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I was just wondering how bad people would say it would be for somebody who is unmarried, no kids moving to Winston-Salem? I'm looking at a few different cities now, but I have become partially (I am hoping) disabled from my job as a software developer and cannot work long hours until I make a recovery from my injuries. Basically, I will have to cut my hours from 70-80 hrs/week I was working to 20-30 hrs/week and will be taking a major paycut. I'm looking at Winston-Salem, Knoxville, Richmond (not likely though) and some other affordable cities because I know I will have to live frugally for the next year or so until I can recover from my back and pelvic injuries and hopefully can launch my own software business or find a decent telecommuting job. I have to work in a special position and cannot work a job in a big company anymore, because they generally will work you many hours and force you to sit or stand (I cannot do either for too long). I'm actually looking at getting a zero-gravity chair or building a lay down workstation to allow me to work longer hours again. Basically, telecommuting and working from home is my only option as I am too injured to work a big corporate software job.
Anyhow, I know I have heard Southern cities that people tend to marry young and everything is family oriented. WOuld I be an outcast living in a place like Winston-Salem? I'm assuming there isn't much of a singles scene in a place like the Triad, but I do know Charlotte isn't too far away. Where I live in Denver it is dreadful, as I am the only unmarried guy where I live and Denver suburbs were way more family oriented than I could have ever imagined. Even in Denver proper, there is not a good amount of single women, mostly single guys and the gender ratio is awful. I'm not a fan of Denver and the kind of uppity, self-absorbed and uber-liberal culture here. Basically, Denver is not my cup of tea. I actually liked living in Charlotte more. Even though some of the East Coast yuppie transplants were annoying, I overall found people in that city to be friendlier than where I am now, especially local North and South Carolinans I met. I'd also meet some friendly blue-collar types from Pennsylvania and such in Charlotte who I seemed to get along with.
I was told Winston-Salem has retained its Southern culture and I love the proximity to the mountains and the scenery looks really beautiful. Indeed, I was considering Knoxville which seems like Winston-Salem in some ways, but it is much more isolated. I like the fact I can drive on the weekend to Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and that the mountains are closer than they would be in Charlotte or if I lived in Nashville.
Anyway, I was just wondering how a single 41 year old would fare in Winston-Salem? Would you think I would be pretty lonely and left-out from the social life there? Does everything revolve around family, kids, soccer practice, church like here in suburban Denver? Unless you live in inner Denver, you will feel pretty left out in its suburbs if you are single/no kids. I was shocked moving to Littleton (a very large suburb right against the mountains) thinking there would be all kinds of things to do. I couldn't believe every single person here was married and there is literally no social activities. Even Charlotte seemed pretty suburban and like a family town except for a few of the inner neighborhoods.
At the end of the day, I am in a bad situation and even if I have to be a loner, I guess if the place is affordable and near some beautiful scenery/mountains I could accept it for year or two while I get back on my feet. How far can $1100/mo in rent get me in Winston-Salem? I would ideally like a place that is quiet and even rent a house, but I understand I may not get much more than an apartment. Could I find a place larger than 1000 sq ft with some peace and quiet yet not too far from the city for $1100/mo? If I could pay less than $1100/mo and still have a nice place that would be even better.
As far as my hobbies, I like shooting guns and really want to get back into shooting. I found a shooting range in Boone, NC that is a little far but looks very ideal and would like to make weekly trips out there. I also love hiking in the mountains and would love to go hiking every weekend. I would love to find some cultural events which Denver seems absent. It was strange, because Portland and Seattle (two cities I lived a long time) had a plethora of such cultural activities. Denver kind of seems like a cultural wasteland. I heard Winston-Salem has a nice arts scene and wonder how it fares for non-alcoholic cultural activities? I'm going to have to stop drinking any alcohol for next year because I am taking lot of natural herbs/supplements that don't mix. If you don't drink in Denver you will find yourself very bored. I do love beer/whiskey, but my body is struggling and I have to make sacrifices.
One more thing I have to say is Denver has the worst food of any city/town I have ever lived. I really, really miss North Carolina BBQ and actually liked the food a lot in Charlotte (even though some people knock on it). Would people say BBQ in Triad is better than Charlotte? The best BBQ I ever had was in Tennessee passing through.
I appreciate people's help and I understand it is not the most typical kind of inquiry you will read.
The cities I am looking at moving and may post a city v city thread are Triad (most likely W/S), Knoxville, Nashville (maybe Murfreesboro as I am priced out of Nashville), Richmond VA and Tampa, FL (not likely cause I like mountains more than water).
Looks like this sub-forum is pretty much DOA .. I wonder if I would have been better posting this in the North Carolina main forum? I wonder if this thread could be moved over to the main North Carolina forum? I'm also considering other places in the Triad area besides Winston-Salem as well.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 06-15-2019 at 04:27 PM..
