Winston-Salem, North Carolina

You get city perks while also feeling like you’re in the country amid historic mansions and estates. You’re just a few short hours from the beach and as well as the Smoky Mountains. This is the kind of place that has local stuff to do but still a quiet, laid-back pace.

Winston has some treasures. One is Salem Lake, a large lake with a seven-mile trail around it, surrounded by lots of woods. Another is Reynolda Gardens, the former home of RJ and Katharine Reynolds. There's a large green lawn out front (great for a picnic) and lots of walking trails. The house itself is home to a museum of American art. The downtown transformation has been amazing, including the repurposing of old tobacco factories.

Don't sleep on the pollen and humidity, though; it can be wicked.

W-S is the kind of town that married people who are starting families like. An easy but fun lifestyle, quiet but has things to do, food-centric with craft brews and pressed juice, and overall, above-par schools.

Buena Vista is the hot-spot. Homes there can be much larger than they look on tree-lined streets. Also, stately homes dating to the 1920’s and before with very large square footage and very large, meticulously landscaped lawns.
Nearby is an equally stately but somewhat less lofty area called West Highlands. The fringe areas of this neighborhood border on busy highways and retail establishments, so some streets are more desirable than others. This neighborhood is quite hilly, which adds to the character but might be daunting for those who like to walk.
Ardmore is one of the few walkable neighborhoods, a charming vintage neighborhood filled with mostly cottages that are well-designed and well-detailed but more modest than those found in Buena Vista. Several nice small parks, very close proximity to medical facilities.
There are funkier, artsier, eclectic Victorian, gentrified areas that are desirable, including West End, West Salem, and parts of Washington Park. These areas feature wood-sided Victorian and Craftsman-style homes.
The best burbs tend toward the river to the west. Lewisville, Advance, and Clemmons offer lower taxes and more houses on more land for your money. Good schools, too.

To see what locals do for fun, check out the calendar of events:

Avoiding big city life/traffic and having enough to do without having everything possible at your fingertips. And Raleigh and Charlotte a short hop away.