23 yo female trying to decide between Concord and Winston-Salem (Charlotte: 2009, apartments)

[stepho852004]

I will be moving to NC this summer. My job is in Lexington, but to my understanding it is not prime location for a 20-something young woman looking to have a social life outside of work. I am torn between Winston-Salem and Concord for a few reasons.

WS: Closer to work and I know someone else who will be living there
Concord: Proximity to Charlotte and to work

Any suggestions or thoughts?

[arbyunc]

If I were a 20-something young woman, I might consider that Winston-Salem has both a med school and a law school, making it a good place to work on your MRS degree.

[Piedmont_Michael]

Go to WS, it's not even close. WS has a lot more amenities than most cities its size, great restaurants (other than fast food and fried seafood and barbecue), and fairly stable economy due to RJR, WS State, and Wake Forest.

[cohaagen]

I don't think her choice is really between Winston and Concord itself. She's really choosing between either living in a nearby small city and a slightly more distant and smaller town with more convenience to a large metro area.

We'd need to know more about what she's looking for. Future plans, types of entertainment she prefers, etc.

[roadpony]

For what it's worth, the stretch of I-85 between Concord and Lexington can be awful at times. Your commute from W-S would be a lot easier, depending where you might live in W-S.

[roadpony]

Originally Posted by arbyunc

If I were a 20-something young woman, I might consider that Winston-Salem has both a med school and a law school, making it a good place to work on your MRS degree.

How OLD are you??? That's such an out-dated way of thinking.

[NCgirl]

MRS degree. Is it 2009 or 1959?.....

stepho852004 - I would chose W-S. It has a lot going on. While Concord has a lot of amenities as well, it's a longer commute from Lexington. It's pretty self sustaining in terms of restaurants, shopping etc. so you wouldn't really need to go to Charlotte. W-S is only about 1.5 hours from Charlotte so you could still take an easy day or weekend trip if you're itching to come down.

[lovesMountains]

Winston Salem - hands down.

[cohaagen]

Well, because some others seem to think you're asking them to identify which city they prefer without providing reasons, I'll try to elaborate -
If this applies you, then you might prefer Concord:
-Don't mind traffic, longer commutes.
-Quick drive to big city (more choices for entertainment, shopping, etc.) at night/week ends more important than quick drive to work every day.

Chances are, you'll prefer Winston.
-Entertainment, shopping, amenities, etc. aren't quite as cosmopolitan, diverse and ubiquitous, but for the most part, the Charlotte area is just more of what Winston and Greensboro already have in smaller quantity.
-The commutes from Concord to Lexington and from Concord to Charlotte are enjoyed by few. A small number of people commute from Winston to Lexington so, depending on where you would live/work, traffic will be tolerable for most and your morning commute should be 20 min or less.
Concord to Lexington is a hassle, and will be much worse when the state begins construction on the new Yadkin River bridge.

[Elm&McGee]

I agree Winston-Salem is your best option. I just recently moved to downtown and love it. Check out the Nissen Apartments downtown. Lexington is about a 20 to 25 minute commute and from downtown you have easy access to 52.