Asheville is an awesome place to raise kids. It offers access to the outdoors and nature, green areas for recreational activities, highly rated schools, and many family-friendly neighborhoods and activities. You’ll have the perfect place to give your kids an adventurous childhood. And for those families with fur babies, Asheville is one of the most dog-friendly towns in the nation! 

One of my favorite aspects of raising my now-teenagers in Asheville was being able to change from urban to natural scenarios in a short time. We could walk to our neighborhood’s coffee shop for breakfast, stop at the Asheville Museum of Science Downtown before lunch, and then picnic at a national forest overlooking a beautiful waterfall. 

In addition, our city’s welcoming, artistic, and inclusive atmosphere makes it a great place for every child to grow and develop into their most authentic selves. Now that you’ve decided to move, it’s time to find the perfect family-friendly neighborhood in Asheville. I’ll walk you through some of the best areas within the city limits and tell you about their amenities so you can choose what works best for you. 

Have fun finding your neck of the woods in Asheville. I’m sure your family will thrive here!

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The Best Family-Friendly Neighborhoods in Asheville

1. Walk Everywhere from Five Points

I might be slightly biased about this neighborhood since this is where my home is, but I’ve loved raising my kids here since 2011. It’s a cool corner with most houses built before the 1920s, although there’s been tons of new construction and change in the last ten years. 

What began as a northern suburb of Downtown is now considered North Downtown, and the additions of mixed-use buildings continue to grow and enrich the area. This neighborhood is within walking distance to many great places, including a 10-minute walk to Downtown. 

Despite its proximity to the hustle of Asheville’s heart, the area’s laid-back vibe remains intact. You’ll see vegetable gardens, kids biking around and setting up lemonade stands, toddlers jumping on trampolines and climbing trees, friendly neighbors walking their dogs, and even chickens!

Five Points is home to three of Asheville’s best grocery stores (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Harris Teeter), which complement each other very well. You can also walk to places to eat, like High Five Coffee (one of the best coffee shops in town) and Five Points, a classic eatery and one of the oldest restaurants in Asheville. Little Jumbo Bar, with an adjacent Taco Billy food truck, is perfect for a parents’ night out!

Claxton Elementary School is one of the highest-rated elementary schools in Asheville and is in Five Points! You’ll see families and kids walking to and from school, and your kids will be classmates with their next-door neighbors, building a close-knit community.

The Jewish Community Center is also within walking distance from Five Points. It offers top-notch swimming lessons and one of the best summer swimming pools in Asheville (it’s open to everyone, Jewish or not, but an annual membership is required). In addition, the Downtown YMCA, with two pools and swimming lessons, is also within a short drive. 

Finally, you’ll only need to stroll a few blocks to access walking and biking trails, greenways, playgrounds, parks (including the UNCA campus and farmer market and the beautiful Botanical Gardens), and the historic district of Montford, one of the best places to trick-or-treat on Halloween. 

But it’s not all about the kids! Broadway and Merrimon have fabulous massage places, spas, boutique shops, and salons for moms who don’t want to drive far to get their me-time. Although not technically part of Five Points, the Charlotte Street area on the other side of Merrimon is also within a few blocks’ walking distance. 

This part of town has many wellness centers around Liberty Street, including Asheville Salt Cave, the YMCA, and Asheville Yoga Center. There are also great places to eat, like Liberty House, the Zen Burger food truck, and the Pulp + Sprout vegan café.

Besides everything being within just a few blocks, I also love that Five Points has houses and apartments, including many long-term and temporary rental properties. This gives the neighborhood a more diverse population and exposes kids to a richer environment where they interact with people of all backgrounds. 

If you’re seeking a family-friendly neighborhood in Asheville with awesome neighbors, and an urban vibe where you can walk everywhere, this is your best bet! Check out Five Points on Google Maps.

2. Live in Historic Montford

The historical Montford neighborhood is one of Asheville’s most beautiful urban areas. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located within walking distance of Downtown, it offers an entirely different vibe. Here you’ll find old, colorful Victorian, Queen Anne, and Arts and Crafts homes, lovely gardens, huge front porches, and streets lined with ancient trees.

Despite the grandeur of their houses, many have been converted into bed and breakfasts, apartment buildings, or business offices. And most of the neighbors are families with kids. Take a stroll around and you’ll see kids playing outside, teens skateboarding or biking, and folks working in their gardens. 

Montford is home to a prestigious private school and is close to public schools. There are two playgrounds, a park, a skate park, and two greenways nearby. The newly renovated Magnolia Park is sweet, small, and perfect for families with little kids who want to meet their neighbors and build their community. 

The Tempie Avery Montford Center playground is one of the best in Asheville. It has something for every age group, including tweens and teens. The community center offers after-school programs and other social activities and is open during school closures. Almost every tree surrounding the playground is a fruit tree, and you’re welcome to take your share!

