Woolworth Walk, a co-op gallery with more than 150 artists

One of Asheville's more intriguing readaptions of vintage buildings is Woolworth Walk (25 Haywood St., 828-254-9324), a circa-1938 art deco stunner on Haywood Street that was beautifully restored in 2001 and now contains a co-op gallery featuring the work of more than 150 artists living in western North Carolina. Apart from being a cool building to wander through, the art sold inside - photos, jewelry, paintings, crafts, and so on - is of an exceptionally high quality. For art lovers, shoppers, and fans of old buildings, this is a must, and it also contains a handsomely restored soda fountain, where you can enjoy a light meal or snack to break up the art exploring. This natty Woolworth's building is one of many fine structures in downtown Asheville, including the Grove Arcade, Kress Building, Pearlman's Furniture Building, Public Service Building, and Flatiron Building.