Marion is the business center as well as the county seat
of McDowell County. There is
a lot of shopping
— especially along US-70 north of Marion. This commercial
district is easily accessed from I-40 exit 85 or 86 (whichever
you get to first). Head toward town, take a right and follow the
US-221 Bypass freeway to the Garden Creek District. If you're
hungry, we recommend you take US-70 back — through town — which
returns you to the same exits of I-40. There are about a half
dozen good restaurants just north of downtown and a few more
further on.
Marion
doesn't quite have the small town atmosphere that its size would
suggest. Nor does one feel
like it is a city. It is sort of a pleasant in-between. A
recently built freeway skirts the western edge of town but,
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so far, it
has not been the magnet for business centers that such highways
usually are. Marion seems to be content with enjoying the
compact-ness of a downtown area - something most towns
now-a-days seem to lack.
There is a lot of nice residential property to the east of
downtown (along US-70 East) and to the south between Marion and
I-40. While Marion is in the foothills, you do have some
excellent views of the mountains to the north and west.
Marion is in the Catawba River valley. Downstream from Marion is the famous
Lake James where they filmed the movie, Last of the
Mohicans. Our local real estate agents would be most happy
to show you a lot of our great
recreational property and even some waterfront property (yes, it
is still available) |