Relocating...Greensboro Vs. Winston-Salem (Kernersville, Clemmons: for sale, houses, neighborhoods)

[Buckwheats]

Good morning all...
My husband and I will be moving to the area by early June. While we will be afforded the opportunity to come for a week to scout areas/homes, we would love to get some input to help narrow our searches.
We have been looking in both these areas as they are mid-points for job commuting. We have seen lots of posting about Greensboro and feel like we might have an idea of areas we would like (Fisher Park, Lake Daniel). But when it comes to WS we seem to be at a loss...but don't want to discount the area without some investigation....SO!
We are a family w/two children so family friendly areas with great elementary schools are our first priority. We are outdoors kinda people so love parks, trails, and biking. Funky areas with lots to do and close to great things...hate wasting time in the car especially with a 2yr old! We are trying to be conservative and stay under 200K but have room to play.
Any suggestions of great areas and those to stay away from...suggested links for info or "can't miss this" are greatly appreciated!
With thanks-
Kimberly

[clawhammerist]

Given the activities and neighborhoods (in GSO) that you say you enjoy, I recommend that you do check out WS as well. I have lived in both cities and share some of these interests, and have found that WS has more to offer me. Much less car-dependent (you still need a car to do a lot of things in WS, but you won't feel as though you're CONSTANTLY in the car driving from one far-flung side of the city to another as you might in GSO).

Take a look at the close-in neighborhoods in WS, where you will find more Fisher Park- and Lake Daniel-like areas than are available in GSO (in part because WS became a bigger city much earlier than GSO, so more of these older, walkable, traditional neighborhoods were developed before suburban sprawl even existed!). Ardmore is the most family-friendly of the bunch, I think, and home prices there should be within your reach. The West End district is quite nice as well, but more expensive. Washington Park is the other close-in neighborhood to consider in this price point, and it might meet your needs particularly well being built around a very large, very nice park with areas suitable for biking; it's also pretty affordable. All of these neighborhoods are a five- to ten-minute drive on city streets--no interstate travel necessary--from downtown, many good grocery stores, other shopping on Stratford Road and elsewhere (both traditional and funky...for the latter, check out the Trade Street area downtown, among other places), Old Salem, the WS childrens' museum, and the mall. In Ardmore especially, depending on the area (it's a pretty large neighborhood), you could live within walking distance of groceries and a few other shops. In my experience, there aren't many neighborhoods of this sort that are also this convenient in GSO.

Not sure about schools (no kids here); perhaps someone else here can enlighten us both. However, given the demographic of Ardmore in particular, I would think that the neighborhood schools should be comparable to what you'd get in in-town GSO.

[Buckwheats]

Thanks for the advice...there are some great homes for sale in WS! We are anxious to check them both out. thanks again for the reply.

[Ragdoll Kitty Lover]

Do check out WS. We had the whirlwind of house hunting last May, and looked from Kernersville (near GSO) over to Western Forsyth County. We found that living in the Western section of Forsyth County gave us close proximity to many of the local parks, museums, downtown fun, etc. Our friends have 2 boys ages 3 and 5 who are in the Vienna Elementary School, and they are very happy there. Another friend has a child in school on Polo Rd near Robinhood Road area.

[Buckwheats]

So when you say western Forsyth you mean specifically which areas??? I have had a hard time getting any positive feedback as to WS. Seems like anyone I ask is blank for a reason why we should keep it on the "look list". Schools are very important and I have gotten feedback about Greensboro but not WS. My DH liked Kernersville but I am on the fence...would like to be more in the hub of things with less commute with the kids...
Thanks for your help....it is a daunting task to explore one city let alone 2 with all the small villages and towns in between!!!
Thanks again..
Kimberly

[Ragdoll Kitty Lover]

By Western Forsyth, I mean the villages or parts of Winston Salem that are West of University Parkway. WS covers LOTS of Forsyth County, and it expanded by annexing places like Pfafftown, Bethania, and more, I'm sure. The #1 high school choice of the moment is Reagan, which is right down the street from me - I'm in Pfafftown, which I absolutely love. Mount Tabor used to be the #1 and is still high on the list. This is near Robinhood Road and Peacehaven.

There is a new area being developed now with a very good school, and it is south west near the Clemmons end of town. Meadowlark Elementary has been mentioned as a good school also. It is on Meadowlark Drive.

Lewisville is just west of WS, and I have friends who love it there. Many of these places are really very close to the city, but are still countryish with lots of walking trails and parks. I agree that it's daunting, but believe me, it's worth it. We had to move everything in 6 weeks from Massachusetts, but I think I hit every town in this area west of Greensboro and east of the Yadkin River while starting a new job. Whew!

I would not look at anything to the East of University Ave, including the area around Patterson. Saw too many articles in the paper referring to guns and robberies. The houses may have great prices, but I just didn't feel safe. Once you are out near Walkertown, then I started looking again. I also didn't really care for the Peters Creek and Union Cross areas. Hope this helps.

[AJ Courts]

Great comment about Meadowlark. I'm not sure the age of your children but Meadowlark Downs has the top elementary school in that area. It's a beautiful area surrounded by trees and large meadows with horses. It's very accessible to shopping, entertainment, major highways as well. In fact, my brother lives in Meadowlark Downs. If not WS, Greensboro has a myriad of beautiful places as well to live.

[pattiv]

Originally Posted by Buckwheats

So when you say western Forsyth you mean specifically which areas??? I have had a hard time getting any positive feedback as to WS. Seems like anyone I ask is blank for a reason why we should keep it on the "look list". Schools are very important and I have gotten feedback about Greensboro but not WS. My DH liked Kernersville but I am on the fence...would like to be more in the hub of things with less commute with the kids...
Thanks for your help....it is a daunting task to explore one city let alone 2 with all the small villages and towns in between!!!
Thanks again..
Kimberly

We will be moving there shortly. and have been told that the Clemmons area
has a great school system.
You are also closer to downtown area.
From what I have read, Kernersville is quiet, but I have not visited there.

Check out Triangle Relocation Guide - The ultimate relocation and moving guide for relocation to the Research Triangle Park Area
Good Luck!