Winston-Salem, NC

[awscoreida]

hi there,

i just got accepted to wake forest and am very excited. i will most likely start there this summer. i have never visited the campus or town and would like to know where to live. i will have a car but i don't want to drive more than 20 minutes to get to campus. any and all information is appreciated!!!

thanks.

[PaperChaser]

hi there,

i just got accepted to wake forest and am very excited. i will most likely start there this summer. i have never visited the campus or town and would like to know where to live. i will have a car but i don't want to drive more than 20 minutes to get to campus. any and all information is appreciated!!!

thanks.

I live in Greensboro (currently-been here 3 years)...there do seem to be more young people in Winston than Greensboro. Honestly, I've had the best luck via Craigslist in terms of housing, but current/former Wake Forest grad students may be able to suggest housing in the area. The Triad area of NC (Greensboro-WS-High Point) isn't quite as inexpensive as people make it out to be, but if you don't have pets/kids, you can EASILY find something close to the school. I have to drive to downtown WS once or month or so for my job, and despite having a GPS, I STILL get lost a lot. The downtown (from my experience) is pretty safe and is definitely being "revitalized." If the downtown prices get a little steep for you, Kernersville is pretty close (10-15 minutes, but it's not cheap). Greensboro is actually only about 20 minutes if you live near the airport, but I'd shoot for something close to campus if you want to avoid the morning traffic tangle. Definitely buy a parking pass!!!

Where are you from and what are you looking for (1 bedroom, townhouse, etc..price range)? I may be able to help, if you want a semi-native's perspective.

[PaperChaser]

I live in Greensboro (currently-been here 3 years)...there do seem to be more young people in Winston than Greensboro. Honestly, I've had the best luck via Craigslist in terms of housing, but current/former Wake Forest grad students may be able to suggest housing in the area. The Triad area of NC (Greensboro-WS-High Point) isn't quite as inexpensive as people make it out to be, but if you don't have pets/kids, you can EASILY find something close to the school. I have to drive to downtown WS once or month or so for my job, and despite having a GPS, I STILL get lost a lot. The downtown (from my experience) is pretty safe and is definitely being "revitalized." If the downtown prices get a little steep for you, Kernersville is pretty close (10-15 minutes, but it's not cheap). Greensboro is actually only about 20 minutes if you live near the airport, but I'd shoot for something close to campus if you want to avoid the morning traffic tangle. Definitely buy a parking pass!!!

Where are you from and what are you looking for (1 bedroom, townhouse, etc..price range)? I may be able to help, if you want a semi-native's perspective.

Be sure to set aside money for the rather high taxes. (They're not high if you're coming from NY or CA or a really big city, but they're steep for the south...) That's something I wish I would've known!

[awscoreida]

thanks for the info thus far.

i will be looking for a 1 bedroom and would like to keep it under $650 if possible. i do have a cat, so that will make things a little more difficult. i would like to live somewhere that is good for jogging. if possible, i would prefer to live somewhere where i can walk to get groceries and run errands. i will definitely need to make a trip out to NC before i move but appreciate

any areas that you guys can recommend.

[PaperChaser]

thanks for the info thus far.

i will be looking for a 1 bedroom and would like to keep it under $650 if possible. i do have a cat, so that will make things a little more difficult. i would like to live somewhere that is good for jogging. if possible, i would prefer to live somewhere where i can walk to get groceries and run errands. i will definitely need to make a trip out to NC before i move but appreciate

any areas that you guys can recommend.

Try Winston Salem's Craigslist and look at the downtown housing. A cat shouldn't be a big problem, but most of the traditional "managed" properties now charge a non-refundable pet fee PLUS "pet rent," so factor that in too. You can log onto the WS Chamber of Commerce website and request a relocation package

[joef1057]

Does anyone have any information or opinions on Winston-Salem, North Carolina?

I'm thinking about moving there too, but would like to hear some feedback about the place.

Thanks

[smichelle]

so i'm actually from ws, nc. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about it if I can

[sirena]

i'm from winston too! and no, i would not move back.

i would, however, move back to other parts of NC, and plan to do so in the future...

i think it really just depends on what you're looking for. north carolina is an incredibly beautiful state, with all the "good stuff"- beaches, mountains, lakes, etc. winston salem can be wonderful for raising a family, but it's also (still, though i know it's changed some) fairly conservative. however, that might be what you're looking for...

i went to undergrad in chapel hill, and the research triangle area is a totally different vibe. very liberal, very progressive, very fun.

then there's charlotte, which is somewhere in between.

can i ask what you're looking for and why you might be moving there? it would be easier to tell you what it's like and what kind of areas you might be interested in.

