We loved our stay in Alicia's cottage. It was quaint and clean with very cute details that made it feel like home. Since my husband and I were traveling with our 5-month-old daughter, having a place to ourselves where we didn't have to worry about her bothering other people if she cried at night was key for us.

It's located on Chicken Hill inside the River Arts district, just minutes away from downtown Asheville. You could really even walk to downtown if you wanted to, but we always used our car and parked in a deck. White Duck Taco is literally down the street from the cottage and seems to be a local favorite. They have everything ranging from your typical fish taco to a thai chicken taco. We enjoyed our meal there.

The neighborhood is definitely one that seems up and coming, with a few older homes and buildings in need of some love, but there are also new, eco-friendly homes being built, and we felt entirely safe at the cottage and didn't see anything that made us uncomfortable. Alicia herself lives across the street from the cottage.

Most people visiting downtown Asheville aren't expecting to sit around and watch tv, but if you plan to spend some nights in (like we did since we have a baby), I would bring some dvds or a streaming device like a roku box, apple tv, etc. We rented a Redbox dvd from Harris Teeter, which is very close by. There is also a Trader Joe's nearby as well.

Our intention in visiting Asheville was to visit the Biltmore Estate (which is only 6 miles away) and to spend some time in downtown Asheville. Alicia's cottage is in the perfect location for either of those activities. We'd definitely stay at her place again.