The following paid content is produced by Ingles Markets
I’m Chris Bainbridge, inviting you to take a ride with me. This is an amazing place to find adventure in all shapes and sizes. Ingles has sent me on a mission to bring you the very best of what our beautiful home has to offer – food, fun, nature, music, and more… all affordable, and all out of the ordinary. This is The Ingles Open Road.
Today we’re visiting a spectacular shopping and dining destination, a former military base, and America’s first National Weather Records Center, but we’re only making one stop. How’s that you ask? Because we’re here at the Grove Arcade.
Located in Asheville, North Carolina, the Grove Arcade is an icon of Art Deco elegance that is the architectural embodiment of the roaring 20’s. The exterior is adorned with decadent embellishments, gorgeous arches, and even a pair of winged lions guarding the north entrance.
Originally the Grove Arcade was conceived as a 14 story tower rising from a 5 story base filled with shops, offices, and living spaces. But when founder EW Grove passed away in 1927, construction stopped a bit short of his grand vision.
And still the finished Arcade was a marvel. For just over a decade it was the center of commercial and civic life in downtown Asheville. But in 1942 it was commandeered by the US military. Then in 1951 it became home to the National Weather Records Center.
And in 2002, the Grove Arcade reopened in all its spectacular residential and retail glory.
The soaring atrium of a central walkway, multi-tiered balconies, and beautiful details are reminiscent of the grand retailers of London or Paris. And the boutique shops beckon for exploration.
There are so many unique enterprises inside the Grove Arcade that to mention a few would mean leaving out too many. Sufficed to say, there is something for everyone, from fine art to furniture, music to millenary and much, much more.
And then there’s the food.
Whether you’re looking for fine dining, a sidewalk bistro, a pop-in walk-up, or just a great cup of coffee – you’ll find it here.
Maybe you’d like some champagne with your reading, some beignets with your café au lait, something salty to compliment your something sweet, or something completely different.
Whatever your tastes, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for, and also something you never knew you always needed. Plan your visit at GroveArcade.com. And then stop by for a decadent afternoon. Your weekend is waiting, on the Ingles Open Road.