[leica818]

Can anyone give some insight on what it's like to live in Winston-Salem? I'm guessing it's going to be a really small city that was built for the university... Any info on cheap living, night life, proximity to markets/mall? Are there Asian supermarkets? What is there to do in WS???

I saw that Charlotte is about an hour away, how is Charlotte in comparison? Worth the drive??

Thanks

[calciumlightnight]

I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, though I don't have any experience as an undergraduate or grad student there. Winston-Salem is actually a relatively large city, with a population of around 250,000. It does feel very "small town," though, and is both largely residential and pretty spread out. A car is more or less a necessity.

Most of the city's night life can be found downtown -- it's not a hotspot, by any means, but there are a number of upscale restaurants, bars, and art galleries there that make for nice diversions. Winston-Salem also has a nice arts and culture scene for a city of its size; it calls itself North Carolina's "City of the Arts," so there are generally a lot of free or cheap cultural events to look forward to. Winston-Salem has an opera, a symphony, an arts district, even the annual Riverrun film festival, so there are definitely some hidden gems. Minor league baseball and Wake Forest athletics are also traditionally very popular.

As for malls and markets, Winston-Salem has Hanes Mall, which has all of the standard department stores, as well as several other stretches of retail -- Thruway, on Knollwood, might be worth investigating. I believe there are one or two Asian markets in Winston-Salem -- there is one on Peter's Creek Parkway, if I recall correctly.

Probably the biggest asset at Winston-Salem's disposal is its history. The city is home to colonial sites Old Salem, Bethabra, and Bethesda as well as the Reynolda House Museum of American Art and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA). Residential architecture in the Buena Vista neighborhood can also be quite impressive.

Winston-Salem is very centrally located -- both Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Durham and Charlotte are around an hour and a half away, and the mountains and the coast are both accessible by a few hours' drive. Greensboro, which is around twenty minutes away from Winston-Salem, might also be worth checking out on weekends. Charlotte and Raleigh are both worth visiting, as are Asheville, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Outer Banks. So while Winston-Salem is not a bustling metropolis by any stretch of the imagination, it is certainly close to plenty of interesting spots.

I can't speak much to graduate housing, but please feel free to reach out to me with any other questions!

Edited April 5, 2011 by calciumlightnight

[leica818]

I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, though I don't have any experience as an undergraduate or grad student there. Winston-Salem is actually a relatively large city, with a population of around 250,000. It does feel very "small town," though, and is both largely residential and pretty spread out. A car is more or less a necessity.

Most of the city's night life can be found downtown -- it's not a hotspot, by any means, but there are a number of upscale restaurants, bars, and art galleries there that make for nice diversions. Winston-Salem also has a nice arts and culture scene for a city of its size; it calls itself North Carolina's "City of the Arts," so there are generally a lot of free or cheap cultural events to look forward to. Winston-Salem has an opera, a symphony, an arts district, even the annual Riverrun film festival, so there are definitely some hidden gems. Minor league baseball and Wake Forest athletics are also traditionally very popular.

As for malls and markets, Winston-Salem has Hanes Mall, which has all of the standard department stores, as well as several other stretches of retail -- Thruway, on Knollwood, might be worth investigating. I believe there are one or two Asian markets in Winston-Salem -- there is one on Peter's Creek Parkway, if I recall correctly.

Probably the biggest asset at Winston-Salem's disposal is its history. The city is home to colonial sites Old Salem, Bethabra, and Bethesda as well as the Reynolda House Museum of American Art and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA). Residential architecture in the Buena Vista neighborhood can also be quite impressive.

Winston-Salem is very centrally located -- both Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Durham and Charlotte are around an hour and a half away, and the mountains and the coast are both accessible by a few hours' drive. Greensboro, which is around twenty minutes away from Winston-Salem, might also be worth checking out on weekends. Charlotte and Raleigh are both worth visiting, as are Asheville, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Outer Banks. So while Winston-Salem is not a bustling metropolis by any stretch of the imagination, it is certainly close to plenty of interesting spots.

I can't speak much to graduate housing, but please feel free to reach out to me with any other questions!

