Living in Downtown WS (Winston-Salem, Wake Forest: apartment complex, lofts, find a job)

[sickofnewyorkcity]

I was in Winston Salem for the weekend visiting wake forest. It seems like the downtown area is dead as I didn't see that many people around.

There are nice restaurants, the school took me to Jeffrey Adams and I am intrigued by aperture, the indie movie theater.

There didn't seem to be many shops although I did see a CVS.

They took us to lunch at Wake Forest's biotech place which I think is near the lofts apartment complex.

What should I make of that? My background is in finance and I work on Wall Street in NYC right now. Will I be able to find a job in the area? I am going to wake for a masters in accounting to earn my CPA.

[emelvee]

Winston's downtown will seem dead if you're comparing it to NYC...so will just about any city (especially in NC) for that matter.
For a city its size, I think Winston-Salem has a decent downtown "scene", and it's growing. No real shopping yet, but that will eventually come as more people move into the area. Mast General Store is coming soon.

We were downtown Saturday evening...had a nice time enjoying some wine at Caffe Prada, then walked up 4th several blocks; all of the restaurants seemed busy.

[arbyunc]

Sure, compared to NYC, downtown Winston-Salem is definitely dead. But compared to other cities of its size, there's a lot going on. It sounds like you only saw the 4th Street area, which has a number of restaurants and bars but not many shops. There are shops in the 6th and Trade St. area (the "Arts District"), in West End (Burke St., Reynolda Rd. at Hanes Park), and on Stratford Road, among others.

CPA's are among the most in-demand professions, even in a still sluggish economy. You should have no problem finding work here if you wish to stay in the area.

[mjpayne44]

When were you downtown? Sat and/or Sunday? Morning/afternoon/evening?

I find it typically varies, as I'm sure it does in most places. Sundays are pretty dead to begin with, though a few restaurants were busy with graduation stuff.

[JoeTarheel]

I've been in areas of NYC that were dead too, but I know better than to judge the entire city on that experience. Like mjpayne said, it totally depends on the day/time you are downtown. Sometimes it's busier than others.

[sickofnewyorkcity]

Originally Posted by mjpayne44

When were you downtown? Sat and/or Sunday? Morning/afternoon/evening?

I find it typically varies, as I'm sure it does in most places. Sundays are pretty dead to begin with, though a few restaurants were busy with graduation stuff.

It was a month ago from Friday to Saturday. I took a bus at the downtown station to high point

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

We might just have really different definitions of "dead." I can see how a slightly quieter weekend might have seemed dead to a New Yorker, and the area around the bus station is still growing. Most people drive in Winston, so foot traffic is more limited than what you would see in a denser city. The restaurants, theaters etc. are usually hopping though, so if that wasn't the case when you visited, that sounds like the exception rather than the rule.

And keep in mind that downtown activity has been on a steady uptick, so to folks who've been here a while, downtown seems lively, and it will likely become increasingly lively for the foreseeable future.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by sickofnewyorkcity

It was a month ago from Friday to Saturday. I took a bus at the downtown station to high point

The point is that it isn't really fair to judge an area based on one visit. You'll find different levels of vitality at different times - just like in most other downtowns. And remember W-S is a much smaller city than you're used to, so the streets won't ever be crowded with people...but they usually aren't completely dead either. It depends on your timing I guess.

[sickofnewyorkcity]

The restaurants were packed at nite, there were people around at nite. It was during the day that the area was like a ghost town.

I am not from NYC, I moved there for college. I grew up in a small town and would like to go somewhere else.

Where are there jobs for CPAs? And don't say Hanes

[roadpony]

I don't have the connections to address jobs for CPAs, but if you would like a little better picture of activities and livability in W-S for young professionals, check out Smitty's Notes.