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Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the Triad's arts-and-innovation city, home to Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University, plus a downtown medical and research scene that keeps it buzzing. Known as the City of Arts and Innovation, it pairs historic neighborhoods with a creative downtown arts district and a calendar full of festivals and gallery nights. Wake Forest's Reynolda Campus sits in the leafy north, near the Reynolda House Museum and its gardens and trails, while Winston-Salem State anchors the east side. Established neighborhoods like the West End and Ardmore wrap historic homes, parks, and old oaks around the student population.
The leafy area surrounding Wake Forest's campus and the Reynolda House Museum, the closest, most convenient base for Wake students and among the safest in the state.
Turn-of-the-century architecture, rolling hills, and stone walls right next to the downtown arts district, with Hanes Park and Grace Court Park close by.
A historic neighborhood near campus mixing early-20th-century homes with newer builds, plus green space at Miller Park.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Winston-Salem.
The Winston-Salem Transit Authority runs the public bus network, connecting downtown, campuses, and key corridors, which helps students reach class and the city center without a car. Wake Forest's Reynolda Campus is more spread out in the leafy north, so students there often bus or drive in. Winston-Salem State students on the east side have closer-in transit options. Check route frequency before relying on the bus day to day.
Walkability is strong in the West End and around downtown, where historic streets, parks, and the arts district sit close together. The densest foot traffic is in the downtown arts district and the neighborhoods near campus. The rolling terrain makes for scenic, if hilly, biking. Plan routes around the hills, since some stretches are steeper than others.
Winston-Salem is a mostly drive-and-walk city, so a car is handy once you live beyond the walkable core. Reynolda Campus students in the spread-out north often drive in. Parking is generally manageable outside the densest downtown blocks. Confirm permit and parking rules with your complex or the university first.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Winston-Salem stays relatively reasonable for a city its size. One-bedroom apartments in the West End average around $850 a month, and citywide units commonly fall between roughly $900 and $1,400. Splitting a two- or three-bedroom in Ardmore or near campus brings each person's share down comfortably.
Browse student housing near each Winston-Salem-area university.