Thank you so much!! I am looking forward to visiting WS in a few weeks

[fromrio]

Thank you so much!! I am looking forward to visiting WS in a few weeks

I have spent the last year living with my fiancee down in W-S (She is a grad student at WFU). Despite its relatively large population, W-S is the definition of a sleepy southern city. In fact, the Triad area (That is Greensboro, W-S, and High Point) ranked in a research study as the second oldest area in the country in terms of health. You will absolutely feel this, as on the busiest night of the year so far - last friday - the downtown area was empty by 1am. Part of this is due to the area being relatively suburban and spread out, the truth of the area is that it is NOT at all a college town like Boulder, CO, Chapel Hill, NC, or Austin, TX. Due to its suburban spread and central NC location, a car is absolutely necessary for living in W-S - but everything good is within a 15 minute drive from anywhere in town - and traffic is almost non-existent.

Aside from that negative, W-S is a pretty nice place to live. It is nestled at the bottom of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and offers plenty of outdoor activities within an hour or two drive. There are state parks with nice hiking close by - check out Hanging Rock State Park and Salem Lake, along with relatively close skiing and rafting opportunities. If you want to get away from the city area easily - join the Outdoorsing Club - they run all sorts of cheap activities during the year.

The W-S area itself is beautiful, as is the Wake Forest campus. It is not uncommon to spend a few hours walking around campus, picking up some organic fro-yo from the lounge and heading over to the "grove" area of campus to sit on the old-school wooden swings and ultimately simply take in the fresh air. However, the pollen count here is extremely high, so if you have bad allergies bring some medicine.

Wake Forest, unlike many other universities, is not at all connected to the surrounding community or the downtown W-S area. Wake is instead a literal gated community - most like a prestigious country club in appearance and feel. While the faculty is fantastic and diverse, the student body is not. The vast majority of students are rich, white and Republican - essentially following in their parents' stead. Unfortunately, the university administration (different from the faculty) shares this mindset, and the general consensus among many students is that University officials are slaves to their incredibly large endowment. The administration even has gated faculty and staff housing on campus, and this past year has been rumored to provide several frats and sororities with under-the-table parties and alcohol. Wake students generally rarely leave campus unless it is to go to Football or Basketball games, or to head to the mall. With that said, the graduate student population is very diverse, with many Asian and International Students and professors. And, as a grad student, you will not care much about the undergrads, as you will all quickly learn the oft-repeated expression that "Work" Forest students never sleep.

The professors here have sterling reputations as leaders in teaching before research, and are usually extremely helpful despite being tough. If you put in the work here, you will learn and grow exponentially. Class sizes, especially grad, are small - and there are almost no TAs to deal with. The library looks better than it really is, and is FREEZING 100% of the time. There is free coffee in the library, and during finals they have free pizza and hot chocolate delivered to late night studiers. Unfortunately, the University puts more of its endowment towards its athletic recruitment department instead of campus improvements - there are almost no public computers on campus and minimal multimedia help or support for students as well. Still, the environment of the university is studious and quiet, which makes it easy to learn effectively.

Living in W-S is CHEAP and safe if you stick to the West of Downtown. The East part of town is dominated by a low-income population, withseveral specific areas being notorious for crime. In general though, stick to the areas close to Wake, and always visit potential housing before you commit. For specific apartment complexes with good reputations, check out the Crowne owned properties. For houses, you need to drive around the community to look , but the Stratford rd, Coliseum Dr, and Polo Rd areas are nice and may still have houses for rent. Expect to pay between 400-600 per bedroom for an apartment and 500-700 per bedroom for a house, but utilities are ultra cheap here. Get a roommate - most grad students are easy going and study all of the time - to control costs.

There is not much International diversity in Winston Salem, despite a decent number of Asian restaurants. Greensboro has a huge Vietnamese communities and is your best bet for an Asian grocery store. For regular grocery stores, check out Whole Foods on Stratford Rd - great selection and cost effective if you shop for things on sale, and The Fresh Market on Robinhood Road - similar to Whole Foods but cheaper. Don't bother with Lowe's or Harris Teeter - both are big box stores with bad produce, fish and meat departments. The only redeeming quality of Harris Teeter is the one off Cloverdale has the best Thai food in North Carolina inside of it- cheap for lunch and delicious too.

