Huntsville, Alabama Vs. Winston-Salem, NC (living, cost, crime rate, place)
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I prefer Winston-Salem. Huntsville is a nice place, but it doesn’t seem to have much character, sort of like other southern boom towns like Raleigh or Greenville. Winston had a very industrial past, so the built environment almost feels more like a city in Pennsylvania or something than your average, new, shiny southern city. And the natural scenery is beautiful—rolling hills with huge, leafy trees, and within sight of the Blue Ridge foothills. It also has cool history in Old Salem, Bethabra, etc.
It’s not growing like Huntsville last time I checked, but I’m not sure what amenities Huntsville has that Winston doesn’t. Good local restaurants, local art scene, great university, expanding tech and bioscience presence. Huntsville definitely wins in tech jobs, and probably in crime rate, jobs available, income levels, and (maybe) local school quality.
I would choose Huntsville. I like both but Huntsville has more going for it.
I'd say Winston-Salem has more going for it overall, but Huntsville has two specific things going for it that give it a competitive edge that Winston-Salem lacks: Redstone Arsenal/Cummings Research Park and the lack of nearby competitors for the types of jobs and talent they attract.
I prefer Winston-Salem. Huntsville is a nice place, but it doesn’t seem to have much character, sort of like other southern boom towns like Raleigh or Greenville. Winston had a very industrial past, so the built environment almost feels more like a city in Pennsylvania or something than your average, new, shiny southern city. And the natural scenery is beautiful—rolling hills with huge, leafy trees, and within sight of the Blue Ridge foothills. It also has cool history in Old Salem, Bethabra, etc.
I agree that Huntsville doesn't seem to have much character, but I strongly disagree that this makes it similar to Raleigh and especially Greenville which also has the same natural setting as Winston-Salem (as well as Huntsville itself for that matter)--well, minus this aspect of course. All Southern boomtowns simply are not alike (Charleston is the boomingest boomtown within its weight class), and thinking of them as nothing more than all their new, shiny buildings misses the mark in the biggest way.
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