, both of which have gas fireplaces.

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D6 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 ASHEVILLE CITIZEN -TIMES • CITIZEN -TIMES .C OMSPECIAL HOME & GARDEN

period a year ago.The average sale price

rose 3.4 percent, accord-ing to figures from localreal estate analyst DonDavies.

Sales in and arounddowntown are still farbelow levels seen at theheight of the real estatemarket in 2006 and 2007.

But the number of salesso far this year in Bun-combe County as a wholehas been essentially flat,and prices have suffered,making 28801 a relativebright spot.

People in the industrysay the downtown scene ofrestaurants, bars, night-clubs and boutique retail-ers is a big attraction forbuyers. “All kinds of citiesare revitalizing theirdowntowns, and peopleare moving back,” saidBonnie Gilbert, a Realtorat Trillium Properties of

Asheville. “Asheville ... isexperiencing that.”

Sales of condominiumshave not recovered fromthe days when it seemedsomeone was announcinga new condo buildingevery other week, saidScott Carter, owner/brokerat The Real Estate Center.

There were 63 resi-dential condo sales in28801 in 2006 and 81 in2007, Carter said. Lastyear saw only 42, andCarter said this year’stotal will probably end upat about the same point.

“I think it’s going to bea long time before you seethe 81 sales again,” hesaid.

Prices for homes inneighborhoods near down-town have dropped signifi-cantly, people in the indus-try said, and buyers canbe pickier than they werea few years ago.

The degree of decline“kind of depends on the

price bracket,” said Man-sell, a Realtor at Town andMountain Realty. “Thingsover $1 million have beenhit the hardest. A housethat was $180,000 might be$160,000 now.”

The days in whichalmost anything in Mont-ford would sell quickly aregone, but “anything that’sclose to downtown is stillselling,” said Nona Ar-mour, a Realtor at KellerWilliams Realty in Ashe-ville.

But owners of homesneeding work have to besure their price is reason-able, she said.

Some people are stilllooking for homes theycan fix up, but more areinterested in homes thatbuyers have kept in goodcondition, she said.

“If the bones are stillreally good and they’veupdated (a home) andthey’ve taken care of theplace, it makes all thedifference,” Armour said.

HOMES: PROXIMITY TO DOWNTOWN IS A SELLING POINTContinued from Page D2

ASHEVILLE — TheRiver Arts District’srevitalized warehousebuildings don’t look any-thing like a traditionalshopping center.

But today and Sunday,the biannual studio strollwill transform the dis-trict west of downtowninto a shopper’s paradise.

Almost 20 historicbuildings will have wideopen doors and host dem-onstrations throughoutthe weekend.

At Constance WilliamsGallery, which is part ofCurve Studios, artistswill be demonstratingencaustic painting, coil-building, hand-buildingand clay glazing.

They also debut a newexhibit, “Port-a-gift-a-bility,” a group showcelebrating small, lessexpensive art worksdesigned for gift giving.

“The gallery, with its11 artists, is what I woulddescribe as a high artexperience in a friendlyenvironment,” said GregVineyard, whose med-itation bowls, communi-cation animals and tilesare part of the show.

Here’s a closer look atstudios and galleries thatmake up the River ArtsDistrict:

» Cotton Mill Studios, 122Riverside Drive. This building,built in 1896, houses a dozenartists ranging from EileenBlack’s pottery to Ed Bauer’sstained glass work. Moore notesthe Cotton Mill Studios is knownfor its professional atmosphereand experience.

“They’ve been there for along time and they have learnedthat if they are open there everyday, people will come,” saidJenny Moore, River Arts DistrictStudio Stroll Coordinator. “Theirregular sales are better thantheir stroll.”

» Curve Studios andGarden, 6-12 Riverside Drive.Built in 1917, these studios havethree buildings featuring 15artists offering creations rangingfrom quilts and dresses to paint-ings and pottery.

“There are some really goodartists in that building and somuch diversity,” Moore said.“They are really sharp businesspeople. If they are in those

buildings, they are committed tobeing there seven days a week.The energy there is to be thebest artist you can be.”

» David C. Stewart Stu-dio, 347 Depot St. Stewartcreates oils on linen, specializingin still-life, portraits and fig-urative work, such as nudes,landscapes and interiors. Hiswork follows the tradition ofmasters Rembrandt and Velaz-quez.

A well-trained oil painter,Stewart has just returned from afour-year stay in Italy. His studiois normally only open by ap-

pointment.» Galaxy Studios, 161 W.

Haywood St. Features one artist,Krista Skrede, mixed media. Herstudio is usually only open byappointment.

