Plus, a look at walkable urban village Project Aspire.
6AM City In-house

Asheville’s Green Book listings

Exploring Green Books history in Asheville, NC
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Victor Green + two Green Book covers | Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Have you heard of Green Books? Created by and for Black people, Green Books listed safe places Black travelers could stop. Locally, some of those safe places were on and around Asheville’s Eagle Street. Let’s explore the history of Green Books and their Asheville connections.

There were a total of 327 Green Book listings for NC. 13 of those were right here in Buncombe County and appeared in several iterations of the Green Book. Here are a few that were once located in Asheville:

📗 The Savoy Hotel | 409 Southside Ave. | Formerly the Booker T. Washington Hotel-Dance Hall-Theatre-For Colored, this entry can be found in the hotels category from 1952-1955. Built in 1928, The Savoy had a theater on the first floor, a ballroom, and a lobby on the second floor. The third floor boasted a three-room mezzanine apartment, 20 rooms, and six bathrooms.

📗 Do Drop In Barber Shop | 4 Eagle St. | This barber shop was added to the Green Book in 1960 + was operated by Vernon Miller. It spent 20 years in the same location, according to the city directory.

📗 The Phyllis Wheatley YWCA | 360 College St. | This entry can be found in the 1941 edition. In 1913, a group of Black women bought a building on Market Street for a YWCA branch, but during World War I, they gave it to the US government for soldiers to use. The building was returned after the war and opened in September 1921. For nearly four decades, it was one of Asheville’s primary social centers for Black folks.

Want more Green Book information? Keep digging here.

