Quaint downtown or tourist trap? (Henderson, Boone: house, buying, movie theater)

[BadTiger64]

What is your opinion of small town downtowns. Like HVille, Waynesville, Brevard, Blowing rock, Highlands ect. What is there for a local to buy downtown? What is there for a tourist to buy? Who owns most of the stores in downtown are they local or moved here from another state? Why do locals for the most part not own stores downtown? Where DO locals shop?

BadTiger

[mm34b]

Here's a recent news article on a survey of Hendersonville's downtown shopping area:

Survey paints bright picture for downtown business futures | Serving Henderson, Transylvania and Polk Counties | North Carolina | BlueRidgeNow.com

PisgahMountainNews.com

[LiveLoveLaugh]

I LOVE your question! I've asked myself the same 1! Everytime I have guests I take them to Blowing Rock.....I walk the walk and talk the talk...lol I am in the process of living here and it's not the 'downtown' that's important to me. I've lived here for a year and own a farmhouse for 3....what is important to ME...is the friends I've made, the horse I bought and LOVE, the MOUNTAINS....it is not 'downtown'....yes it's nice to be near a 'tourist' area.....it is a BEAUTIFUL area to experience...'downtown' is for tourists! JMO!

[OconeeMountains]

Henderonsivlle downtown is not only a tourist area. Certainly residents of the town visit often and take advantage of the many shops and restaurants. Varies by area for sure. Boone's downtown (old downtown) is used by the resident (student) population.

[blueridgemama]

Brevard's downtown has a lot of tourist shops. However we also have a hardware store, restaurants, post office, movie theater, and library, all within the "old town" area. Locals certainly do go down to the old town, because really there isn't a lot else to the town.

[BadTiger64]

Blueridgemama


I have lived in Transylvania County for 61 years and can almost guarantee you that few locals shop in as you say "old town". Other than Harris Hardware there is very little for a local to buy in their daily life. We don't need any bears made in China with Brevard NC on them or T-shirts made in China and printed in Colorado with Pisgah Forest NC on them. For sure don't stand in the doorway of the White Squirl because you'll surley get run over by hundreds of locals trying to get in to buy white squirl stuff for there broken down house trailers. Restaurants are there for tourist not red neck locals. That is where the richos go to talk about and laugh about the locals.
The movie theater is ok but usually the movie is out on DVD before it gets to Brevard. The library is the hangout of the richos who come there to read the paper because they are two tight to buy a .50 paper. Go by there about 9:00 am daily and check it out. There isn't a drug store in old town nor is there a clothing store (unless your are buying outdoor clothing). Neither is there a place to buy shoes or a news stand.

If you really want to find the locals you'll probably find them on Saturday and Sunday at Wal Mart (curse) or if they have the gasoline to get there at the Target over near the Airport.

I did like the last of your last sentence : there isn't a lot else to the town.

BadTiger

BTW: blueridgemama how long have you lived in Transylvania county?

[darstar]

Well folks, I lived just 6 miles out of Highlands for 19 years. At 4,000 feet it was great in the summer. Cold spikes in winter were not pleasant, sometimes 20 below ! , but otherwise, it was a paradise. No bugs, ( they could not afford to live there ) , AC not needed, and the Blue Ridge was a wonderful part of natural America.
Now , as to the town, yes , it was full of big buck investments. The locals had a hard time, yet, that influx of money, meant jobs, good jobs , if you were in construction, and home building for the rich. Everything n Highlands cost more. When winter came , and , the summer people left, the stores that stayed open lowered there prices. If you went to a eating place, and declared yourself a local, you bill was cut by 10 to 15 per cent. A lot of locals lived in Franklin , and drove to Highlands to work , in the summer. I liked it there, and we adjusted. Never made a lot of friends, mostly because of politics, and religion, but it was a great place to live. not the real world however, we were insulated somewhat from the outside. When we needed a city fix , Atlanta was only 2 hours away.
With fuel prices today , I would hate to think of the cost of going back there, otherwise, it would not be a hard pill to take, the Mountains were about a good as it gets anywhere. In a way , it was that we out grew the area. Retiring there, with a less than full wallet would be tough.........

[Rysher8]

Having been privileged enough to travel for my job the past few years, I've grown to absolutely love downtowns. With the revitalization of downtowns all over America, the topic seems ripe for a travel book... something like Downtown America or a more local version like Downtown North Carolina

[pegleg]

Sylva has changed for the better, apparently since Walmart! They may have hastened the demise of some of the older, poor-service oriented places, but the new ones (restaurants, a brewery, antiques) are much better and Sylva is hopping after dinner many nights.

[darstar]

Part of the limited services , was the charm of Highlands. That charm I hope still exists there. They did not allow fast food joints, nor any drive up service , other than the bank.
Places like Hendersonville, Silva, Waynesville, are not what the people who have a place in Highlands are looking for. Highlands was , a "summer place," with rich folks who had homes on the mountains around the area. You were known by the mountain you lived on , in the phone book , not by a 911 address........ I hope it never changes, but , I am sure it will, haven't been back for 7 years.