Sylva, NC
If you are looking for affordable insurance and live in Sylva, NC look no further than The Asheville Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® Store! We provide fast, affordable health insurance quotes to residents of Sylva, NC and all of North Carolina. Simply give us a call at 828.348.2583 to have one of our personal Health Care Reform agents walk you through the enrollment process and assist you in finding a comprehensive health insurance plan at an affordable rate.
Sylva is an incorporated town located between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina. It is known as a scenic town with an active and charming historic downtown area.
Sylva is a small town, with a population of 2,705 in 2012. Genders are fairly well balanced in Sylva, where males and females are represented about equally. The town has a younger median age than North Carolina as a whole, with their median resident being 36.4 years old, as compared to the state's median of 45.5. In 2012 the average household income in Sylva was $28,722 and the median value for a house or a condo was $135,637, a little lower than the average for North Carolina.
Statistically, the population of Sylva, NC has some health issues. The town's citizens have relatively high rates of both obesity and diabetes in adults. Most citizens have health insurance plans, but unfortunately about 16% of the population is uninsured. Health insurance is an essential plan that will cover most routine health care costs. Health insurance will also provide funding for emergency healthcare, which can otherwise be too expensive for individuals to cover without going into large amounts of debt. Particularly for those who have ongoing health issues such as obesity or diabetes, it is very important to have coverage from health insurance. If you live in Sylva or are planning to move there, feel free to contact WNC Health Insurance / The Asheville Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® Store for a free Sylva, NC health insurance quote on health insurance plans available to you.
The town of Sylva has an interesting history. According to local legend, the town was named after William Sylva, a Danish (or possibly Spanish) handyman who visited the area and stayed with General E. R. Hampton, a man who owned most of the land that would be developed into downtown Sylva. When he needed a name for the growing town, the general asked his daughter what she thought the name would be. The young girl liked the visiting handyman so much that she requested to name the town after him, resulting in the name "Sylva." Recent studies have doubted the story's authenticity, but it relates a sense of small-town charm that is still true of Sylva today.
Sylva, NC has been the seat of Jackson County since 1913, when it was moved from Webster, North Carolina. Becoming the county seat drew many businesses and people to the town, some of which are still present today. The Jackson County Courthouse still sits on top of a hill on Sylva's Main Street, serving as the focal point of the historic downtown area. There are a number of other historic buildings in Sylva, including the CJ Harris Sylva Supply Company Building, which has been on Main Street since 1902. The historic buildings add a sense of charm and history to the center of town.
In addition to these historic buildings, Sylva's downtown area boasts a number of businesses, restaurants, and galleries. Dining options along Main Street include Mill and Main Restaurant, a classic Italian restaurant specializing in pizza and calzones; Five Fifty Three, a gourmet restaurant with fantastic seafood and beautiful indoor and outdoor seating; and Ironstone Grill, a traditional grill with great burgers, wings, and pizza. There's also a number of charming cafés in the historic downtown area, including Annie's, Lulu's, and City Lights Café. These cafés are great for their cozy atmosphere and delicious healthy and organic food. In addition to these great dining options, the downtown area also includes a couple of intriguing galleries. It's By Nature features a large and varied selection of Southern crafts, and Penumbra Gallery & Studio displays beautiful photography and artwork. These restaurants and galleries make the downtown area a wonderful place to take an afternoon stroll.
In addition to the downtown area, residents of Sylva, NC also enjoy spending time in the town's four scenic parks: Poteet Park, Bridge Park, Mark Watson Park, and Bryson Park. Poteet Park is one of the most popular with both adults and children. It sits along Scotts Creek and is connected to Bridge Park by a small bridge (giving the second park its name). The park includes a children's playground, picnic pavilion, basketball court, and sand volleyball court, making it a popular place for pick-up sports. The other parks have a combination of two playgrounds, one pavilion stage, two picnic shelters, two baseball fields, three basketball courts, and four tennis courts. Altogether, the four parks provide an abundance of open space and options for getting outside and playing some games. Located near Poteet Park is Sylva's community pool, Roscoe Poteet Pool. All residents are welcome to swim in the pool. In addition, there is a 6-lane competitive pool that the Jackson County swim team uses.
Sylva is located very close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For both Sylva residents and tourists visiting the area, this national park is a wonderful place to explore. Located across the border of North Carolina and Tennessee and sprawled across the Appalachian mountains, this park features a stunning range of forest rising up in succeeding ridges. It is known for its diversity of wildlife, including black bears, elk, and white-tailed deer. The park is open to visitors who want to explore on their own or go on a ranger-led tour. Options in the park include camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and bicycling. Visitors can also drive their cars around the park and view some of its 80 historic buildings.
Sylva, NC is a town with a strong sense of community, and there are a number of yearly events that all residents and guests enjoy taking part in. Every year, Sylva hosts a spring festival called Greening Up the Mountains. The street festival is held in the historic area of town, on Main and Mill Streets. The festival celebrates the arrival of spring, when green leaves gradually spread up the sides of the Great Smoky Mountains. It also encourages keeping the environment green, with information and presentations on environmental sustainability. The festival includes three music stages with performances by local bands, a talent show, heritage dancers, and a wide range of traditional crafts and food. Children will also be able to enjoy face painting, storytellers, and inflatable toys at the festival. There's even an annual 5k race. This exciting festival brings over 10,000 visitors to Sylva, NC every year. Not wanting to ignore the other seasons, Sylva also hosts a Christmas parade every December.
The town of Sylva strongly values education. Children living in Sylva, NC have two elementary schools to choose from: Fairview School and Scotts Creek School. For high school, local residents can attend Smoky Mountain High School, which enrolls about 750 students and earned a ranking of 5 out of 10 by the Great Schools organization. In addition to these public schools, there are two colleges located in Sylva. The first is Southwestern Community College, a college that focuses on affordability, small class sizes, and occupational training. Western Carolina University is also located near Sylva, NC. This University offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctorates, and has an undergraduate population of 8,448 students. It has a 16:1 student-faculty ratio and has Education, Health Professions, and Business and Marketing as its most popular majors. These two colleges mean that local residents can choose to stay in Sylva and still receive excellent educations.
In addition to having options for education, residents of Sylva, NC benefit from a number of city services. One is the Jackson County Public Library, which offers free Internet access, newspapers, magazines, movies, music, and, of course, many books, including the latest best-sellers. Sylva also has its own Public Safety, Parks & Recreation, Public Works, Police, and Fire Departments.
All of these features make Sylva a charming, safe and fun place to live in or to visit.
