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I have a choice to move to 3 places actually, Winston-Salem NC, Savannah GA or Jacksonville FL. I am self employed, 28, female, no kids and single. My elderly father who has health issues will be moving with me. I narrowed down my options to these three places and now I cannot decide between them. If you can give me your own opinions on these places and let me know if you have visited the other areas I mentioned as well, I would greatly appreciate it.
There are pros and cons to all 3. I am an introvert, I dont go clubbing or partying anymore but I love a good restaurant and bar scene, love good breweries, I love going to farmers markets on Saturdays and participating in the occasional town festivals. So these things are important to me. I enjoy yoga, surfing, sight-seeing nature and the mountains, not a huge fan of hiking but sometimes I do that, I would rather be able to go to a park with a blanket and take in the views.
I like having shopping or malls near me, and specifically a health food store called Sprouts or any health food store really. Just a nice area that has convenient shopping, bookstores, and coffee shops around me would suffice. The dating scene is an important factor for me also. Below is a list of cons of each area that I have come up with, let me know if its accurate. I currently live in Virginia Beach VA but I dont like it, people are rude here and its way more "hood" than I realized (I am originally from San Diego CA).
Winston-Salem cons: Small town feel (not a lot of people, this is a con because I worry I wont meet friends or potential dating partners), Not a lot to do (people have said its boring there), Not a lot of good restaurants (no good sushi places, I've heard). People can be judgmental? (Bible belt, not too worried about this since I keep to myself). 3 hours to the nearest beach (sucks). I love that its right next to Greensboro, the triad, and the mountains = all four seasons! & Cheap beautiful homes. I think my dad would like this place the best because he enjoys the seasons but he also never leaves the house due to his health issues, so.
Savannah cons: Dangerous/sketchy streets right next to main touristy streets, lots of crime (I worry about my safety if I choose this place). Super hot and humid. The seasons dont change a lot. People have said the government is corrupt which is a concern as a business owner. So many tourists, hard to find parking. Once you leave the downtown area, people say its a "dirty" city. I love that theres unique shopping, coffee shops, artistic vibes like live music, square parks, Forsyth Farmers Market and great food where you can also take your drink and walk around the cobblestone streets.
Jacksonville cons: "Huge endless flat sprawl of culture-less buildings" is what one person said. Hot all year round. No changing seasons really. You have to be careful what neighborhood you pick because its such a big city, the only "good" neighborhoods are near the beach, San Marco or Riverside and I cant afford those upscale areas. Takes 30 minutes to get from one side of town to the other. Crime is also an issue here and crazy "Floridians". But I love the beaches, tons of shopping and amenities, festivals, and its only an hour from St. Augustine.
All of them have good hospitals.
Which area do you think I should choose?
I believe that downtown Winston-Salem would offer most of what you are looking for. There is Bookmarks bookstore, in addition to quite a few coffee shops and numerous restaurants. I have gotten sushi that I am happy with in Winston-Salem at Ichiban at Thruway. You would enjoy the Cobblestone Farmers' Market in Old Salem. Both you and your father could benefit from the excellent healthcare system here, with both Baptist and Forsyth hospitals and many speciality and family medicine clinics sprinkled throughout the city. Winston-Salem is not far from the mountains, especially Stone Mountain, Pilot Mountain, and Hanging Rock State Park. Downtown Savannah is beautiful, but I've never lived there, and I know even less about Jacksonville. Good luck!
Winston has a few good sushi spots. Mizu at Robinhood is my favorite. I agree that for what you are looking for downtown or the immediate surrounding neighborhoods (West End, Washington Park, Ardmore) are your best bet. No Sprouts but there is Whole Foods and Fresh Market which are similar. The core of Winston is pretty liberal and has a well established arts scene and pretty diverse. The suburbs are more traditional southern. The brewery scene is well above average for a city of its size. Lots of great offerings there.
Can’t speak to the other cities. I’ve spent a little time in Jax and liked the beach areas but otherwise it didn’t stand out. You won’t have to worry about traffic in Winston like you do in Va Beach or Jax.
Scratch Jacksonville off your list if you don't like VA Beach. I think they are somewhat similar. I really like Savannah and if it was me, I'd pick there, but it does get really hot and humid and from your description you might like Winston-Salem better. Any reason that these are the three you narrowed down to?
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