The ‘friendliest town in America’ boasts Hallmark charm — and affordable housing prices
A postcard-perfect community in Southern Appalachia is being touted as the “friendliest town in America.”
Realtor Holly Dake told the Daily Mail she isn’t sure where the town of Tryon, North Carolina first picked up the moniker, but she claimed that it’s stuck.
“It’s just always been that way, the town calls itself that, everyone helps everyone out around here,” Dake told the outlet. “We’re kind of the best kept secret out there.”
Tryon sits an hour outside of the western North Carolina region’s most popular city, Asheville.
Located on roughly 2 square miles the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the area is famous for its immense natural beauty. The fall season sees its rolling mountain ranges blanketed in vivid foliage, and springtime welcomes an abundance of blooming rhododendron and mountain laurel.
Such splendor would put anyone in a good mood, but locals say Tryon is especially cheery — so much so, in fact, that its served of Hallmark-style movie shoots.
Dake told the Daily Mail that Tryon’s idyllic Main Street was recently used to film an upcoming Christmas movie, apparently titled “Downtown Christmas.”
“We have a lot of historical buildings where they filmed,” Dake said.
Tryon was incorporated in 1885. It was named for William Tryon, a royal governor of North Carolina, and boasts the childhood home of legendary singer Nina Simone. The most recent census totaled the town’s year-round population at 1,562.
Another possible reason for the pep in Tryon residents’ step — the median home sale price currently hovers around $366,000, according to Realtor.com. Low property taxes sweeten the pot.
Despite low costs, the longtime resort community attracts an affluent crowd each summer. In addition to mountain hikes and easy access to Asheville, Tryon boasts a longstanding equestrian culture.
Horse farms and fox hunting farms abound, and the Tryon International Equestrian Center attracts a well-heeled set to the area year-round. The town has hosted the annual Block House Steeplechase since 1946 and hosts several longstanding equestrian clubs.
A statue of a spotted white toy horse sits at the entrance of the small town.
Nearby vineyards, seasonal festivals and ample antiquing are just extra bows on top of this tiny Hallmark town.
