take a stroll on a sunny day (we visited on a wet, cool Saturday which rather took the shine off....) and enjoy the local artists and their studios. Some great restaurants in the neighborhood too!

An up and coming art district with exceptional studios and galleries and art. A great place to find a one of a kind gift or piece of art.

6 years ago the downtown was the place to be. Not so anymore. The two good galleries that were there are gone. There is one left and whole lot of restaurants and ok gift shops. It's not junky, but it sure isn't what it used to be. Go the where the real art (and artists studios) is. Great mix, great... More

Want to meet the artist, view the studio they work in and even buy some of their pieces? This is the place to go!

I love walking around and seeing inside the artists studios and being able to see all kinds of artist's work. I wish it was a bit more walkable though. Just a few sidewalks between things would make it more enjoyable.

The entire area is still very run down and could be made so much more!

great galleries and places to eat plus a great park and the river.

This is an area of town that is built into old brick factory and other industrial buildings. Plan to travel several blocks, across bridges and railroad and on uneven surfaces. There are not sidewalks all the way either. (arguably you could drive building to building). Several of the working galleries were innovative and interesting, however others were blah - but... More

In the five years we've lived in NC in winter, we've seen the River Arts District grow bigger and better and the quality of the arts and crafts grown a bit stronger, too. More crafts to see than fine art painting. We recommend you go to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway to see really high end... More