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Wake Forest University
- Local Atmosphere

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Wake Forest University - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.31

Local Atmosphere

C
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

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Quick Stats

Points of Interest
  • The Arts District
  • BB&T Ballpark
  • BB&T Field
  • Fourth Street
  • The Garage
  • Lawrence Joel Veterans Coliseum
  • Museum of American Art
  • Old Salem
  • Pilot Mountain
  • Reynolda Art Museum
  • Tanglewood Park

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Winston-Salem is not a college town in the mold of Charlottesville or Ann Arbor, but it is not a cultural wasteland either. Much of life at Wake Forest occurs on campus, but if you want to venture off campus, there are options. Downtown Winston-Salem is consistently getting better and offers some great restaurants and bars. However, there is a geographic disconnect between the city of Winston-Salem and the campus of Wake Forest. Luckily, the new shuttle system alleviates some of this.

If you accept Winston-Salem for what it is—a smaller Southern city—you will not be disappointed. There are great things to do everywhere. Sometimes you just have to look for them. If you cannot find what you are looking for in "the Dash" (as Winston-Salem is affectionately known), the mountains and the beach are only a few hours away by car. Additionally, Wake Forest is within a close drive of Raleigh-Durham, Chapel Hill, and Charlotte, which means you're never too far from North Carolina State, University of North Carolina, and Duke University. Most of your time will be spent on Wake Forest's campus, though, as that is the center of the Wake Forest community.

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Wake Forest Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Wake Forest University

songdm11

'15

Pre-Medicine Studies

2.3
C

Not Much to Do

Winston-Salem, NC is a small city that doesn't really have much to offer. The city is basically empty after it gets dark, since there aren't really many attractions to bring students off-campus, other than the occasional parade or farmer's market. Winston-Salem does have some good restaurants that do deserve a visit, and there are a lot of different colleges in the area, such as Winston-Salem State, Salem College, and Forsyth Tech. Within an hour's drive are Duke and High Point, which are pretty fun schools to visit as well. However, unless you know people who go to these schools there isn't much of a reason to go to another campus. All in all, Winston-Salem is a boring city and most students stay on campus on the weekends.

Jan 10, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Wake Forest University

cdraper

'15

Biological Sciences

4.6
A

Great Place to Explore

Winston-Salem is decently sized and has a lot to offer. The arts are very big in down town and I suggest going to a show offered by the arts high school in the area. Wake isn't too far from UNC and Duke, so there is always the possibility of leaving the campus to interact with other college students.

Jan 04, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Wake Forest University

thegreatdeac

'15

Business

2.7
C+

Wake Forest Bubble

There isn't much outside of campus. A local mall, target, Walmart make all your needs accessible. As far as attractions, nothing exists but tons of stuff is happening on campus to offset that.

Nov 11, 2011

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers
  • Hanes Mall
  • Hanes Point
  • Reynolda Village
  • University Plaza
Major Sports Teams
  • Winston-Salem Dash: Minor league baseball
  • Winston-Salem Parrots: Minor league hockey
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Asheville: NC: 2 hours, 20 minutes
  • Atlanta: GA: 5 hours
  • Charlotte: NC: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Durham: NC: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Raleigh: NC: 2 hours
  • Wilmington: NC: 4 hours
Did You Know?

Fun Facts about Winston-Salem:

  • Winston-Salem is known as the “City of the Arts,” as it ranks first nationally in per capita contributions to the arts.
  • Winston-Salem is less than two hours from ski resorts and less than four from the beaches of Wrightsville Beach.
  • In 1875, Richard Joshua Reynolds moved to Winston-Salem from Virginia to start a tobacco factory, which became the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company.
  • In 1899, the United States Postal Service merged the Winston and Salem post offices over the objections of Salem. The hyphen between Winston and Salem first appeared on the new postmark. It became permanent in 1913 when Salem and Winston joined and the “Twin City” of Winston-Salem emerged.
  • Winston-Salem is home to seven colleges and universities, including Wake Forest, Winston-Salem State, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Salem College.

Local Slang:

  • Coke – Any kind of soda
  • Rolling the Quad – A tradition practiced by locals and students where the trees on the main quad are toilet-papered after victories.
  • Winston or "The Dash"– What everyone calls the city of Winston-Salem.
  • Y’all –Originated from “you all.”

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Carmike Cinema 10
3640 Reynolda Rd.
(336) 922-1301

Grand Theatre 18
5601 University Parkway
(336) 661-1125

Wynnsong 12
1501 Hanes Mall Blvd.
(336) 765-5875

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at WFU

Name: Will Geiger

Hometown: Brielle, NJ

Major: History

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