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I am originally from Seattle but I moved to Sydney Australia 4 years ago to live with my partner. We now want to move to the US and my partner got a job offer in Winston-Salem that would start in July. We haven't decided yet if we are going to take it or not but we most likely will. I have lots of questions about Winston-Salem before we go.
1. We are a gay couple, is Winston-Salem accepting of the gay community? Is there much of a gay culture?
2. We like Asian food, are there decent Asian restaurants in town?
3. When we arrive I probably won't be able to afford a car right away. How is the public transportation? Is the city walkable if we live close to downtown?
I am originally from Seattle but I moved to Sydney Australia 4 years ago to live with my partner. We now want to move to the US and my partner got a job offer in Winston-Salem that would start in July. We haven't decided yet if we are going to take it or not but we most likely will. I have lots of questions about Winston-Salem before we go.
1. We are a gay couple, is Winston-Salem accepting of the gay community? Is there much of a gay culture?
2. We like Asian food, are there decent Asian restaurants in town?
3. When we arrive I probably won't be able to afford a car right away. How is the public transportation? Is the city walkable if we live close to downtown?
4. What is a good, safe place to live?
5. How do people spend there time on weekends?
1. There is not too much of a gay culture here, but inner city W-S is open-minded for the most part, so I don't think you would have any problems.
2. Yes, I would say so. Not as good as a major city like Sydney, but decent.
3. The public transportation here is pretty poor, but if you live within a 2-mile radius of downtown (specifically south and west ends) you should be able to walk/bike for several errands. The farther from downtown, the more car-dependent it gets.
4. Most of Downtown is safe, as well as the neighborhoods south and to the west of downtown. I would personally avoid the neighborhoods to the north and east of downtown.
5. W-S is a pretty boring place compared to Sydney, but there are things to do here. We are within a day-trip's distance from the beach and mountains. There is also a few really nice state parks (Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain) within an hour. Within the city, there are various art events (W-S is the "City of the Arts") held throughout the year. However, to be frank, there is not that much to do on the weekends compared to larger cities. The downtown area is nice but small, and we have a mall but it's pretty generic.
I love the outdoors, I'll check out Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain. Thanks for the input. Vietnamese and Korean are perfect. Does Greensboro feel more like a big city or are they about the same? Do people commute between the 2 cities? How is the traffic between them?
There is a lot about this move that I am really excited about.
Hanes mall might seem generic to you but a lot of the shops there don't exist in Sydney. American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, H&M, etc. And the stores we do have are way more expensive and have only a small variety compared to what can be found in America.
Also, Sydney is a big city but it is also very isolated, once you leave Sydney, there is nowhere to go. I'm excited to have the opportunity to go away for the weekend and explore. You can drive to Charlotte, Raleigh, Knoxville, or even Atlanta for a weekend.
Sydney also has horrible traffic and virtually no parking anywhere. And what parking there is, is really expensive. I'm looking forward to actually being able to drive somewhere and park my car without having an anxiety attack. Part of the allure of Winston-Salem for me is that it is a smaller city and a more laid back lifestyle.
I love the outdoors, I'll check out Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain. Thanks for the input. Vietnamese and Korean are perfect. Does Greensboro feel more like a big city or are they about the same? Do people commute between the 2 cities? How is the traffic between them?
Greensboro feels about the same as W-S. Its downtown area actually feels smaller than W-S. Traffic is smooth between them.
There is a lot about this move that I am really excited about.
Hanes mall might seem generic to you but a lot of the shops there don't exist in Sydney. American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, H&M, etc. And the stores we do have are way more expensive and have only a small variety compared to what can be found in America.
Also, Sydney is a big city but it is also very isolated, once you leave Sydney, there is nowhere to go. I'm excited to have the opportunity to go away for the weekend and explore. You can drive to Charlotte, Raleigh, Knoxville, or even Atlanta for a weekend.
