I love Winston-Salem. I came here from the Chicago area and it was a great move for me and my family. I love how artsy and eclectic the city is, I love its central location, and I love how easy it is to get around. However, different people look for different things, so this post will cover three reasons why Winston Salem might not be for you.
It’s Not Mayberry
Some people have the mistaken impression that because Winston Salem is not a huge city, it will have a Mayberry-type, small-town vibe. It doesn’t.
Winston Salem is a city, and like all cities is has its high-rent district, its middle-class areas, and a few rougher neighborhoods with higher crime. If you’re looking for that small-town feeling where everybody knows everybody and people sit on their porches and watch as the world goes by, this isn’t it. I absolutely feel safe here, but Winston-Salem does have some edge and some grit.
You Need a Car
If you don’t have access to a car, this is not the city for you, for two reasons: 1) public transportation isn’t great, and 2) the city isn’t very walkable. While Winston-Salem does have public transportation, it isn’t as comprehensive as it could be. It can’t get you everywhere you might want to go, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to depend on it for your sole means of getting around. As far as walkability, we do have some walkable areas. Downtown is very walkable, as are a couple of other areas, but the city is pretty spread out. It has middle-of-the-road population density, but the population isn’t concentrated in one particular area. Therefore, on an average day of running errands, you’ll need a car to get from Trader Joe’s to Costco.
To be fair, the city is taking measures to try to become more walkable. If you go to this website, you can review the city’s plan for making Winston-Salem more walkable and more accessible via different types of travel. They have some great plans and are putting a lot of work into it, but for now you’ll need a car.
It’s Not New York City
On the flip side of the first point I made, if you’re looking to live in a booming metropolis with big-city perks, Winston-Salem is probably not the right move. Our closest airport is 40 minutes away, and it’s on the small side. To get to a larger airport, you’d have to drive over an hour to Charlotte. We don’t have professional sports teams here, and we aren’t a huge draw for major concert series. I’m not saying we have nothing fun to do here because we absolutely do (great local music and art, college sports, etc.) but we aren’t the Big Apple in terms of night life and entertainment.
As always, I’d love to help you out as you explore your options and decide whether Winston Salem should be your new home. Feel free to call or text me at (336) 837-5924 or email me at jeff@govalentino.com.
