As a Thomas Wolfe fan, I visit Asheville often. (Although the town has forgotten him.) It is very beautiful and has great restaurants although it seems to think it is NYC in terms of art museums and culture. It’s not, lol! It also has a large gay community. We stopped staying at a b&b there because the owner who served bk’fast every morning kept screaming “Fruit plate coming!”
The mountains surrounding it are very remote seeming and I have seen characters out of the Deliverance sitting at roadside eating boiled peanuts. But those mountains are gorgeous. And, you’re right, the art deco buildings are unique.
Those people you’re perceiving as characters out of Deliverance are likely very decent just with different standards of appearance and personal grooming, lol. I learned that at university up that way.
Had a breakdown with my car hours from anything, in the middle of nowhere, with my girlfriend. Sat, for hours. No traffic, pre cell phone. We were just about to start walking when a very Beverly Hillbillies looking derelict pickup truck that I was surprised could even run puttered around the curve. I could see the three male occupants and as you say, first thought to an outsider would be Deliverance. We were very concerned to the point of frightened.
They stopped, got out of the truck, lumbered over to my Mustang and popped the hood. Looked around for a minute, one popped his head out from under the hood, spat chewing tobacco and said “Corr ain’t got no forr.” What? I asked. “Corr ain’t got no forr.” I don’t understand, I said. “No forr, timin’ belt’s broke.” Oh, I said.
They offered us a ride back to the interstate and a motel, in the bed of that pickup truck. With no options we accepted. They took us straight there, it was a Sunday, blue laws, no garages were open. They refused any money for helping us.
So, be careful about judging those people. Most of them aren’t what you think.