Its really hard to answer your basic question as it relates to you, based on someone else's experience. We're all different, and we all have different attitudes, needs, desires, etc. I lived in W-S as a single guy from age 40 to 48 and dated a lot, eventually meeting my now wife there. So, based on my experience, i'd say a single 41 year old would fare well in W-S. I found it to have lots of activities, ways to meet people and opportunities to socialize. Obviously, your experience may, or may not, be different.
It's hard for me to say if you'll feel left out or not. I go over to Winston from Greensboro often. I haven't noticed more couples than singles, but I'm usually working and not noticing the demographics.
I will say that I think Winston might be a good place for you to recover. It's hilly. Does that irritate you're disability?
You will want to make a trip to Lexington if you like barbecue. I am NOT trying to start a fight, but Lexington barbecue is famous, delicious, and NOT Tennessee. Lex#1 and Barbecue Center are my favorites.
Its really hard to answer your basic question as it relates to you, based on someone else's experience. We're all different, and we all have different attitudes, needs, desires, etc. I lived in W-S as a single guy from age 40 to 48 and dated a lot, eventually meeting my now wife there. So, based on my experience, i'd say a single 41 year old would fare well in W-S. I found it to have lots of activities, ways to meet people and opportunities to socialize. Obviously, your experience may, or may not, be different.
COL is less than Charlotte.
I'm glad to hear your positive experiences in Winston-Salem.. Well, I know nobody's situation will be the same..
I guess I am hearing quite a mix of things about Winston-Salem and the Triad area. Some claim it is very friendly, lively and easy to meet people. Other say it is a bit closed and not so welcoming to outsiders. I am really scratching my head as to what is the reality of it. I guess I could not really know unless I Move there and experience the area myself for an extended period of time. I posted on another forum and got a huge amount of responses and now I am getting a bit more of a consensus about the area and how it would work for my situation. To be honest, I am getting so many mixed responses that it has somewhat confused me even more about the Triad and especially Winston-Salem. Many do say Greensboro is best to be avoided, but I hardly know much about that city. I just hear its a bit rougher and more blue-collar. I would assume Winston-Salem would have more to do for a single guy and be a bit lower crime. I also like its a bit closer to Charlotte and the mountains.
One thing everyone seems to agree on is that I can afford to find a decent place to live for my budget. I am looking to spend $800 to $1100/mo on rent and many have said I could even rent a house in the area for that price. That does sound desirable. Even if I have no friends there and cannot find a date at least I am living in a place with some nice scenery, not far from mountains and which I can afford while I try to get back on my feet financially and recover from my back and other problems.
I'm glad to hear your positive experiences in Winston-Salem.. Well, I know nobody's situation will be the same..
I guess I am hearing quite a mix of things about Winston-Salem and the Triad area. Some claim it is very friendly, lively and easy to meet people. Other say it is a bit closed and not so welcoming to outsiders. I am really scratching my head as to what is the reality of it. I guess I could not really know unless I Move there and experience the area myself for an extended period of time. I posted on another forum and got a huge amount of responses and now I am getting a bit more of a consensus about the area and how it would work for my situation. To be honest, I am getting so many mixed responses that it has somewhat confused me even more about the Triad and especially Winston-Salem. Many do say Greensboro is best to be avoided, but I hardly know much about that city. I just hear its a bit rougher and more blue-collar. I would assume Winston-Salem would have more to do for a single guy and be a bit lower crime. I also like its a bit closer to Charlotte and the mountains.
One thing everyone seems to agree on is that I can afford to find a decent place to live for my budget. I am looking to spend $800 to $1100/mo on rent and many have said I could even rent a house in the area for that price. That does sound desirable. Even if I have no friends there and cannot find a date at least I am living in a place with some nice scenery, not far from mountains and which I can afford while I try to get back on my feet financially and recover from my back and other problems.
Um i'm not sure who told you that, but the fact of the matter is Greensboro is a very robust and up and coming city, it's also quite a bit larger than Winston with more to do and it's much more diverse, infact it's one of the most diverse city in NC population wise. This talk of rough and "blue collar" sounds like they are refering to Greensboro in the late 90's. As currently it is seen as a quickly growing, clean and modern midsize city of the "new south"
I have lived in Both Winston Salem and Greensboro. I prefer Greensboro as it has more to do. From better nightlife to shopping...and this is a fact and not a knock to my last place i called home for 7 years. Infact i still love and Frequently visit Winston.
This is Greensboro and it's very upscale, There is even a Ferrari, Aston martin porsche and Maserati Dealer and high end shopping here..places that you will only find in the triangle or Charlotte are here, so someone has been telling you a ton of lies or they are stuck in the 90's or they highly dislike Greensboro like our friends at WSTB, But anyway, forget everything you heard and spend a weekend or two here before you let someone make decisions for you.
