From Staff Reports 

HENDERSONVILLE — Hendersonville has won recognition for having one the best downtowns for Christmas shopping in America, one of the “hidden gem main streets that have retained their unique character and charm, beloved by locals and those visiting from out of town,” the Hendersonville Lightning reported on Dec. 2.

More specifically, Hendersonville, nicknamed “The City of Four Seasons,” recently was ranked 14th nationally in a new Present.com survey of 3,000 respondents to uncover the best main streets for Christmas shopping in America.

The city joined four other North Carolina cities as top shopping destinations for the holidays, and was the top-ranked among those five.

“Hendersonville’s Main Street is perfect for holiday shopping, offering local boutiques, artisan crafts and seasonal decor in a welcoming mountain setting,” Present.com said in a news release.

The other top 10 finishers on the list were the following:

(1) Main Street, Aurora, New York state

(2) Main Street, Cooperstown, New York

(3) Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania

(4) Main Street, Mystic, Connecticut

(5) Ocean Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

(6) Genesee Street, Skaneateles, New York

(7) Broad Street, Nevada City, California

(8) Main Street, Lake Placid, New York

(9) Main Street, Tarrytown, New York

(10) Park Avenue, Winter Park, Florida

The other four North Carolina main streets included among the nation’s top 150 for Christmas shopping were:

(31) Middle Street, New Bern

(33) Main Street, Blowing Rock

(40) Broad Street, Edenton

(65) Front Street, Beaufort

When asked to describe the ideal main street for holiday shopping in one word, the overwhelming majority of survey participants chose “festive” (66%), followed by “cozy”(10%), “quaint” (10%), “vibrant” (8%), and “elegant” (6%).