Environment ‑ Winston‑Salem, North Carolina
The Medical Center is located in Winston‑Salem, part of the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. The roots of Winston-Salem can be traced to 1766 when Moravian settlers carved the town of Salem from the Carolina wilderness. In the late 1800's the city of Winston was established as the county seat, one mile north of Salem Square. By 1913 growth of the two towns had closed the gap between them and the "Twin City" was created.
Winston‑Salem is one of the fastest growing areas in the southeast. Recently ranked in a national survey of "best places to live", Winston-Salem is a pleasant city of approximately 185,000 people ‑ large enough to afford the pleasures of city life without the discomforts of a crowded urban environment. It is a city of trees, flowers, parks, beautiful residential areas, and is rich in history and cultural activities. Day trips from Winston‑Salem offer a wide range of attractions including short drives to the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, some of the finest mountain scenery in the east; tours to the Biltmore House and Gardens, the former Vanderbilt estate, which provide a mountain hideaway; and the sandy shores of Kitty Hawk, Ocracoke, and Wrightsville Beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina include vast unspoiled stretches of oceanfront. Other day trips include the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro (the first habitat zoo in the East), the Cherokee Indian Reservation, the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill, and The North Carolina Museum of Art.
The climate in Winston‑Salem is nearly perfect for enjoying all seasons. The elevation is 963 feet of rolling terrain with an average temperature in January of 40 degrees (F), and 74 degrees (F) in June. Average annual rainfall is 42 inches with humidity of 66%, and the average snowfall is 9.2 inches, although annual snowfall of 2+ feet is just 85 miles north or west. Combining 223 clear days per year and a growing season of about 200 days, home gardens are well suited to both vegetables and flowers.
Only one hour north of Winston‑Salem, Virginia and West Virginia offer recreational and historical sites often visited by locals, including the Snowshoe ski area, the second largest (only to Killington, VT) ski complex east of the Rockies. With its elevation and climate difference, Snowshoe offers surprising skiing for this area, just 4 hours from the Triad. Many other fine ski areas are within two hours of Winston‑Salem. Gold Medal Trout Waters cover much of Western North Carolina and 4 white water rafting rivers flow from Tennessee into the state. For a weekend trip, Washington, DC and its many cultural attractions are only 6 hours away.
The Piedmont Triad International Airport is served by nine airlines and is centrally located between Winston‑Salem, Greensboro, and High Point.
Educational Center
Winston‑Salem is a college town. It is the home of several special and higher level teaching institutions. Wake Forest University, The North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston‑Salem State University and Salem College, a women's college founded in the 1700's by the Moravians, comprise the core educational resource of the city. Additionally, private business and technical training abounds; Forsyth Technical Community College offers degree programs as well as adult instruction ranging from language skills to advanced computer classes to welding and automotive repair. The Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County public school system operates 63 kindergarten/ secondary schools augmented by numerous private and parochial schools offering excellent educational opportunities.
Special Places
Old Salem is an 18th‑ and l9th‑century village settled by German‑speaking Moravians. Within two dozen blocks are 91 restored or reconstructed buildings, including 12 that are open to the public as museums. As the modern city of Winston‑Salem has grown up around it, Old Salem has maintained its special character but has not been isolated from present‑day influences, such as a very contemporary student population of young women who attend Salem College. The shady town square, tidy vegetable gardens, working craftsmen and the inviting aroma of bread baking in a wood‑fired oven help bring Salem's past back to life. Like Williamsburg , Virginia, Old Salem is a national treasure which can be visited again and again.
The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), a division of Old Salem, is located within the Old Salem historic district, but its displays are not limited to the work of Moravian artisans. The museum's period rooms and galleries exhibit examples of architecture and decorative arts of the early South. The collection includes furniture, ceramics, paintings, needlework, silver and other craftwork dating from the 17th century to the early l9th century.
The Reynolda House, Museum of American Art, at Reynolda Road and Coliseum Drive, is the former home of industrialist R. J. Reynolds and features original works of major American artists, priceless furnishings, porcelain collections and period clothing. It is one of the best museums of its kind in the country.
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is a complex of nine galleries that house up to 20 exhibitions a year. In addition to abundant visual art, SECCA has an outstanding education program that offers the widest variety of performances and lectures; guest artists have included soprano Leontyne Price and architect Michael Graves. SECCA is located on the 32‑acre estate of the late industrialist James G. Hanes. Most of the galleries are housed in a modern addition to the estate's 1929 English‑style house; the living room and library contain their original furnishings.
The Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology, founded in 1963, was established by the Department of Anthropology to broaden the learning opportunities for their students. It is the only museum in North Carolina devoted to the study of world cultures. The museum's collections, exhibits and programs have grown extensively over the years. Permanent exhibits include objects from the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. A topical exhibit reflecting community and ethnic interest is presented annually.
Cultural Activities
The North Carolina School of the Arts is a truly unique element in the state university system. It has the honor of being the first state‑supported, residential school for the performing arts in the United States, as well as the magnet high school for performing arts for the State of North Carolina. Dance, drama, design and production, music, and visual arts are taught and studied in an atmosphere of lively competition. Students range in age from high school through college and graduate level students of all ages. The School's Stevens Center, a beautifully refurbished movie palace of the 1920's, is used as a performing arts center for the school and plays a vital role in Winston-Salem's downtown renaissance.
The Winston‑Salem/Piedmont Triad Symphony, a Statewide Arts Resource, is acclaimed for its classical programs as well as its Music at Sunset, Sunday at the Pops, and Lollipops concerts. The Symphony also has an extensive in‑school education program.
The Piedmont Opera Company presents two fully staged operas a year ‑ one in spring, the other in fall ‑ in the Stevens Center. Principal singers are usually guest artists from New York.
The Little Theatre presents a six‑show season favored by much of Winston‑Salem. Sold‑out shows are routine although many of the performers are amateur members of the community. Several faculty members and staff have acted in Little Theatre productions. Through the Theatre's A.C.T. program, Theatre classes are offered to adults, children and teens.
The Sawtooth Building at Winston Square houses three art galleries that rotate presentations by local artists, traveling exhibitions and national juried shows. A renovated 1910 textile mill with a distinctive jagged roof‑line, the building is also home for the Sawtooth Center for Visual Design.
The Delta Arts Center provides year‑round programs in the arts and humanities with emphasis on the contributions of African‑Americans. Activities include lectures, workshops, exhibitions and performances. Annual highlights are the Folk Festival, a celebration of African‑American folk arts and traditions, plus the Undine Smith Moore Music Festival, a commemoration of the contributions of African‑American composers.
In addition to extensive touring, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company produces four plays a year in Winston‑Salem, including both contemporary works and black classics. Professional actors and directors are drawn from throughout the country.
National Black Theatre Festival, held in odd‑numbered years, is a week‑long gathering of the country's preeminent black companies. The festival is held in early August at various sites around Winston‑Salem and includes visiting companies, as well as numerous workshops, seminars, and celebrities.
Recreation/Environment
The Winston‑Salem area has an extensive park system. There are over 85 public parks with facilities, programs and activities for people of all ages. Included are over 100 tennis courts, 11 swimming pools, 15 golf courses and 17 general recreation centers. Many parks also have playgrounds and picnic areas. Lake Norman, one of the country's largest man‑made lakes offering boating and water sports and some of the best fresh water fishing around, is just 60 minutes away.
Of special interest to the community is Forsyth County's unique Tanglewood Park, a huge all‑season recreational area of more than 1,100 acres. Once the summer home of Kate B. and William Neal Reynolds, Tanglewood Park was left to the people of Forsyth County for use as a park in 1951. The park's three golf courses and two practice ranges highlight North Carolina golf at its best. Other activities include tennis, fishing, miniature golf, bicycling, nature trail hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, swimming and boating. During the Christmas season, Tanglewood Park is the site for one of the most spectacular light displays that you will find anywhere. Enjoy this park year round!
Shopping
The Winston‑Salem area is home of the Hanes Mall, the largest shopping center south of Washington, DC and north of Atlanta, GA. Over 200 specialty shops offer a wide array of the finest items available including Laura Ashley, Ann Taylor, Abercrombie and Fitch, Cahill and Swain, Belk, and Dillards. Numerous other specialty clothing, gift, and gourmet shops are located in various other neighborhoods including Reynolda Village and, of course, the many shopping areas of Greensboro are only 24 minutes to the east.
High Point, NC is the home of the furniture industry for the United States, representing over 80% of all furniture produced nationwide. Shoppers travel from New York and Florida visiting top manufacturer and distributor showrooms, which are open to the public, with typical markdowns of 60‑80% on first quality furniture.