The North Carolina city of Winston-Salem is situated in the Piedmont Triad, which is an economic region that comprises the cities of Greensboro and High Point. Winston-Salem serves as the seat of Forsyth County. Situated roughly 100 miles west of the state capital, Raleigh, the city of Winston-Salem sits around 80 miles northeast of Charlotte. Winston-Salem is serviced by U.S. Routes 52 and 421, Interstate I-40 and State Highway 8.
Salem the town was originally established in 1766, when it first served as a congregational location for the Moravian church. Trading and entrepreneurial activity grew quickly as the town grew into a major economic hub. The adjacent town of Winston was established in the year 1849 and named in tribute to Joseph Winston, a local Revolutionary War hero. Both Salem and Winston became well-known centers within the newly created Forsyth County, with burgeoning enterprises in the furniture, textile and tobacco markets. By the late 1850s, the two towns were connected to form Winston-Salem. Among the world's biggest tobacco firms, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, started in the city of Winston-Salem in 1874. Since that time, the Reynolds family has played a significant role in the development of the city. In the early twentieth century, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts started its very first store within Winston-Salem and Piedmont Airlines established headquarters there.
Medical research is currently a major trade in the city of Winston-Salem. The city's biggest business is Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Other business head offices located in the city include TW Garner Food Company, Branch Banking and Trust Company, Reynolda manufacturing Solutions, Hanes Brands Inc., Lowes Foods Stores, Southern Community Bank and ISP Sports. The city of Winston-Salem is part of the Piedmont Triad Research Park where numerous biomedical and information technology development and research facilities are located. Banking and finance are significant to the city's economy as well.
The post-secondary institutions in the city include Salem College, Wake Forrest University and Winston-Salem University.
Winston-Salem City is famous for establishing the vary first local arts council within the nation during 1949. Therefore, and because of the number of art-related attractions, it is called "City of the Arts." Winston-Salem City is home to Twin City Stage, Winston-Salem Theater Alliance, the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Piedmont Opera Theater, the Sawtooth Center for Visual Arts, University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Stevens center for the performing Arts. Art fans could visit numerous galleries within the art district of the city at Trade and Sixth streets. Every year, thousands of visitors visit for the several outstanding film and performance festivals, including the heavy rebel Weekender Music Festival, the national Black Theater Festival, the Revolve Film and Music Festival, the Reynolda Film Festival and the RiverRun International Film Festival. The city's music scene is enlivened by its diverse music traditions and the presence of Carolina Music Ways, a grassroots arts organization. The Werehouse is really the best place to check out the 'Indie' music and art scenes.