What Makes Lexington Avenue in Downtown Asheville a Stellar Shopping Destination?

If you’ve been looking for a unique shopping adventure, look no further than Asheville, North Carolina’s quirky, classy, eclectic Lexington Avenue, affectionately known to locals as “L.A.” or “The Ave.” When planning your vacation in Asheville, you will want to make plenty of time in your schedule to visit the great outdoors AND get the urban experience! Asheville is a great place for a family vacation, so start getting the kids in shape now for some unforgettable trekking through the glorious fall colors of the Blue Ridge Parkway mountains, gallery walks and casual strolling through the unique, historic downtown area. Take it from me, I am a local! And one of the very few true natives. Every year, more people choose Asheville for a mountain vacation and more people migrate from neighboring states in search of something a little different. On that note, as I type from inside Izzy’s Coffee Den I have a classic view of Lexington Avenue and all its cultural richness. Across the street is Downtown Books and News, one of many treasured local small businesses. There, you can buy, sell, and trade books, new and used. The selection is enormous and very diverse. They carry magazines that are impossible to find elsewhere, ranging in topic from anime comics to great feminist publications to home made D.I.Y. punk rock zines. Next door is Spiritex, a clothing store that carries only sustainable threads (i.e. not made in sweat shops!). I remember buying a hemp mail carrier satchel there, for a trip to Spain and Morocco. Lexington Ave is peppered with unique, independently owned botiques, where you are sure to find one of a kind styles. The Honeypot, for example, carries second hand clothes and locally made clothes from Asheville designers. The Recyclone line is especially funky. Also at the Honeypot you can score feather earrings, vintage shoes, coats, parasols, and jewelry. Speaking of vintage, check out Hip Replacements! Their selection will send you back into the seventies for sure. I trust that you’re happy with the choice you made when selecting your bed and breakfast from the variety of family friendly lodgings that Asheville has to offer, and that you may be ready to head back for a nap by now. But for those cruising on, it’s lunch time. There is a huge variety of international cuisine available on this street. Mela Indian restaurant has great lunch buffet specials, and if a favorite for lunch breakers. Heawa Sushi has a charming, intimate atmosphere with an outdoor patio, and Rosetta’s Kitchen is the all time classic spot for vegan southern style soul food. Don’t even think about leaving town before you try their peanut butter tofu!

Looking for gifts or souveneirs? Scope the local music section at the record shops. Don’t let the punk rockers with pierced faces and panhandling hippies with backpacks and dogs scare you. They are a crucial part of the scenery, and local businesses are very careful of preventing any uncivil activity on their sidewalks and store fronts. Stop in at Izzy’s for a “shot in the dark,” espresso bomb in a cup of coffee. Zing!!! Dinner time brings you to the door of Bouchon, fine French dining with seating in the coolest most behind the scenes courtyard in town! Be sure to stop by the Courtyard Gallery while you’re down there, Thursday and Friday nights they offer multicultural, arts based entertainment.

As for nightlife, definitely check out the listings in the Mountain Express for hip happenings at Bobo’s, the gallery that brought us one of Asheville’s best beer and wine bars and a constant line up of diverse live music, ranging from electronic DJs to jazz groups to middle eastern bands and bellydancers! Also noteworthy is the Emerald Lounge, where you can catch local and regional Bluegrass, Funk, Hip Hop, Reggae, and Jazz bands and DJ’s almost every day of the week. On Fridays and Saturdays, be sure to pop in next door at Rosettas’ for Asheville’s Best Late Night Munchies (as rated by readers of the Mountain Xpress). Did I mention their awesome selection of international and local microbrews and wholesome, vegan sweets? Now the day is complete. Aren’t you glad you have a nice comfy bed waiting for you in a bed and breakfast in walking distance to Downtown? Now that’s good planning. Crash out and get back down here tomorrow before someone else scores that pair of second hand lightning bolt platform glittery golashas!