The nightlife in W-S is hit or miss. During the winter, people don't frequent the Downtown area as much. During the Spring and Summer, it can get crowded. Wake students generally don't go off campus unless they go clubbing in Greensboro or rarely in W-S. For cheap alcohol, check out Tequila Mexican Restaurant off Reynolda Road - on Monday and Tuesdays they have 99 cent Margaritas and 2 dollar 32 ounce Dos Equis mugs - on other days they have good drink specials too. Good nachos too, and 10% off entire bill with your Wake student ID. On Thursday nights, hit up Sixth and Vine - they have 1.50 draft beers and 5 dollar martinis - along with great live music and an outdoor bar and patio area. Rec Billiards has free Darts in the basement as well as pool up top. There are several "clubs" in W-S that are decent, but consistently change names and management every year or so - most students go to Greensboro if they want to go clubbing. Also, Wake Forest has a dive bar on campus - Shorty's. Most students drink and party in frat houses or other house parties, which can be difficult to get into if you aren't well known with the house members. If you love movies - check out Carmike Cinemas off Reynolda Road. This theater has 4.25 Student movies every day, and 1 dollar popcorn and sodas on Tuesday nights. It shows newly released films, and even has a 3-d theater too.

Overall, living in W-S is safe, quiet and cheap. Still, its not exactly NYC in terms of excitement or activity - and the area can be incredibly frustrating if you are a minority or a progressive minded thinker. The local public school administration is loosely affiliated with the Tea Party, so that should give you an idea of the general mindset of the community. One last thing - be careful driving here - the roads are big but there are tons of very old drivers who need and use that space pretty freely.

[Eileen987]

So this post is 3 years old, but I am sure most of it is still true. Thank you for providing SO MUCH valuable information! I feel like I really have a good idea of where I am going.

 

 

I have spent the last year living with my fiancee down in W-S (She is a grad student at WFU). Despite its relatively large population, W-S is the definition of a sleepy southern city. In fact, the Triad area (That is Greensboro, W-S, and High Point) ranked in a research study as the second oldest area in the country in terms of health. You will absolutely feel this, as on the busiest night of the year so far - last friday - the downtown area was empty by 1am. Part of this is due to the area being relatively suburban and spread out, the truth of the area is that it is NOT at all a college town like Boulder, CO, Chapel Hill, NC, or Austin, TX. Due to its suburban spread and central NC location, a car is absolutely necessary for living in W-S - but everything good is within a 15 minute drive from anywhere in town - and traffic is almost non-existent.

Aside from that negative, W-S is a pretty nice place to live. It is nestled at the bottom of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and offers plenty of outdoor activities within an hour or two drive. There are state parks with nice hiking close by - check out Hanging Rock State Park and Salem Lake, along with relatively close skiing and rafting opportunities. If you want to get away from the city area easily - join the Outdoorsing Club - they run all sorts of cheap activities during the year.

The W-S area itself is beautiful, as is the Wake Forest campus. It is not uncommon to spend a few hours walking around campus, picking up some organic fro-yo from the lounge and heading over to the "grove" area of campus to sit on the old-school wooden swings and ultimately simply take in the fresh air. However, the pollen count here is extremely high, so if you have bad allergies bring some medicine.

Wake Forest, unlike many other universities, is not at all connected to the surrounding community or the downtown W-S area. Wake is instead a literal gated community - most like a prestigious country club in appearance and feel. While the faculty is fantastic and diverse, the student body is not. The vast majority of students are rich, white and Republican - essentially following in their parents' stead. Unfortunately, the university administration (different from the faculty) shares this mindset, and the general consensus among many students is that University officials are slaves to their incredibly large endowment. The administration even has gated faculty and staff housing on campus, and this past year has been rumored to provide several frats and sororities with under-the-table parties and alcohol. Wake students generally rarely leave campus unless it is to go to Football or Basketball games, or to head to the mall. With that said, the graduate student population is very diverse, with many Asian and International Students and professors. And, as a grad student, you will not care much about the undergrads, as you will all quickly learn the oft-repeated expression that "Work" Forest students never sleep.

The professors here have sterling reputations as leaders in teaching before research, and are usually extremely helpful despite being tough. If you put in the work here, you will learn and grow exponentially. Class sizes, especially grad, are small - and there are almost no TAs to deal with. The library looks better than it really is, and is FREEZING 100% of the time. There is free coffee in the library, and during finals they have free pizza and hot chocolate delivered to late night studiers. Unfortunately, the University puts more of its endowment towards its athletic recruitment department instead of campus improvements - there are almost no public computers on campus and minimal multimedia help or support for students as well. Still, the environment of the university is studious and quiet, which makes it easy to learn effectively.

Living in W-S is CHEAP and safe if you stick to the West of Downtown. The East part of town is dominated by a low-income population, withseveral specific areas being notorious for crime. In general though, stick to the areas close to Wake, and always visit potential housing before you commit. For specific apartment complexes with good reputations, check out the Crowne owned properties. For houses, you need to drive around the community to look , but the Stratford rd, Coliseum Dr, and Polo Rd areas are nice and may still have houses for rent. Expect to pay between 400-600 per bedroom for an apartment and 500-700 per bedroom for a house, but utilities are ultra cheap here. Get a roommate - most grad students are easy going and study all of the time - to control costs.