Um i'm not sure who told you that, but the fact of the matter is Greensboro is a very robust and up and coming city, it's also quite a bit larger than Winston with more to do and it's much more diverse, infact it's one of the most diverse city in NC population wise. This talk of rough and "blue collar" sounds like they are refering to Greensboro in the late 90's. As currently it is seen as a quickly growing, clean and modern midsize city of the "new south"
I have lived in Both Winston Salem and Greensboro. I prefer Greensboro as it has more to do. From better nightlife to shopping...and this is a fact and not a knock to my last place i called home for 7 years. Infact i still love and Frequently visit Winston.
This is Greensboro and it's very upscale, There is even a Ferrari, Aston martin porsche and Maserati Dealer and high end shopping here..places that you will only find in the triangle or Charlotte are here, so someone has been telling you a ton of lies or they are stuck in the 90's or they highly dislike Greensboro like our friends at WSTB, But anyway, forget everything you heard and spend a weekend or two here before you let someone make decisions for you.
Hey GSOCitizen! Thanks so much for your response. Wow, I apologize for what I wrote about Greensboro and had no idea about how much it has improved over the years and how wrong people were. I really know little about Greensboro except what people told me about it and I know you are best to go and personally explore a place before making any type of final assessment on it. I was definitely planning on checking out Greensboro for myself when I make my trip over to the Southeast later this Summer.
SO, if you are a single 41 year old guy you think Greensboro would be better than Winston-Salem as far as ease of making friendships, dating and finding social activities that don't just revolve around family/children type of activities or going to church? I have nothing against churchgoers, but I am Jewish. If I was a Christian, I'd probably also spend a lot of time in church and do church activities. Being Jewish, unless you live in places like New York or CHicago there is no such vibrant type of religious community and I have no desire to live in those places, nor am I super religious either.
The picture of downtown Greensboro does look nice. I'm assuming its a little farther from outdoor recreation. The one advantage I can see about Greensboro is it is closer to Research Triangle Park and Triangle area, which could also give me some extra options for social life and entertainment. As well, being in software industry it is not bad to have a place like RTP nearby. Although, I am too disabled to work a software desk job in a big company anymore.
Would you say I could afford a decent place in a quiet and safe area in the $800 to $1100/mo price range in Greensboro like in Winston-Salem?
Hey GSOCitizen! Thanks so much for your response. Wow, I apologize for what I wrote about Greensboro and had no idea about how much it has improved over the years and how wrong people were. I really know little about Greensboro except what people told me about it and I know you are best to go and personally explore a place before making any type of final assessment on it. I was definitely planning on checking out Greensboro for myself when I make my trip over to the Southeast later this Summer.
SO, if you are a single 41 year old guy you think Greensboro would be better than Winston-Salem as far as ease of making friendships, dating and finding social activities that don't just revolve around family/children type of activities or going to church? I have nothing against churchgoers, but I am Jewish. If I was a Christian, I'd probably also spend a lot of time in church and do church activities. Being Jewish, unless you live in places like New York or CHicago there is no such vibrant type of religious community and I have no desire to live in those places, nor am I super religious either.
The picture of downtown Greensboro does look nice. I'm assuming its a little farther from outdoor recreation. The one advantage I can see about Greensboro is it is closer to Research Triangle Park and Triangle area, which could also give me some extra options for social life and entertainment. As well, being in software industry it is not bad to have a place like RTP nearby. Although, I am too disabled to work a software desk job in a big company anymore.
Would you say I could afford a decent place in a quiet and safe area in the $800 to $1100/mo price range in Greensboro like in Winston-Salem?
800-1100 Definitely, in the Northern part of the city that can find you a very nice apartment or house to rent. Property values are 4.5% higher than winston.
As far as statistics regarding your needs, you being 41 and single, you have a higher chance of finding someone single in greensboro In the 30s and 40s.
As for 2019. GSO population wise (294.265) Winston(247,222 )
- Greensboro is 24% more densely populated than Winston-Salem.
- People are 5.0% less likely to be married in Greensboro.
- The Median Age is 0.3 years younger in Greensboro
Greensboro also has a much larger Jewish community.
G'boro and W-S are far more alike than they are different. Each has advantages and disadvantages over the other, but they are very similar. I think either would meet your criteria, but they are both largely places where people are married, raising families, etc. That does not mean a 40something single person can't have a good life in either of them.
G'boro and W-S are far more alike than they are different. Each has advantages and disadvantages over the other, but they are very similar. I think either would meet your criteria, but they are both largely places where people are married, raising families, etc. That does not mean a 40something single person can't have a good life in either of them.
i think they are very different.
Last edited by YinXyang; 06-17-2019 at 04:32 PM..
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