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I think the results of this poll should be disregarded because people don't know that Triad means Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point. I'd take it over Hampton Roads in all categories except outdoor activities and history, nightlife might be even.
I think the results of this poll should be disregarded because people don't know that Triad means Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point. I'd take it over Hampton Roads in all categories except outdoor activities and history, nightlife might be even.
I'm not a huge fan of either area, but Hampton Roads has this...
I'm not familiar with downtown Winston-Salem, but I'm confident in saying Downtown Norfolk is greater than anything in the Triad. It's larger with a better historic build and better vibrancy than Downtown Greensboro for sure. Downtown Greensboro is wildly disappointing, and is closer in scope to Town Center Virginia Beach (which is it's downtown and CBD) than it us to Downtown Norfolk. Winston may make this a closer comparison, but then Downtown Hampton and Portsmouth added to Norfolk and Virginia Beach, there is just better downtown in Hampton Roads, but hinestly, Downtown Norfolk probably takes this by itself. It's not great compared to similarly-sized cities, but it definitely is big time compared to The Triad downtowns...
Greensboro has surprisingly good nightlife along Spring Garden and in the UNCG area. Elm is massively overrated and is what, two blocks of average activity? What other nightlife nodes are there in The Triad? The trifecta if The Oceanfront (aka The Strip), Town Center, and Downtown Norfolk, I would imagine is just overwhelming in comparison to what The Triad can offer. I'm less familiar with nightlife on The Peninsula and in outer Southside, but the three main spots each individually best Greensboro nightlife (though it's debatable Town Center is closer to a draw)...
I think primary school and universities have a better reputation in The Triad...
Shopping is better in Hampton Roads, just in the Southside alone...
I know Winston-Salem is a historic city, but this entire area is full of history. This is no contest. Architecture is closer, but Norfolk and parts The Beach have unique architecture...
Neither area has much in the way of upscale dining, both are chain heavy, but I think Hampton Roads has a slight advantage for food. It's going naturally offer more upscale dining and the local cuisine is probably more varied...
The Triad is going to be safer by a mile. I also think outdoor rec is close to a draw. This area isn't high cost of living by a mile, but it is higher than it should be for it's offerings, so that goes to Triad, too...
What people have to take into account here, is that the Southside (Beach/Norfolk area) is essentially a twin-city region and has a bigger city flair, with bigger city amenities, than the entire Triad. Not that it particularly feels like a big city here--it doesn't--but The Triad will make this feel like a big city. It's just less sleepy here, more nodes if activity, faster paced, higher diversity (population, architecture, nightlife, shopoing, everything diversity). Someone who prefers The Triad just prefers a slower and simpler pace of life, and there s nothing wrong with that. I'd take Hampton Roads over The Triad, though...
I'm not a huge fan of either area, but Hampton Roads has this...
I'm not familiar with downtown Winston-Salem, but I'm confident in saying Downtown Norfolk is greater than anything in the Triad. It's larger with a better historic build and better vibrancy than Downtown Greensboro for sure.
This is quite an assumption, and you would be wrong. Winston-Salem is the shining star of the Triad, and is a much nicer city than Norfolk in practically every way.
Winston-Salem was the largest and most important city in NC for decades, and it shows. They have a much nicer and more vibrant Downtown than Greensboro or Norfolk, and the former RJ Reynolds factories ringing it are being re-purposed into into a huge new high tech district with Wake Forest University as a partner.
Speaking of Wake Forest, HR simply doesn't have a University of their size or stature.
Old Salem is a Historic area almost as impressive as Williamsburg, but is an actual living and breathing neighborhood very near Downtown and integrated into the city.
The Mountains are practically in their backyard for recreation.
Anything shopping related that the Triad wouldn't have that Hampton Roads does (what exactly?) is easily accessible in Raleigh/Durham or Charlotte - much closer time-wise than Richmond or D.C. for HR.
Air service is almost exactly equal. The Triad is closer to nonstop West Coast & International options in Charlotte & RDU, than HR is to RDU or Dulles outside of D.C.
The Triad offers more job opportunities, a higher quality of life, a lower cost of living and a much friendlier population.
It's laughable that anyone would consider downtown Winston-Salem more vibrant than downtown Norfolk.
Norfolk feels about twice (maybe 3 times) as large as Winston-Salem. It has a bigger offceworker population, a much larger tourist base, many more downtown residents, light rail, a busy port that literally connects one to the world, big engineering (bridges, tunnels, large canes, dry docks...) contiguous residential neighborhoods that are more stunning and urban than anything in the Triad.
The cities of the Triad are very nice (I'm particularly found of Greensboro) but Norfolk and Portsmouth are prettier and more dynamic. Throw in downtown Suffolk, Hampton and Smithfield and it becomes a pretty unfair competition.
It's laughable that anyone would consider downtown Winston-Salem more vibrant than downtown Norfolk.
Norfolk feels about twice (maybe 3 times) as large as Winston-Salem. It has a bigger offceworker population, a much larger tourist base, many more downtown residents, light rail, a busy port that literally connects one to the world, big engineering (bridges, tunnels, large canes, dry docks...) contiguous residential neighborhoods that are more stunning and urban than anything in the Triad.
The cities of the Triad are very nice (I'm particularly found of Greensboro) but Norfolk and Portsmouth are prettier and more dynamic. Throw in downtown Suffolk, Hampton and Smithfield and it becomes a pretty unfair competition.
I agree, it's quite humorous to consider. Norfolk and Hampton Roads are quite a bit more economically, culturally and recreationally advanced than the Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point area. Let's call it that instead of the TRIAD, which sounds pretty darn similar to the TRIANGLE to folks not familiar.
I agree, it's quite humorous to consider. Norfolk and Hampton Roads are quite a bit more economically, culturally and recreationally advanced than the Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point area. Let's call it that instead of the TRIAD, which sounds pretty darn similar to the TRIANGLE to folks not familiar.
I think that's a fairly accurate point. I'd say Norfolk feels nearly twice as big as Winston-Salem...three times larger though? No. And a lot of that has to do with the region's set-up. Norfolk is the commercial and cultural center of Hampton Roads whereas Winston-Salem and Greensboro more or less equally share that distinction in the Triad.
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