From the RAD website: “I usea variety of materials in my worksuch as recycled surfaces andfound objects in order to createinteresting textures and conveymy ideas. I am inspired by mytravels, community and relation-ships.”

» Hatchery Studios, 1Roberts St. One of the new kidson the block, opening this past

spring. It features four artists, aswell as White Duck Taco Shopthat will serve up tacos, chipsand beer during the stroll.

“They are a great group ofpeople,” Moore said, “who dohave a culture. They know eachother well, and fit in with WhiteDuck Taco.”

» Jonas Gerard Fine Art,240 Clingman Ave. This popularabstract/representational painteris known for his colorful liveperformance painting.

“He’s going to have hisnormal performance” for thestroll, Moore said. “It was packed

last time. Stroll attendees enjoythe music and the festivenessthat Jonas puts on for the stroll.”

» Northlight Studios, 357Depot St. Founded by painterand Northlight resident WendyWhitson, this new studio is oneof the group’s developing DepotStreet.

The studios housed fourartists, including a painter,photographer, fiber artist andjeweler. “They were just openfor the June stroll,” said Moore.

» Odyssey Center, 236-238Clingman Ave. With almost 40artists, this pottery hub demon-strates how many ideas can beexpressed in clay. “Odyssey isgoing to have all the cubiclesopen and have a sales area,”Moore said. “For them, the strollis a big time.”

» Old Wood Co., 99 River-side Drive. This is Darren Green’sstudio, and he specializes inreclaimed wood furniture.

» Phil Mechanic Studios,109 Roberts St. “There are defi-nitely some cool people there,”Moore said, including CeliaBarbieri, also known as TheButton Florist. “They have theirown culture.” It’s one of irrever-ence and unbridled creativity.

» Pink Dog Creative, 342Depot St. This candy-coloredstandout along Depot Street isanother pioneer in that sectionof RAD. It houses 14 artists, aswell as the Asheville Area ArtsCouncil and the eatery, TheJunction.

“It’s totally loaded withpeople there,” Moore said. “Thegallery space is also showingpeople who may or may not befrom the River Arts District. Theyare all serious about making a

living as artists. They are rela-tively new to the district and aretrying to make a splash and bevisible.”

» Riverside Studios, 174 W.Haywood St. This yellow buildingnext to Roots Studio houses eightartists. It’s also a gallery andworkshop space, include anupcoming still-life paintingworkshop.

» Riverview Station, 191Lyman St. Built 1896, this largestudio space is one to watch,Moore said. Its physical buildingkeeps getting improved, Mooresaid, and more people keepmoving into the space.

“For a while, it was kind ofdark and dreary over there,” shesaid. “There are 26 artists overthere now and I think there is alot of new energy there.” It’s alsoa great place to park during thestroll and trolleys are available totake people over to the heart ofthe district.

» Roberts Street Studios,140 Roberts St. Home to ninestudios, Roberts Street Studios isalso home to the Asheville GlassStudio. It’s right across from theWedge.

» Roots Studios, 166 W.Haywood St. This young studiofeatures a photographer and twopainters. It used to be the homeof the Roots restaurant, which isnow a part of the Grey Eagleconcert venue on Clingman.

» Studio 375 Depot, 375Depot St. Fifteen artists presentin this space, ranging fromsculpture to a photographyteacher. It’s also a great place tofind jewelry from several artists,Moore said.

» The Wedge, 111-129Roberts St. Built in 1916, therevitalization of this building,now housing 20 diverse artistsranging from painters to fashiondesigners, helped kick off thedevelopment of the district as anarts hub. It’s also home to thepopular Wedge Brewery.

» Warehouse Studios, 170Lyman St. Home to six artistsranging from a woodworker to atextile artist, the studios show-case a range of experienced andnew RAD artists.

By Carol Motsingercmotsinger@citizen-times.com

Jenny Mastin is a clay artist who works and displays inConstance Williams Gallery at 9 Riverside Drive.ERIN BRETHAUER/EBRETHAU@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

RIVER ARTS DISTRICT OPEN FOR SHOPPERSSTUDIO STROLL OFFERS DIVERSE SELECTION OF COLLECTIBLES, GIFTS

IF YOU GOThe River Arts District Stu-dio Stroll is today and Sun-day, including drop-in salesat many artist studios other-wise open only by appoint-ment. Check individualstudios for exact hours.

