Image via WikipediaI have a long history of maintaining a small business in the
heart of Asheville’s “Pack Square Cultural District”. I wasn’t aware that this part of Asheville’s Downtown had a
name until recently when I started to notice signage saying this part of town
was this way or that part of town was that way.
I started to consider the name they gave to my section of
town. What did it include and why
did they give it this name? The
area includes many restaurants and shops, the City Building and County
Courthouse, the fire and police stations, a lovely park area that took a couple
of years to complete…but what was the cultural aspect they are referring
to? It all seemed pretty ‘white-bread’,
tourist centered to me, except for one little corner that is truly culturally
rich and diverse. That little
corner is called Eagle Street.
I first became familiar with Eagle Street when I moved my
fledgling business there in 1999.
I immediately fell in love with the small block and our new neighbors,
who were ever so welcoming. It
wasn’t until after I moved my business there that I became aware of the rather
glooming reputation that Eagle Street sported. I heard whispers of ‘that’s the black part of town’ to
‘that’s where the drug dealers hang out’.
For the life of me, I couldn’t understand such a rap when I had come to
know and love many of the shop owners and patrons of this beautiful tree-lined
street. For me, it was a beautiful
safe haven for my business in the most ideal location, and the rent was great!
After a couple of years, my business continued to grow, and
I soon found myself outgrowing the space I was in. At the urging of my accountant, I purchased some property on
the outskirts of town to house the major part of my business, but kept one of
the pieces of my business right there on Eagle Street. It was the smallest part of my
business, but centrally located and secure, it was to remain right where it
was.
Many years later, and in a dramatically different economic
climate, I decided to bring the major portion of my business back into the
downtown area. I looked at many
areas of town, from north Asheville to the River District, and found myself
looking at Eagle Street once again.
I saw tenants who had been there longer than I had and loved visiting
with them, catching up after such a long period of time. Many told me how much they missed me
and missed my business. They told
me that Eagle Street had become a ghost town after I left, and it was said with
great warmth and heavy hearts.
I decided it was destiny that I return to Eagle Street. I contacted the property manager of the
building where I already occupied space, and he at once appeared, showing me
some of the wonderful units that had been lying empty for year. He agreed to customize them just for my
use and even installed shiny new windows for me. Construction continues and is scheduled for completion on
November 15th, the day we plan to begin moving back in to our
culturally diverse neighborhood.
I told our neighbors that I was coming back, and they were
overjoyed. One of my favorite
Asheville shop owners, a barber who goes by the name of “Smooth”, said “Welcome
home.”. I was welcomed with open
arms by all on this darling street in Asheville. I knew I was coming home the moment I stepped foot back on
Eagle Street. With its bricked
sidewalks and full-growth trees and truly diverse cultural background, I
couldn’t feel more at home. Black,
white, Hispanic, men and women from far reaches of the world, all with unique
products and services, I am proud to be included in this wonderful family of
proud Asheville residents and shop owners.
Asheville really does have a Cultural District, and its
heart beats on Eagle Street, as do the hearts of the wonderful people who call
it home. It is amusing to me that anyone
would ever consider it to be anything but wonderful. I’m glad to be coming home.
Peggy Huff is the owner of the Center for Massage &
Natural Health. She has maintained
a popular Massage Therapy Center on Eagle Street since 1999 and is moving her
COMTA Accredited Massage School and upwards of 50 faculty and staff, along with
all her students back to Eagle Street on November 15th, and hosting
a Grand Opening Event on November 19th. For more information, visit her website at http://www.CenterForMassage.edu or
call (828) 658-0814.