And if you want to see some of these historic images up close and personal, check out North Carolina’s traveling Green Book exhibit, “Oasis Spaces: African American Travel in NC, 1936-1966,” currently on view in WNC at the Catawba County Library (115 W C St., Newton).
MORE HISTORY HERE
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Wednesday, Feb. 15
  • Oaxacalifornia | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 6 p.m. | Outsider Brewing, 939 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $75 | Chef Luis Martinez presents an Oaxaca + California-themed meal, including beans, scallops aguachile, pollo en adobo, and a chocolate tamal, with an optional beer pairing.
  • An Evening Of Powerful Poetry & Music | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 7 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $20 | This benefit concert for No Simple Disruption features youth artists and special performances from John Medeski & Friends, Oteil Burbridge, DJ Logic, Jeff Sipe, and Maggie Rose.
  • Latin Night Wednesday | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 8:30-11:59 p.m. | One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $5 | Dance lessons for Salsa, Merengue, Reggaeton, and Cumbia take place from 8:30-9 p.m. and open dance runs through midnight.
Thursday, Feb. 16
  • Celebrating Black Asheville | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 2-4 p.m. | Harvest House Community Center, 205 Kenilworth Rd., Asheville | Free | Learn about important moments in local Black history — from guest speakers who lived through the journey — followed by a group discussion.
  • Beef Hind Quarter Butchery Class | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 6-8 p.m. | The Chop Shop Butchery, 100 Charlotte St., Asheville | $90-$130 | Learn expert pro tips for breaking down and butchering meats at home.
Friday, Feb. 17
  • “BLACK BRILLIANCE” A Celebration of Black Composers | Friday, Feb. 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Home of Daniel Angerstein & Jerry Schultz, 1998 Randy Dr., Hendersonville | $35 | Listen to violin, cello, and piano works by Black composers, including Scott Joplin, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Undine Smith Moore.
  • An Evening With Lotus | Friday, Feb. 17 | 7 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $29.50-$35 | This band’s dance-inducing, high-energy shows have made them festival favorites.
  • Dogs in a Pile | Friday, Feb. 17 | 10 p.m. | Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave., Asheville | $10-$12 | Enjoy original tunes from eclectic quintet Dogs in a Pile — and $1 of each ticket goes to local animal rescue.
Saturday, Feb. 18
  • Free Pilates Class | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Buncombe County Special Collections at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., Asheville | Join Alexis from Cisco Pilates Asheville for a free, beginner-friendly Pilates mat class that you can do in-person or virtually.
  • 40th National Paddling Film Festival | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 4-10 p.m. | Liquid Logic Warehouse, 210 Old Airport Rd., Fletcher | Free | Watch epic films about paddling + connect with the whitewater community.
  • HOT GIRL HOEDOWN | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 10 p.m. | Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave., Asheville | $15-$20 | Dance the night away at this tribute to hip hop heavyweights Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion.
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
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Weather
  • 69º | Cloudy | 16% chance of rain
Coming Soon
  • There’s some new signage outside of the space formerly occupied by Ziggy’s Deli (1550 Hendersonville Rd. Ste. 100). Thai Chili Asian Bistro will be taking over the space. We’ll share more when we know. 🍜
  • Good news, beer drinkers. Denver-based brewery TRVE plans to open a brewery and taproom near Biltmore Village at 97 Thompson St. The metal-themed brewery has yet to announce an open date. 🍺 (Ashevegas)
Development
  • First Baptist Church of Asheville and YMCA of Western North Carolina have teamed up for a new initiative: Project Aspire. Envisioned as a walkable urban village, it will include affordable housing, a new YMCA building, and green space. If approved, the project should begin in late 2024. 🏘️ (WLOS)
Outdoors
  • The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place Friday, Feb 17-Tuesday, Feb. 21. The community science event invites people to go outside and watch, learn about, count + celebrate birds. Participate from home or head to the NC Arboretum Saturday, Feb. 18 for free beginner bird walks, bird crafts, and live bird demos. 🐦
Cause
  • Earlier this month, the Animal Haven of Asheville was burglarized. The nonprofit sanctuary, which is 100% funded by donations, is asking the community to help it support rescued farm animals. Want to help out? Donate here. 🐾
Active
  • Calling all athletically-inclined BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folks, and allies. A new 5K will take place Saturday, Feb. 25 at 8:30 a.m. in the River Arts District (exact location and route are forthcoming). The goal? To start and finish together. Wanna participate? DM the organizers for details. 👟
Shop
Arts
  • Immerse yourself in the latest WCU Fine Art Museum exhibition, which explores cultural and historical connections to water, fishing practices, and sustainability. Created by Shinnecock Nation ceramic artist Courtney M. Leonard, BREACH: Logbook23 | CORIOLIS is a response to her research in WNC and asks the question, “Can a culture sustain itself when it no longer has access to the environment that fashions that culture?”*
Home
  • No one’s ever prepared for a pipe to break in their home. If you happen to run into a home emergency, call the local experts at MB HAYNES at (828) 254-6141. Their technicians are available 24/7 to help facilitate emergency appointments.*
Number
  • 55°. That’s the optimal temperature for storing wine. So unless you enjoy keeping your humble abode chilled year round, we recommend buying a wine fridge to foster favorable conditions for long-term aging. Our pick: this sleek wine fridge with touch-panel control and capacity for 24 bottles. Cheers. 🍷 *
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This news is tasty, tasty

The 2023 Taste of Asheville returns Thursday, March 9
taste of asheville
The Taste of Asheville celebrates the city’s independently-owned eateries. | Photo via Taste of Asheville
The 2023 Taste of Asheville returns with its first in-person event since 2019 on Thursday, March 9 from 6-9 p.m. at the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center on the A-B Tech campus.

AIR’s signature event happens to coincide with its 20th year of operation, supporting and advocating for the city’s independently-owned restaurants.

Roughly 60 AIR member restaurants + beverage vendors will be on hand at the event, offering small bites and sips to guests as they chow their way through the venue.

There will also be live entertainment, courtesy of Asheville’s Firecracker Jazz Band. And new this year? A silent auction for a full dinner for eight — with wine pairings — prepared in the winner’s home by Bouchon’s Michel Baudouin and Eric Scheffer of Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian and Jettie Rae’s Oyster House.

Best of all? Proceeds from the event will support educational and professional programming for AIR member restaurants and their employees. Get tickets.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Brook.

Editor’s pick: Got any news about Thai Chili? We’ve heard it’s a restaurant based in Georgia and based in Tennessee. If you know anything, please holler and tell us.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Say bonjour to Gourmand, the new French restaurant heading to the S&W Market next month.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Hackett, Brook Bolen, Erin McPherson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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