Patrick Gallagher is a 33-year-old entrepreneur and traveler living in Charleston, SC. He is the Founder and CEO of the LGND Travel App.
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As someone who only visits Asheville a few times a year, it’s easy to say what Asheville is “known for” or “portrayed as” to outsiders. It’s all about the outdoors. And more recently, beer.
But after spending hours talking and working with dozens of locals in preparation for the launch of the LGND Travel App in Asheville this week, I learned that there are many different facets of Asheville that they wish were more widely known with visitors. Here are the top four things our new local LGND Guides wish Asheville was more known for:
4) Local Music (beyond “Mountain Music”)
One constant theme across all of the recommendations we have received is that Asheville is a phenomenal place to listen to music. But what is not so well known is that Asheville’s music scene goes way beyond bluegrass and folk. Hip hop, electronica, spoken word, and jazz all have a growing presence in the bars and performance venues.
3) The Community of Artists and Artisans
You can tell right away that Asheville prides itself on being a locally-sourced community, especially in terms of crafts and creations. It seems like four out of five Ashevillians recommend some activity or business in the River Arts District. While the city may be described as “artsy,” I can tell you that I did not know about the RAD and the bigger, exceptional artist community until talking with locals.
2) The International Influence
While the nickname, “The Paris of the South,” draws a mixed reaction from locals, it is at least partially true! In what would normally be reserved for larger cities around the world, Asheville’s culture is influenced tremendously by a variety of world cultures that can be seen in the food, the arts, and the citizens themselves.
1) How friendly/inclusive the locals are
The main reason why we chose to expand the LGND Travel App to include Asheville is that we quickly learned how awesome, friendly, and inclusive the locals are. When we asked our Guides how they wanted visitors to feel at the end of a trip to Asheville, the two most popular responses were that they hope each visitor feels rejuvenated, and that each visitor wants to come back.
My goal in creating the LGND Travel App is to introduce travelers to the authentic and relevant side of the city they are visiting. So in that spirit, I am excited to show our growing community of travelers that Asheville is a destination where you always belong and can always find something that suits you.
You can download the LGND Travel App on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, and follow along as we launch more cities this Fall. And come have a beer with me this Thursday at Bhramari Brewing Company (101 S. Lexington Ave.) at 5:30 p.m. to celebrate the launch of our app in Asheville!
