While some of its neighboring sister villages, notably Cashiers, Highlands and Hendersonville, may garner more coverage in the travel media and generally be better known; the small, picturesque town of Brevard, tucked away quietly on the edge of the Mt. Pisgah National Forest at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is rapidly gaining recognition as a great place to call home. It has been said that Brevard is “a countrified town with a genteel sophistication.”
In recent years, retirees and others looking for a slower, relaxed pace of living have flocked to this area where summers are dominated by mild mountain breezes and forty consecutive evenings of symphony concerts, operas, and musicals. Conducted under the auspices of BrevardCollege and its MusicCenter, this annual festival has attracted artists, students and attendees from throughout the nation for the past sixty-seven summers and contributed greatly to the overall cultural enrichment of this mountain region. As a complement to this artistic atmosphere, the downtown streets are lined with galleries and shops offering a divergent and interesting assortment of arts and crafts, along with numerous cafes and restaurants.
Although its population is somewhat less 8,000, Brevard’s proximity to Asheville, which is less than 35 miles north of town, affords its residents ready access to that city’s conveniences, including shopping malls and airport, as well as its excellent medical facilities. Also close by, and a major factor in creating the atmosphere and character that permeates every aspect of life in Brevard is the natural beauty and grandeur of the surrounding environs, often referred to as the “Land of Waterfalls” in recognition of the more than 200 waterfalls flowing from the area’s mountain streams.
When these ingredients are combined with its moderate housing and living costs, fabulous real estate, mild climate, low crime rate and community spirit; there is little wonder that Brevard ranks near the top of many lists as one of the South’s best places to live.