Sydney also has horrible traffic and virtually no parking anywhere. And what parking there is, is really expensive. I'm looking forward to actually being able to drive somewhere and park my car without having an anxiety attack. Part of the allure of Winston-Salem for me is that it is a smaller city and a more laid back lifestyle.
Sounds like you'll love W-S then! Most of the city (except for downtown) has free parking and traffic is good for the most part.
There is a lot about this move that I am really excited about.
Hanes mall might seem generic to you but a lot of the shops there don't exist in Sydney. American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, H&M, etc. And the stores we do have are way more expensive and have only a small variety compared to what can be found in America.
Also, Sydney is a big city but it is also very isolated, once you leave Sydney, there is nowhere to go. I'm excited to have the opportunity to go away for the weekend and explore. You can drive to Charlotte, Raleigh, Knoxville, or even Atlanta for a weekend.
Sydney also has horrible traffic and virtually no parking anywhere. And what parking there is, is really expensive. I'm looking forward to actually being able to drive somewhere and park my car without having an anxiety attack. Part of the allure of Winston-Salem for me is that it is a smaller city and a more laid back lifestyle.
That's great! You should enjoy it then.
I've lived in bad traffic cities as well. I live in Greensboro now ( I grew up here) and I forgot what it's like to drive right up and park near where you want to go. Good luck with your move.
I like Winston-Salem. I feel like it's a perfect example of urban North Carolina, and it doesn't have a reputation of being "saturated with Yankee transplants" like the Research Triangle or Charlotte metros. It has a rich history of tobacco, and Old Salem is very nice. Plenty of great hiking spots outside the city like Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain, too. Also, if you're familiar with The Andy Griffith Show, Mt. Airy ("Mayberry") isn't too far. If you want an even larger city/metro, you could easily take weekend or day trips to Charlotte for whatever. Winston-Salem is a little far from the coast, but it's not too far from the mountains. You could take weekend trips to the coast, but it's probably a little too far for a day trip. The mountains are a different story. The Boone/Blowing Rock area is only an hour and a half to the west, cute mountain towns. Downtown Winston is very nice, as well. I hear they're opening a Mast General Store! I'm sure you'll love it! Definitely more laid back compared to Sydney.
Greensboro isn't too different. However, it has a larger population than Winston-Salem so it has more suburban sprawl. Downtown Greensboro is actually smaller than downtown Winston-Salem, though. I wouldn't say it feels bigger, and I'm sure people commute between the two cities because they're not far apart. In general, I doubt you'd ever have a reason to visit Greensboro if you live in Winston-Salem (with the possible exception of the Greensboro Coliseum).
I like Winston-Salem. I feel like it's a perfect example of urban North Carolina, and it doesn't have a reputation of being "saturated with Yankee transplants" like the Research Triangle or Charlotte metros. It has a rich history of tobacco, and Old Salem is very nice. Plenty of great hiking spots outside the city like Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain, too. Also, if you're familiar with The Andy Griffith Show, Mt. Airy ("Mayberry") isn't too far. If you want an even larger city/metro, you could easily take weekend or day trips to Charlotte for whatever. Winston-Salem is a little far from the coast, but it's not too far from the mountains. You could take weekend trips to the coast, but it's probably a little too far for a day trip. The mountains are a different story. The Boone/Blowing Rock area is only an hour and a half to the west, cute mountain towns. Downtown Winston is very nice, as well. I hear they're opening a Mast General Store! I'm sure you'll love it! Definitely more laid back compared to Sydney.
Greensboro isn't too different. However, it has a larger population than Winston-Salem so it has more suburban sprawl. Downtown Greensboro is actually smaller than downtown Winston-Salem, though. I wouldn't say it feels bigger, and I'm sure people commute between the two cities because they're not far apart. In general, I doubt you'd ever have a reason to visit Greensboro if you live in Winston-Salem (with the possible exception of the Greensboro Coliseum).
Oh, and Hanes Mall is fine IMO.
Agreed. Downtown Winston does feel bigger than Downtown Greensboro. Downtown Greensboro mainly revolves around just one street (Elm Street).
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