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Asheville Revival

Photography Peter Frank EdwardsPhotos 21Issue September 2025
Overlooking the city from atop the Flat Iron Hotel, Asheville glows.Inner tubers floating by the Wrong Way River LodgeHurricane Helene was a record-breaker. September 26 and 27 mark the one-year anniversary of the devastating storm that brought catastrophic flooding to parts of Western North Carolina, including Asheville.The lineup of elevated cabins at the Wrong Way River Lodge is an easy walk or bike ride from Asheville’s River Arts District. The name is a nod to how local river guides explain that the French Broad River, like the famous Nile, flows the “wrong way,” south to north.Guests gather for morning coffee in the canteen at Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins.Bold colors and flavors greet guests to James Beard Award-winning Chai Pani, with a menu that celebrates Indian street food.Live music and dancing at the new downtown venue, Fitz and the WolfeHelene hit the River Arts District (RAD) hard, especially shops and studios at lower elevations beside the French Broad. But the “Upper RAD” blocks are intact, and some have opened new workspaces for displaced artists.Bicyclists and runners still flock to the French Broad River Greenway, where Helene’s destructive flooding washed away a section of the trail near the Amboy Bridge.Anna Alsobrook, Mountain True’s French Broad RiverkeeperA new hotel housed in a former cereal factory in the River Arts District, The Radical’s decor features paintings and graffiti by local artists, and the rooftop lounge offers open-air views across the river.Local art featured at The Radical.Destruction from HeleneWood-fired cooking and house charcuterie are on the menu at the elegant Golden Hour restaurant downstairs from The Radical.Tall windows and original artwork in a guest room at The Radical.Sunset from the rooftop at The Flat Iron HotelChai Pani’s grilled prawns masala with mint, cilantro, curry, chili, and garlicfresh lunchtime tacos at Taco Billy in West AshevilleShopping for house plants and wine at Flora & ForageMichael Hofman and his porcelain pieces (plus dog, Vinnie) at Hofman Studios in the River Arts DistrictRiver Arts District

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A Return to Asheville: From Ruin to Revival One Year After Hurricane Helene
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