Winston-Salem, North Carolina

[5] It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region, home to about 1.7 million residents.The origin of the town of Salem dates to 1753, when Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg, on behalf of the Moravian Church, selected a settlement site in the three forks of Muddy Creek.He called this area "die Wachau" (Latin form Wachovia) after the ancestral estate of Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.This service, sponsored by all the Moravian church parishes in the city, attracts thousands of worshipers each year, some from overseas.[18] In 1917, the Reynolds company bought 84 acres (340,000 m2) of property in Winston-Salem and built 180 houses that it sold at cost to workers, to form a development called "Reynoldstown".[25] In 1892, Simon Green Atkins founded Slater Industrial Academy, which later became Winston-Salem State University, a public HBCU.[39] The city of Winston-Salem consists of 66 constituent neighborhoods, covering 25 ZIP codes and a total area of 135 square miles.Fourth Street, the "main drag", consists of bars, restaurants, retail, hotels, and luxury residential units.It is known around Winston-Salem for its quiet, tree-lined streets, which give it an "exclusive" feel; most homes in Buena Vista cost between $600,000 and several million dollars.The corridor offers a variety of national "big box" retailers, including Target, Costco, and Ethan Allen.Pentecostals (2.97%), Episcopalians (1.3%), Presbyterians (2.59%), Lutherans (0.96%), Latter-Day Saints (0.90%) make up a significant amount of the Christian population as well.In addition, a 31-foot Moravian star, one of the largest in the world, sits atop the North Tower of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center during the Advent and Christmas seasons.BB&T was also based in Winston-Salem until it was merged with SunTrust Banks in December 2019; the corporate headquarters of the combined company were relocated to Charlotte.Although traditionally associated with the textile and tobacco industries, Winston-Salem is transforming itself to be a leader in the nanotech, high-tech and biotech fields.In December 2004, the city entered into a deal with Dell, providing millions of dollars in incentives to build a computer assembly plant nearby in southeastern Forsyth County.[71] Public and private investment of $713 million has created the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, an innovation district in downtown Winston-Salem which features business, education in biomedical research and engineering, information technology and digital media, as well as public gathering spaces, apartment living, restaurants, and community events.Governed by the Wake Forest School of Medicine, the Innovation Quarter is home to 90 companies, over 3,600 workers, 1,800 students seeking a college degree, and more than 8,000 workforce trainees.The Innovation Quarter is a place for research, business, biomedical science, digital media, and clinical services.Seventy percent of the buildings are original, and the village is a living history museum with skilled tinsmiths, blacksmiths, cobblers, gunsmiths, bakers and carpenters practicing their trades while interacting with visitors.[83] Kaleideum Downtown features many permanent and rotating exhibits, including a recreated Krispy Kreme doughnut assembly line and delivery truck.[84][85] Kaleideum North features a planetarium, a collection of small live animals including a Blue-and-yellow macaw, and other health and natural history exhibits.With the recording equipment set up in his parents' garage, Easter's studio became an important part of the early indie rock scene of North Carolina.[96] Once a year the city is also the home of the Heavy Rebel Weekender music festival, featuring over 70 bands, primarily rockabilly, punk and honky tonk, over three days.[102] The Winston-Salem State University Rams have men's and women's NCAA Division II sports teams, which are members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).After 52 years at historic Ernie Shore Field, the Dash now play their home games at the new Truist Stadium, which opened in 2010.[105] Players have included Vinegar Bend Mizell, Earl Weaver, Bobby Tiefenauer, Harvey Haddix, Stu Miller, Ray Jablonski, Don Blasingame, Gene Oliver, Rico Petrocelli, Jim Lonborg, George Scott, Sparky Lyle, Bill "Spaceman" Lee, Dwight Evans, Cecil Cooper, Butch Hobson, Wade Boggs, Carlos Lee, Joe Crede, Jon Garland, and Aaron Rowand, all of whom have played extensively at the major league level.[107] The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is home to Wake Forest and some Winston-Salem State basketball games.[108] NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing takes place from March until August at Bowman Gray Stadium.The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) operates a daily schedule from the Campbell Center connecting Winston-Salem to Boone, Mt.The corridor bypasses several areas surrounding downtown and serves as a vital connector to Wake Forest University, Hanes Mall, The LJVM Coliseum, and Forsyth Tech.