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ASHEVILLE CITIZEN -TIMES • CITIZEN -TIMES .C OM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 D7SPECIAL HOME & GARDEN

downtown a better place for resi-dents, but also for visitors and peo-ple who work downtown,” said TrinaMullen, who is co-chair of DARNthis year along with Larry Holt.

“And one of the things we do allthe time is see people with thosedowntown maps, turning them up-side down and all around, and wealways stop and say, ‘Hi, I livedowntown, can I help?’” Mullensaid.

DARN is more than just a groupof neighbors who share a ZIP code.Much of the quality of life enjoyedby all comers to downtown is aresult of the members’ efforts thatextend beyond the pretty flowersand birdhouses that grace PritchardPark and into the halls of justiceand government.

If you’re grateful that you cantake your kids to Pritchard Park orany other park in the city and knowthat they won’t be exposed to ciga-rette smoke, you can thank DARNfor helping push that city ordinancethrough.

If you see trash and cigarettebutts being picked up on downtownstreets or in the park, it’s likelybeing done by downtown panhan-dlers or misbehavers who weresentenced in the city’s monthlyNuisance Court, another initiativepushed by DARN members to makedowntown more beautiful whilegiving offenders an opportunity toprovide a service instead of payinga fine or going to jail.

Maybe you dropped in on a fasci-nating presentation last year atDiana Wortham Theater focusing onthe visionaries who helped shapedowntown into the vibrant urbanhub it is today — part of a seriesco-sponsored by DARN called “Bet-ter Know Downtown.”

DARN still growingDARN began in 2005 when down-

town resident Mary Ann West put atiny ad in a local newspaper saying,“Do you live downtown? Want tomeet your neighbors?” and invitinganyone interested to attend a morn-ing coffee in the condo she shareswith her husband, Steve West.

Six years later, after that firstmeeting with a couple of dozencurious urbanites, DARN has mem-bers from every condo and apart-ment building downtown, and thenumbers keep growing as moreresidents seek out new addresses in

the heart of the city.Holt, retired deputy director of

the Housing Authority of the City ofAsheville and a longtime devotee ofurban living, said there are 429residential housing units downtown— not including the Battery Park,Vanderbilt and Altamont nonprofithousing developments.

Of those 429, he said, 394 areowner-occupied or owned by indi-viduals or families, not corpora-tions.

“And the total tax value of thoseresidential units — and this is hotoff the press — is $157,310,900,”Holt said.

Holt said one of the DARN initia-tives he’s most proud of is the Nui-sance Court, which “has given thepolice some recourse to inappropri-ate behaviors downtown” with thosecharged with panhandling, vagran-cy, drunk and disorderly behavioror other more minor infractions.

Since the monthly court sessionbegan 18 months ago, the value ofthe community service work man-dated by the court is more than$40,000 in savings in terms of whatwould have been paid to city em-ployees to do the same work, Holtsaid.

And the knowledge that minorinfractions will — unlike in the past— be punished through NuisanceCourt has significantly reducedmisbehaviors in the center city,Holt said, noting a drastic reductionin panhandling as one example.

‘Silent, powerful force’Mullen said DARN holds two

business meetings each year, putsout a quarterly newsletter andkeeps members informed abouttopics relating to downtown, in-cluding political forums and therecent debate over downtown foodtrucks, for example.

The organization also holds quar-terly social events — but each has acharitable component.

“We’ve had parties where webought home goods for homelesswomen who have just gotten hous-ing; this summer we brought giftsfor MANNA FoodBank’s backpackprogram,” Mullen said.

“At one party we brought hats

and gloves and warm outerwear forthe people at the Haywood StreetCongregation, and at another webrought art supplies for middleschool kids who wanted to take artclasses but couldn’t afford the sup-plies,” she said. “We try to alwayspick something where we can havea little bit of impact.”

One of the most visible impactsDARN has had is in Pritchard Park.Aside from the benches, funded bythe city, everything in the park hasbeen donated by DARN membersand downtown business owners,from the flowers in planters to thecolorful birdhouses to the bushesand other foliage that casts a col-orful glow throughout the urbanpark.

Most mornings in warm weather,you’ll find Mary Ann West dead-heading petunias or watering potsof pansies in the park. While Mul-len, Holt and others help raise mon-ey for the plantings in cooperationwith Asheville GreenWorks, West isthe hard-core laborer, often spread-ing mulch or picking weeds as dawnbreaks.

“This is my first garden — I’venever had a garden before,” Westsaid recently, gazing around thepark filled with people enjoying theserenity of the park and the chang-ing of the leaves.

She taught herself about garden-ing, largely through the KeepAmerica Beautiful organization,and a saying from that group stuckwith her: “Beauty is a silent butpowerful force.”

