Play “Would You Rather” with us, Asheville

Play this Asheville-centric game next time you’re with friends or family.

The Asheville skyline

Play this game with your friends as the perfect nightcap.

Table of Contents

When’s the last time you played a game of “Would You Rather,” Asheville?

In case you’ve never played, here’s a quick rundown:

Step 1 A question is posed that pitches two options. Example: “Would you rather live in Asheville, NC, or any other city in the world?”

Step 2 You decide what you’d rather do. No surprise here, we’re saying the Land of the Sky.

Now that you’re a “Would You Rather” expert, let’s tap into our inner middle schoolers and play this nostalgic game, featuring some of Asheville’s most iconic landmarks, qualities + foods.

Question one

Would you rather have seen the Beastie Boys or Warren Haynes + Dave Grohl live at The Orange Peel?

  • I’d sing my heart out from “Brass Monkey” to “Sabotage.”
  • I’d rock until I rolled and then do it all over again.

Question two

Would you rather be able to communicate with the WNC Nature Center’s red pandas, Leafa and Phoenix, or the Cataloochee Valley’s elk?

  • It’s adorable (red) pandamonium for me.
  • I’d get into a good rut with those bugling boys for sure.

Question three

Would you rather have the endurance to hike Black Balsam Knob forever (without breaking a sweat) or the speed to get from downtown to the Blue Ridge Parkway in five minutes?

  • Give me the endurance.
  • Give me the speed.

Question four

Would you rather have unlimited bowls of ramen from Heiwa Shokudo or burgers from Rankin Vault?

  • For ever and ever, ramen
  • Burgers are the only bun for me

Question five

Would you rather live in a downtown loft on Broadway Street or a cozy home on Town Mountain?

  • Things will be great when you’re downtown.
  • I’ll stay tucked away.

Question six

Would you rather experience Asheville 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future?

  • Take me back.
  • Show me the future.

How AVLtoday readers answered

Curious how your neighbors answered these questions? Drumroll, please...

1. 65% said they’d prefer to see Warren Haynes and Dave Grohl live at The Orange Peel (sorry, Beastie Boys).

2. It was a closer call when it came to local animal communication, but 58% shared they’d prefer to communicate with red pandas Leafa and Phoenix, rather than the elk in Cataloochee Valley.

3. When it came to endurance versus speed, y’all answered in true Southern fashion, with 74% preferring to have the endurance to hike Black Balsam Knob forever.

4. As for burgers versus ramen, the Baby Bull burger just squeaked past the Heiwa Shokudo ramen with a 54% majority.

5. The highest percentage of the whole game went to the 76% of readers who said they’d prefer a cozy home on Town Mountain to a downtown loft. Message heard, loud and clear.

6. Finally, 61% of you said you’d prefer to experience Asheville 100 years in the past rather than 100 years in the future. Sounds like we should up our number of history features, in that case.

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