We’re probably biased (okay, we’re definitely biased) but we think living in Asheville is pretty awesome. In the last three years, we’ve made 20 best-of lists (four of which we’ve topped). From downtown to the mountains + the art scene to the outdoor scene, there’s a lot to love.

So, it makes sense that our sweet little city has been growing at an annual rate of 1.2% since 2010. Which got us wondering: longtime residents, what #protips would you offer to newbies before they packed their bags to move to AVL? From housing tips, message boards, career networking, and making new friends, we’re crowdsourcing advice that make for a smooth transition to any new city (and ours in particular).

Here are a few pointers we came up with:

Use Facebook groups to get in the loop on jobs + housing. Some of our favorite are West Asheville Exchange, Asheville Riff-Raff + Asheville Area Job Exchange.
Check Reddit’s moving guide. Posted weekly, this thread is a great place for newbies to connect with locals for answers.
Crunch some numbers. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce has an online calculator that can you help you project your cost of living.
Subscribe to an events calendar. Some of our favorites: the Mountain Xpress, Explore Asheville, and AVLtoday’s #PlanAhead.
Sign up for the AVLtoday newsletter. Hey, we had to. We’ve run features on drink specials, hiking trails, yoga studios, what to do in West Asheville + more.

Now it’s your turn. What moving #protips do you have up your sleeve? We want all the insider info. Plus, you might be featured in a future newsletter.

Reply to this email with your advice, or leave us a note on Facebook or Instagram.

If I could travel back in time and give myself one piece of advice, it would be not to pack too much. There are so many amazing vintage + secondhand finds in Asheville that I’ve ended up completely revamping everything I’ve owned…. maybe more than once. 👀

I can’t wait to hear all your tips. Leave them for us on Facebook and Instagram, or reply to this email to share your advice. We’ll follow up next month with what you told us.

— Stephanie