There is not much International diversity in Winston Salem, despite a decent number of Asian restaurants. Greensboro has a huge Vietnamese communities and is your best bet for an Asian grocery store. For regular grocery stores, check out Whole Foods on Stratford Rd - great selection and cost effective if you shop for things on sale, and The Fresh Market on Robinhood Road - similar to Whole Foods but cheaper. Don't bother with Lowe's or Harris Teeter - both are big box stores with bad produce, fish and meat departments. The only redeeming quality of Harris Teeter is the one off Cloverdale has the best Thai food in North Carolina inside of it- cheap for lunch and delicious too.

The nightlife in W-S is hit or miss. During the winter, people don't frequent the Downtown area as much. During the Spring and Summer, it can get crowded. Wake students generally don't go off campus unless they go clubbing in Greensboro or rarely in W-S. For cheap alcohol, check out Tequila Mexican Restaurant off Reynolda Road - on Monday and Tuesdays they have 99 cent Margaritas and 2 dollar 32 ounce Dos Equis mugs - on other days they have good drink specials too. Good nachos too, and 10% off entire bill with your Wake student ID. On Thursday nights, hit up Sixth and Vine - they have 1.50 draft beers and 5 dollar martinis - along with great live music and an outdoor bar and patio area. Rec Billiards has free Darts in the basement as well as pool up top. There are several "clubs" in W-S that are decent, but consistently change names and management every year or so - most students go to Greensboro if they want to go clubbing. Also, Wake Forest has a dive bar on campus - Shorty's. Most students drink and party in frat houses or other house parties, which can be difficult to get into if you aren't well known with the house members. If you love movies - check out Carmike Cinemas off Reynolda Road. This theater has 4.25 Student movies every day, and 1 dollar popcorn and sodas on Tuesday nights. It shows newly released films, and even has a 3-d theater too.

Overall, living in W-S is safe, quiet and cheap. Still, its not exactly NYC in terms of excitement or activity - and the area can be incredibly frustrating if you are a minority or a progressive minded thinker. The local public school administration is loosely affiliated with the Tea Party, so that should give you an idea of the general mindset of the community. One last thing - be careful driving here - the roads are big but there are tons of very old drivers who need and use that space pretty freely.

[rack_attack124]

Does anyone have more recent opinions on Winston? I toured Wake yesterday and I like the campus but not the surrounding area. It was dilapidated with hobos running around. The mall nearby also sucks from what I can see. I think I prefer a more urban environment!!!

[xypathos]

On 4/10/2016 at 4:03 PM, rack_attack124 said:

Does anyone have more recent opinions on Winston? I toured Wake yesterday and I like the campus but not the surrounding area. It was dilapidated with hobos running around. The mall nearby also sucks from what I can see. I think I prefer a more urban environment!!!

This reply is a little dated but I was raised in Winston and visit 3-4x a year, though I live in the NE now for grad. school. I'm happy to answer questions about the city but if you're from NC and have seen parts of NC outside the ritzy neighborhoods of CH, Durham, and Raleigh - then WS is pretty typical. Downtown WS has quite a bit going on for itself as far as the Triad goes, GSO is coming along but I still prefer WS' vibe.

Hanes Mall is pretty standard for your indoor mall - not sure what you're looking for in terms of a mall. If you're looking for high end, which I presume you far from the comment, then your best bet is maybe South Park in Charlotte or headed back to RTP.

What specifically are you looking for?

[rack_attack124]

16 hours ago, xypathos said:

This reply is a little dated but I was raised in Winston and visit 3-4x a year, though I live in the NE now for grad. school. I'm happy to answer questions about the city but if you're from NC and have seen parts of NC outside the ritzy neighborhoods of CH, Durham, and Raleigh - then WS is pretty typical. Downtown WS has quite a bit going on for itself as far as the Triad goes, GSO is coming along but I still prefer WS' vibe.

Hanes Mall is pretty standard for your indoor mall - not sure what you're looking for in terms of a mall. If you're looking for high end, which I presume you far from the comment, then your best bet is maybe South Park in Charlotte or headed back to RTP.

What specifically are you looking for?

I'm not going to Wake. 

[samstudent]

Know this thread is probably defunct at this point, but I'll be going to Wake come fall for the grad English program. Any thoughts on or interest in house/ apartment sharing?