Winston Salem, NC
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Anonymous
| Can someone tell me about living in WS, NC? What does the overall vibe of the place, would you suggest moving there? |
Anonymous
My SIL and BIL have been there for about 20 years. They have four kids and have been in the same soulless somewhat suburban development the whole time. We have visited maybe 4-5 times. They have friends among their neighbors and they seem to like it. My SIL (who is really smart) is from a small town in the South where her dad was a big deal doctor in town. She was sent to boarding school in Nashville for high school and then attended a prestigious college and law school - not Ivy, but her first job out of law school was a white shoe firm in NY. So, for her, I think she felt like she was moving to a place that was more "home" to her. (BIL's work is irrelevant, so not going to include it). That said, at least at work/through her work, it was hard for them to break into the social scene. I get the impression that it's a bit closed off and even though she had roots in the South and a big name southern school as an undergrad, it didn't make a difference. I don't think the schools are great. Their kids all went to parochial and my one niece went to the public science magnet in HS, which is supposed to be good. Wake Forest is there, but I don't really have a good handle on how that affects the town "vibe." It's been fine when we've visited. Kind of formal and southern. Swimming was a huge thing for my one niece. |
Anonymous
| It's boring but peaceful. I have friends who attended Wake Forest about 10 years ago and they said it was an incredibly quiet town by the standards of a typical college student. |
Anonymous
|
I graduated from Wake 24 years ago. I didn't spend much time in the city itself. The campus is pretty far removed/its own little world.
UNCSA is there in Winston as is Salem College (I assume it is still open). I have sorority sisters who stayed/went back to Winston. They seem to like it there. Not sure what their children do for school - I would have to look it up. Could you live in Greensboro? I think it is slightly more interesting. My college boyfriend(we're still friends) and his family live there in the historic area and love it. |
Anonymous
PP, can you say more about Greensboro? Is it more interesting because it is bigger, or is there more to do there? Where is the historic area there? I’ve only been to UNC Greensboro there, but is it the neighborhoods around the university? |
Anonymous
|
Grew up there...
Honestly, when I was younger, I couldn't wait to leave. Now, as an adult, I'd be tempted to move back but that's not feasible due to my work. It's a small city, with all the pluses and minuses that entails. Traffic is not a thing. You can pick where you want to live based on the houses you like, not your commute. Real estate prices are a BARGAIN compared to here. Public schools are totally fine (send kids to Ivies every year, lots of kids from "UMC" families go through WS/FCS) but there are also private schools if you feel strongly about that. But, yes, you will run into the same people over and over; and there aren't an endless stream of new restaurants to try - you'll have been to all the places in town after a while. The vibe is not "college town" at all, but having Wake, WSSU, Salem, NCSA there does increase the arts community, educational programs, etc. and make for a more liberal-minded population than other small southern cities. The last 20ish years have really changed Winston, especially downtown. Great little cafes, breweries, restaurants, revitalization of downtown and some of the adjacent residential areas - all good things. |
Anonymous
| Homes are very affordable. Beautiful suburbs. People are kind. Pace of life is a bit slow, but Charlotte isn't far. |
Anonymous
| Oh, I forgot WSSU - we had a wonderful band day with them at Wake while I was there! Their marching band was so fun to work with |
Anonymous
| The new restaurants downtown are great, a lot of renewal going on. I do miss the brass bucket |
Anonymous
| My cousin and his family have lived there 15 years, raising two kids (in high school now) and love it. |