TL;DR: This is a great place - if you're looking for a well located spot right in Asheville for 1-2 people, look no further!
The good:
* Location: you're a 15 minute walk / 5 min drive to downtown in one direction, a 10 minute walk / short drive to the French Broad River (and River Arts District) in the other
* The street is quiet, steep and narrow with very little traffic (but not a dead end)
* The place / space: this newly constructed (2014?) house is cozy but was great for me as a solo traveler. It's spread across 3 levels:
- Top level (loft): bedroom (foam queen mattress) / master bath
- Main level: living room area / eat in kitchen / half bath
- Ground level: office / guest space / full bath / laundry
The windows are modern, the place has good light.
* Outdoor space:
- At the street level there are 2 parking spots and a small deck
- At the ground level there’s a small patio, electric grill, and even a porch swing in the small backyard
* Internet: fiber is installed in the house, the wifi is great (much better than the cable service I have at home!)
* Work setup: I worked remotely while staying in Asheville. The unit has a height adjustable desk and comfortable work chair, plus of course the good Internet service. Bring an external monitor (or two!) if you’re planning the same.
* What you see is what you get: the pictures are 100% accurate.
* The hosts: Nick and his wife live a short distance away but were very responsive to text messages, and very open to ideas about how to improve their place.
Be aware:
* You’ll be walking up and down steps (this could be good, I liked it) inside the place
* You’re close (a few hundred feet) from a major highway (I-240) that has traffic 24x7. Most of the road noise is blocked by a hill in between but there’s always a low hum and occasionally the sounds of a truck engine braking or a vehicle accelerating hard. Closing the windows helps. Bring your earplugs and you’ll be fine at night, during the day the noise normally faded into the background.
* Walking: outside of the core downtown area sidewalks are intermittent in Asheville, and W Haywood St is no exception. Same with hills: Asheville is a hilly city, W Haywood St is rather steep.
* Capacity: this isn’t a large house (3 rooms, really). I was a solo traveler working during the day, and the space was perfect. I think a couple would do just fine here - if you’re both working one of you would be at the small dining table. More than that would be cozy. Yes there’s a futon (I didn’t pull it out), but the common spaces just aren’t that big (the living room area really only seats 3).
Overall highly recommended, if I return to Asheville again I'll definitely try to stay here!