Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Ever since 1981, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Dr. Maya Angelou—who never finished her higher education degree, but has received 30 honorary degrees from global institutions—has been teaching American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Annually, the town salutes one of their favorite town residents for representing the town’s artfulness and significance. Festivities in past years have consisted of readings of Angelou’s poems, drumming, jazz music, performances from the North Carolina Black Repertory Company and students at the North Carolina School of the Arts. This is one of many experiences that are exclusive to the city of Winston-Salem. The city located in western North Carolina houses many of the nation’s booming companies that have included Dell—millions of custom computers were produces here and distributed around the world—and one of the longest running tobacco industries R.J. Reynolds Industries. Winston-Salem moving companies see many people who are attracted to the area’s history, successes, as well as its arts, sports and colorful neighborhoods.
Economy:
Many companies have grown since establishing themselves in Winston-Salem. Targacept, one of the subsidiaries of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company that studies the chemistry and biology of nicotine, is one of the recent research facilities to take root in the Piedmont Triad area of town in recent years. They recognize that the financial, medical and technological sectors of Winston-Salem are growing very fast. The city was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the best large metropolitan areas for small business.
If you ask the locals how businesses are doing, they will probably just point you in the direction of the Piedmont Triad area where you can see for yourself. The urban environment of the Piedmont Triad Research Park is home to all the labs of the institutions of higher education in the area. Facilities housed in this area consist of commercial and educational places of study.
Tourism:
Winston-Salem takes pride in being called the City of Arts as well as being a mecca of innovation. In addition to the many art schools to attend or visit, there is the Piedmont Opera, Children’s Theatre and Winston-Salem Symphony for entertainment purposes once in town. Many tourists attend the film and art festivals in town. The RiverRun International Film Festival is one of the fastest growing in the nation. People come across the states to see feature-length films and shorter films in various genres. Notable movies, which have been shown at this April festival include “(500) Days of Summer,” “Food Inc.,” “Paris, Je T’aime” and “The Notebook.”
For music lovers, it seems weekly there is live jazz being played to a crowd of a thousand somewhere in the Downtown Arts District. There is a plethora of studios, galleries and shops to explore. One of the popular galleries is the OTHER HALF Gallery, which is located in the heart of the arts district. Ron and Tamara Propst opened the space to showcase Ron Propst’s well-known pottery, fine crafts in wood, glass, clay, metal and commercial works. There are about a dozen of these galleries in the neighborhood. Every Friday of each month, there are events to celebrate the City of Arts.
History:
Winston-Salem is a great blend of culture, history, industry and art coming together to create a diverse city. It all started when the Moravians came to settle the land to escape religious persecution. After the original colonial settlements, came Europeans and African Americans that lived in the region until the 1840s. There is a huge African American history in the city that is widely recognized and celebrated throughout the year. Winston-Salem State University was founded in 1892 and currently has an annual enrollment of 6, 442. It is historically one of the first black universities to be recognized. There is a lot to learn about this institution as well as others including the North Carolina Black Repertory Company and the Winston-Salem Visitor Center.
Colleges/Universities:
• Wake Forest University
• Winston-Salem State University
• University of North Carolina School of the Arts
• Salem College
• Forsyth Technical Community College
Interesting Facts:
• Located in downtown Winston-Salem, is the city’s historic West End district containing one of the state’s greatest examples of turn-of-the-century streetcar suburb.
• Cigarette brands Winston and Salem were named after their two towns of production.
• The Reynolds building, standing at 22-stories, was the prototype for New York City’s Empire State Building.
Helpful Links:
• City of Winston-Salem Official Website
• Winston-Salem Insurance
• Winston-Salem Moving Guide
• Winston-Salem Storage Facilities
• Winston-Salem Real Estate