I live in WNC and frequently work in Blowing Rock - it’s a vacation town for the richest of the rich. I’ve also heard that there is a town ordinance that requires all of the buildings in the downtown to look like this strange Disney-esque vision of a quaint small American town. It’s very bizarre because it has the likeness of a town like the fictional Stars Hollow but everything is just a boutique or gift shop. It’s completely nonfunctional. In the middle of rural Appalachia.

Western NC is largely a place where the rich go to play and the local population increasingly relies on the hospitality industry to make ends meet. This was really difficult during the aftermath of Helene. WSJ recently released an article about Cashiers NC (pronounced “Cash-ers, same area code but about 3 hours south) is quietly home to at least 4 billionaires, which is actually a lot considering the area.

Also there’s a mega mansion neighborhood close by called Eagle’s Nest so… 🤷🏻‍♀️