Winston-Salem "Safe" areas (Greensboro, High Point: apartments, rentals, condo)

[ash03vic]

My fiance and I are moving to NC and we are interested in Winston-Salem, but after reading several apartment reviews via googlemaps... some areas have alot of vandalism and car break-ins. I was wondering if someone could tell me which areas of Winston-Salem is safe enough to walk at night and not so... ghetto-y that we'd have our cars broken into. Thanks!

[enlightenme]

Are you only interested in apartments? There are many cute houses for rent in the Ardmore neighborhood and it is a pretty good area especially for walking around. You will also have better luck renting a townhome/condo over an apartment. Baldwin rental company seems big around here; I would recommend contacting them for more information.

Here is their website:

Baldwin Properties - Greensboro Rentals, Winston-Salem Rentals, High Point Rentals

Good luck!

[ash03vic]

Yes, we are looking for an apartment, especially a short-lease renting term because my fiance is still getting job interviews for software engineering and it may take at least 2-3 months for an offer to go through. So we'd like to live in NC over NY for the winter and pack it up for the move again when he gets the job offer. His career is much more important than mine since I am only a freelance artist.

So far, I've been able to observe that there are 4 parts of W-S... North & North East, East & South East, South & South West, and West & North West. I wanted to know which area is considered the better part of the town?

And Ardmore is in the South & South West part of W-S, looks good, near the hospital and the mall. I will look into the Baldwin link you've posted. Thank you EnlightenMe!

[the 7 oh 4]

I would stay in the 27103 & 27104 ZIP codes...and still be cautious in some areas of those ZIP codes too. I would move to Clemmons...rated as one of THE best areas of the entire Triad and is only 10 minutes from Hanes Mall and 15 minutes from downtown Winston-Salem (ZIP Code 27012 - Clemmons)...and there is NO bad area of Clemmons.

Good Luck!

[akwebb81]

When we moved several years ago, we initially needed a short term lease as we were planning on purchasing a home in short order. Unless things have changed, you will probably have a very difficult time finding a 3 month lease, 6 months are still tough. I did a ton of searches online and was faced with the dilemma of either a sketchy apt or a long term lease and maybe pay too much to get out. We decided we could live anywhere for a couple of months, but were we wrong. The vast majority of people in the complex were complete trash and our neighbor was hauled off to jail about 3 times with half the police force in our parking lot. We purchased a home in 40 days and were out in 60, couldn't wait! So I don't know if it's worth your effort to do a short term lease, and while it's a mild winter, it's still cold here, maybe a little further south if you'd like some warmer weather.

[cohaagen]

Be cautious when looking for a place around Ardmore. It is an urban neighborhood, which means that there is a significant level of property crime and burglary. Be sure to visit the WSPD website for crime reports. I have maybe 8-10 friends who live in and around Ardmore (in various parts; it's actually a large cluster of several old neighborhoods). EVERY one of them has had their car broken into at least once, despite having security lighting, car alarms, etc.

[enlightenme]

Originally Posted by cohaagen

Be cautious when looking for a place around Ardmore. It is an urban neighborhood, which means that there is a significant level of property crime and burglary. Be sure to visit the WSPD website for crime reports. I have maybe 8-10 friends who live in and around Ardmore (in various parts; it's actually a large cluster of several old neighborhoods). EVERY one of them has had their car broken into at least once, despite having security lighting, car alarms, etc.

Bummer, it is such a cute neighborhood during the day and looks so quiet. Is there any good neighborhoods where you can still walk around? West End seems sketchy and over priced even though it is so quaint too. I miss walking around and we sometimes get frustrated by living out in North Davidson county. Although, it does feel really safe and quiet.

[cohaagen]

Originally Posted by enlightenme

Bummer, it is such a cute neighborhood during the day and looks so quiet. Is there any good neighborhoods where you can still walk around? West End seems sketchy and over priced even though it is so quaint too. I miss walking around and we sometimes get frustrated by living out in North Davidson county. Although, it does feel really safe and quiet.

Now, I did not say that it's unsafe to walk around Ardmore. It's a great place to walk and you'll meet lots of people doing the same. There's virtually no danger of violent crime (but you should look out for angry motorists along the busier streets if you're walking, jogging or biking).
The crime issues in Ardmore are burglary, home invasion and vandalism. You should be OK there IF you do not park on the street or in your driveway (garage or other secured parking only) and have a good security system on your house with plenty of exterior lighting and secure doors/windows.