It’s likely you’ve seen photos on your Facebook + Instagram feeds for the #10YearChallenge.This trend has taken 2019 for a nostalgic trip, asking us to reminisce on what we all looked like 10 years ago, or a way to wish we all had fewer laugh lines.
And, to get on the trend train of sharing the city we love – then and now – we’ve rounded up ten #10YearChallenge comparisons of people, places + things in Asheville over the last decade.
🏠In 2009, the average cost for a 3 bedroom house in Asheville was $197K, and today the average cost for a house of the same size is $290K.
🍺There were approximately 7 breweries in the Ville in 2009, which has increased to more than 30 breweries in 2019 + is still growing.
🏀UNC Asheville’s mascot, Rocky, definitely benefited from his glow up – And, so have the university’s Big South Championship wins in basketball. The men’s team won four Big South Regular Season Championships since 2008 with an National Invitation Tournament appearance in both 2008 + 2018. The women’s team won two Big South Tournament Championships since 2008.
UNC Asheville’s mascot Rocky the Bulldog | Photos by @uncavlbulldogs
🛍️Back in 2009, Biltmore Park Town Square was home to just a few stores (REI, Regal Cinemas, and Barnes & Noble). Since then, this shopping area has taken its rep as an outdoor “town center” – full of shops, restaurants, small businesses, lodging + more – to a new level.
🏨 In regards to the tourist industry, hotels + lodging have come a long way in the past decade. In 2009, there were approximately 6,019 rooms, compared to the 7,945 rooms in late 2018.
⚾And, batting our focus over to the Asheville Tourists – back in 2008 our city’s baseball team was ranked at no. 2 in the South Atlantic League with an 83-56 record and a season attendance of 175,892. In 2018, the Tourists were ranked at no. 6 in the same league with a 64-73 record and a season attendance of 170,389.
💸While the federal + state minimum wage has stayed at $7.25 an hour for the past decade, Asheville’s living wage has increased from $11.35 an hour in 2009 to $13.65 in 2018.
⚽When it comes to Memorial Stadium, this 1925 facility has scored big by welcoming Asheville City Soccer Club men’s team in 2017 + women’s team in 2018 – after not hosting sporting events since the early 2000s. These teams bring in about 2,000 fans each game.
🎨Besides the “Good Vibes” mural, one of the most eye-catching views in the River Arts District is the smokestack that stands beside what once was a 50,000-square foot structure known as the Ice House. In 2013, the pre-WWII historic building was a place filled with artistic graffiti before city council voted for it’s demolition, citing structural safety concerns.
🏙️One of the most noticeable changes in Asheville over the past decade is without a doubt the city’s skyline. While buildings such as City Hall, Grove Arcade + Jackson Building haven’t changed – the former BB&T building and Asheville Art Museum have undergone renovations, Cambria Hotel and AC Hotel have been completed, Green Man Brewery’s new facility and apartments near Coxe Ave. have made their way to South Slope, the Samsel Architects project, and more updates are soon to come.
Now it’s your turn – share Asheville’s #10YearChallenge with a friend – and send in your own memories from 2009. ⬇️Protip: Submit your nostalgic Asheville photos to #AVLYearbookChallenge by Jan. 30.
Which of Asheville’s changes has surprised you most since 2009? A lot has changed in Asheville over the past decade – And, more change is sure to come. Comment here + let us know a change from this list or one you’d like to add.
Bonus: Just for laughs + in celebration of my niece’s 1st birthday, here is my #10YearChallenge photo. Bless the glow up.
