Possibly relocating to Winston-Salem (Kernersville, Clemmons: lease, neighborhoods, theatre)

[dezimill]

After many debates on moving, we have decided to look into Winston-Salem. I am from Las Vegas and my Bf is from upstate NY area (both living in Vegas currently). I am over the huge city and everything that comes with it. Finally ready to settle down and start a family and Vegas is just not the place to do that. After several months of constantly looking online into many towns and states we both seem happy with this choice. We will be flying out there for about 8 days to kind of look around and get an idea of the area before we fully decide. I have just a couple questions I was hoping you all could help me with. 1) what would be some of the main areas you would def avoid living in? I know out here we have some really nice looking areas, but after a couple months you realize it was the wrong choice to sign a year lease in. Now I do know Vegas is a big difference from NC but I am all about safety. 2) what are some key places to visit and look at? I want to get a feel of what I would be doing on a normal weekend off around town, not just the touristy spots, but the good local spots for food and entertainment. 3) how are the locals with outsiders? My biggest worry is there will be people who don't want our "crazy city lifestyle" to come to their area. I know not everyone will be like that, but I just felt like I should ask. I would really appreciate any inside info to see if this will be the place I want to call home. Thank you in advance.

[arbyunc]

Hi dezimill,

First, there are lots of threads on this forum asking essentially the same questions. If you haven't already done so, please look over past threads and/or use the "Search this forum" button at the top right for specific questions.

That said, I can give you some generalities. For the most part, the west side of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County (Lewisville, Clemmons) are considered more desirable. This is roughly defined by Reynolda Road, Silas Creek Parkway, and Peter's Creek Parkway. But there are great neighborhoods tucked away in other parts of the city and county, so this is very much a generalization that doesn't always hold true. Also, most all of the suburbs are pleasant and safe places to live, such as Kernersville, Wallburg, Rural Hall, Walkertown, etc.

Things you should see/do:
--Spend some time on 4th Street and the Trade St./6th Street Arts District downtown.
--Walk through Old Salem.
--Explore Tanglewood Park, Bethabara Park, and Reynolda Gardens.
--Go to a Dash baseball game.
--See a movie at Aperture Theatre, or attend an event at the Stevens Center, Hanesbrands Theatre, or at the UNC School of the Arts.
--Have a beer at Foothills Brewery, ribs at Bibs, barbecue at Little Richards, pizza at Mellow Mushroom, another beer at Small Batch, and dinner at Hutch & Harris.

As far as being an "outsider", you'll have no problems at all. A large percentage of the population here came from somewhere else, and people are constantly moving in and out due to the medical facilities, colleges, and businesses located here. You have nothing to worry about in that regard.

[dezimill]

Thank you so much for the info. I did look at a couple threads, most about location but I wanted an insiders view on things to do and you answered that perfectly, so again thank you very much!