Adjacent to this park is an amphitheater surrounded by dense vegetation, where the beloved Montford Players perform Shakespeare and other classics under the stars on the weekend. The best part? This kid-friendly activity is free! You can bring your chair and picnic basket or buy concessions (including local beer and wine) and enjoy the show.

Montford Park doesn’t have a playground but it does have tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts, as well as many quiet corners and benches that are perfect for a picnic. This is a favorite spot for locals to go sledding after a snowstorm. 

Finally, the newly renovated skate park just a block from the Basilica of Saint Lawrence and the Harras Cherokee Center is a great meeting spot for tweens and teens wanting to skate, bike, or roller skate. 

There are two greenways alongside Montford, and you can walk or bike from Five Points to Weaver Park, passing the Botanical Gardens. One of my favorite places to visit in Montford is the historic Riverside Cemetery, where you’ll find Thomas Wolfe’s grave and you can take a self-guided tour. 

Montford has some great restaurants, including Tall John’s and Nine Mile which offers excellent Caribbean food with a super chill vibe that kids love. It’s also where All Day Darling is, a favorite spot for locals to eat (try their cakes and pastries!).

Montford was made for Halloween and is one of the best places to treat-or-trick in Asheville! Neighbors go all out with the festivities, and families come from all over the city to join the fun.

If you want to live surrounded by history within walking distance of Downtown, parks, and great places to eat, then Montford is your neighborhood! You can check out Montford on Google Maps.

3. Join the Close-Knit Community of Kenilworth

Located in the Southeast of Downtown, Kenilworth is one of the best family-friendly neighborhoods in Asheville. It was developed as one of the city’s earliest suburbs in the 1910s and has evolved into a diverse, vibrant area that takes pride in its sense of community.

Kenilworth has a welcoming and relaxed vibe and is easily accessible from every part of town, It’s a short driving distance to Downtown and many places to eat, shop, and play. Here you’ll find kids playing outside, biking and walking to each other’s houses, and fun block parties. 

This type of neighborhood, alongside the two described above, allows children to foster independence, confidence, and trust as they grow by spending time outside in a safe yet urban environment. As you can imagine, the Halloween festivities are also super fun here!

One of the most charming aspects of Kenilworth is its architectural diversity. You’ll find lovely cottages, Victorian homes, contemporary houses, historic inns, and many walking trails throughout the neighborhood. Kenilworth has an active community of artists and every year in October is an art stroll with open studios and the possibility of getting to know the artists at work. 

Did you know the Chiles House, Asheville’s second most famous home, is in Kenilworth? This unique Spanish Colonial Revival Villa will soon be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Another iconic spot is the Neo-Tudor Kenilworth Inn. It started as a resort hotel and was a military and psychiatric hospital before it became a unique, pet-friendly apartment complex.

Kenilworth is within the Asheville City School District and has a fantastic park with three acres of ballfields, basketball courts, picnic tables, a playground, restrooms, tennis courts, and grills. Last but not least, Dancing Bear Toys, one of the best toy stores in town, is in Kenilworth. This mom-and-pop shop sells high-quality toys at reasonable prices.

If you’re searching for an accessible neighborhood with a close-knit community where long-lasting friendships can blossom year after year, this is your neighborhood. Check out Kenilworth on Google Maps.

4. Enjoy the Country Life of Haw Creek

Haw Creek is a peaceful community located in a valley in East Asheville. It’s named after the hawthorn trees that still can be found along the banks of the area’s creeks. Although it’s only a few minutes’ drive from Downtown, this neighborhood has a rural vibe with large areas of pasture land and traffic mostly from residents.

This is not a walking-friendly neighborhood since sidewalks are scarce, but many of the hiking trails pass private homes. There are two excellent schools, Haw Creek Elementary School and Evergreen Community Charter School, a library, parks, and the East Asheville Recreational Cub, which features a fantastic private community pool and tennis court. 

Masters Park has an awesome hiking trail connecting Haw Creek to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Charlie Bullman Park features a six-acre, three-field complex, and Haw Creek Park offers trails, a gazebo, and a picnic shelter.

This diverse, family-friendly neighborhood in Asheville offers a mix of single-family homes with large yards, condos, townhouses, and affordable housing. 

The Haw Creek Community Association nonprofit is active and hosts fun events year-round, including guided flower hikes, the 5k race, the Haw Creek Hustle, and community yard sales. The organization is also campaigning to create Haw Creek’s first public greenway.

There are wonderful places to eat nearby, including Rendez Vous, the sister restaurant of Bouchon which is one of Downtown’s best restaurants. Creekside Taphouse is a family-friendly brewery on over 2 acres of land with a large outdoor seating area by a creek, a playground, and indoor and outdoor TVs to watch games. 

This might be a good fit if you are looking for a peaceful, more rural-feeling community with lots of nature and kid-friendly amenities. Check out Haw Creek on Google Maps. 

We hope this helps you find your home in Asheville!

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