In my last update, I mentioned that this little town has SIX Wine Spectator Award winning restaurants. Ooops, I miscounted: it’s SEVEN.

Even more amazing, I guess.

A couple of weeks ago, I joined a packed house at the Performing Arts Center to hear Judy Collins. At 70, she still looks and sounds amazing. She had been in LA the week before and was on her way to New England to join other folk heroes of that era like Joan Baez for a concert. She told us too that she’d just recorded a segment for Letterman which aired the night after she was here.

A couple of days after the concert I visited New York and walked by the Letterman marquee. Small world from Highlands to New York–or vice-versa.

When I first moved up here, I had not even unpacked the sheets when I took off and visited a friend in New York for a few days. He showed me around the city and I stayed up way later than I had in years. I woke up one morning, cabbed it to LaGuardia, flew to the South, and drove to my new home in Highlands.

This is the same universe. Amazing.

But oddly enough, with the Bel Canto music series, lecturers like John Dominic Crossan and Bishop Spong, authors like Pat Conroy and (before he passed away) Walker Percy, singers like Judy Collins and famed tenor Sergio Blazquez–the list goes on and on: we’re not so far in the sticks after all.

Yesterday, I attended a meeting at The Bascom -an astonishing new facility. Bob Fisher, the current chairman of the gallery, came into the meeting with an interesting smile: he’d just given the chairman of The Smithsonian a tour.

This is Highlands. A charming town famed for its cool, comfortable summers, its lush greenery, astonishing views, fabulous golf courses, miles of trails…and some fine dining and culture to boot.

From downtown Atlanta, you take two rights and you’re in the middle of Main Street.

The market continues to be “interesting,” by the way. We have buyers who want the deals they’re used to elsewhere. And the sellers who don’t have to sell are shrugging their shoulders and raising their eyebrows. A few sellers are ready to get out: and as the winter fast approaches, there may be more who decide to just bite the bullet and deal.

Yet, as I’ve said before, the ironic good news for buyers is that the market has held up pretty well. Prices aren’t just plummeting. It is, as it has been for a century, a true place of destination and, therefore, value.

But reasonable deals are out there. And once in a while, you might find a really surprising steal.

Regardless of whether you get a good deal or not, you can still find YOUR spot in one of the best places in the world. That’s deal enough!

If you’re interested in owning a piece of history, I know of a Joe Webb log cabin for sale ($999k) close to town with a view. This article from the Wall Street Journal may give you a sense of how wonderful these old homes are.