“When a place is beautiful,” shesaid, “it raises the behavior level ofthe people within it. And now ran-dom people come up and help —people are invested now. I’ll be inthe park sometimes, and somebodywill walk past me and say, ‘I plantedthat bush,’ and it makes me smile.”

The DARN members aren’telitist about their special neigh-borhood, including Pritchard Park.

“There are several homelesspeople who help us on a regularbasis — they help water, plant, pickup trash. They’re volunteers justlike we are,” Mullen said.

“There are some unsavorygroups, but mostly they’re tran-sients just passing through. Thelocals are invested in downtown,just like we are,” she said. “We don’thave any homeless issues in thepark — this park is just as muchtheirs as anybody else’s.”

LEARN MOREVisit www.darnonline.org or emailinfo@darnonline.org.

HOME: IMPACT SEEN IN DOWNTOWN’S PRITCHARD PARKCONTINUED FROM PAGE D1

on the side and mayoccasionally have a bandgig, but they’re on thestreets to make a living.

“You should just dropsome money,” Aldridgesaid with a laugh whenasked how long a by-stander can linger be-fore tipping.

Seriously, if you listenfor a bit, cough up somechange. They’re notoffended by change, bythe way, although $1 isnice.

“I think it’s awesomewhen a person drops adollar,” Aldridge said.

“This guy here willfight with me over adime,” Piccolo chimedin.

And please, don’tinterrupt them midsongto ask directions.

On second thought,Aldridge offered oneallowable interruption.

“If a real pretty girlinterrupts me and asksfor a date, that’s OK,” hesaid.

Their goal is to netabout $25 each a day, andthey can only play fortwo hours at any givenspot before movingalong. Keep in mind, thisis their job.

“If you’re going to bea musician, the only wayto do it is to immerseyourself in it,” Piccolosaid.

Question: Is theblack-trimmed, Victo-rian-style Santa Clausgoing to make a returnfor the Christmas paradeagain this year?

My answer: For fun, Iposed this question tothe Biltmore Estate PRfolks this way: “Are youguys going to ruinChristmas again thisyear?” Trust me, theylove this kind of jocular-ity.

Real answer: Youmay recall that last yearsome citizens were hor-rified by the black-trimmed Santa whograced the parade, in-cluding our reporter,who objectively notedthat “Santa Claus wasjust wrong.”

The Biltmore Estateprovided the Santa, whoquite accurately de-picted the Victorian age,by the way. Estatespokeswoman KathleenMosher said they willagain provide the pa-rade’s Santa, and they’lloffer up whatever theAsheville DowntownAssociation, which spon-sors the parade, asks for.

So, I asked the Down-town Association folkswhat we can look for inthis year’s parade, whichis at 11 a.m. on Nov. 19. Itlooks like the black trimis being retired.

“It seems that Santamay have packed on a bitof weight this past yearand he needs a newcoat!” said Byron Grein-er, president of the Ashe-ville Downtown Associa-tion. “Biltmore is havinga new one made for jollyole Saint Nick, and whilehe will still have a nostal-gic look, since the coat isbeing made for him thetrim will be done inwhite.

“Hopefully all of theattendees to the 2011Asheville Holiday Pa-rade will see Santa andknow exactly who he is.”

I speak for all ofAsheville’s childrenwhen I say, “Whew! Ourlong ordeal is over.”

The parade’s theme,

by the way, is “Days GoneBy.”

“There will be a pro-cession preceding Santato set the tone: A group ofturn-of-the-century car-olers will be singing old-fashioned carols an-nouncing everyone isabout to ‘Step Back inTime,’” Greiner said.“Next the Montford ParkPlayers in Dickens-eracostume will be walkingand interacting with theaudience. And finally,Santa will arrive on anold-fashioned surreypulled by two horses.”

Let’s hope the crowdkeeps it together thisyear.This is the opinion of John Boyle.Contact him at 232-5847 orjboyle@citizen-times.com.

The black-trimmed Santa costume that appeared inlast year's Asheville Holiday Parade will be retiredfor 2011, according to the parade's organizers.ERIN BRETHAUER/EBRETHAU@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

ANSWER: SANTA SILLINESSContinued from Page D1

IF YOU GOWhat: Asheville HolidayParade 2011, presented bythe Asheville DowntownAssociation.When: 11 a.m. Nov. 19.Where: Up Biltmore Ave-nue, from Charlotte Streetto Patton Avenue, thendown Patton to FrenchBroad Avenue.Learn more:www.ashevilleparade.org.

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