For those who go to Wake Forest, the small town of Winston-Salem has become our home away from home. While Wake Forest has a picturesque campus, the town the university is located in takes a bit of getting used to.

Winston-Salem is an eclectic city. Within the confines of its limits, it boasts over 450 restaurants, and downtown is home to many bars and locations for date functions.  You’ll be sure to have as great a time in the city, as you will at a frat party; it is not a typical college town. Due to its small size, Demon Deacs often get bored of the town’s lack of activity.       

To ensure you have an amazing year at Wake, here is a list of fun things to do in Winston-Salem and things to avoid.

The best 

Reynolda Village. Located five minutes outside of campus, Reynolda Village is a popular place for students to hangout. It has many stores, restaurants and novelty shops for you to enjoy. With it’s romantic setting and rich food, Village Tavern is perfect for date night. Silo is a great place to go with your girlfriends for a quick bite.  Also, a little unknown gem is the Gourmet Olive Branch, a shop devoted to premium olive oil and vinegar -- and they let you sample everything!

Brynn’s. If you’re looking to get away from campus for a bit, and you have a sweet tooth, then head on over to Brynn’s. It’s so much more than a frozen yogurt shop. It's a Wake meeting ground outside of campus. It’s a place to get away from the stress of classes, tests, and drama all while getting a tasty bite to eat. And, if you’re like me, you’ll go to Krispy Kreme after.  

Mizu Japanese Restaurant. Sorry ISE! As a California native, sushi is a part of my DNA. While ISE has low prices that appeal to college students, Mizu's sushi is much better quality. It’s the only sushi I’ll eat in Winsty because if there’s one kind of food you don’t want to compromise quality on, it’s sushi.

The worst

Weekly Target runs. As a freshman, the highlight of my weekend -- besides frat parties, obviously -- was the weekly trip to Target.  It was the one time a week I was guaranteed to get off-campus since I did not have a car of my own. I find this to be so pathetic. The downside of Winston-Salem not being a stereotypical college town is lack of fun activities. So, mundane activities like picking up a new stick of deodorant at Target become social outings. But, hey, Target is better than Food Lion. 

The Wachovia Center in downtown. Also known as the “Penis Building” -- or, my personal favorite, “the Phallus Palace” -- that disrupts the skyline of downtown Winston-Salem.     

Disconnect between Wake Forest and Winston-Salem. Wake Forest is certainly a bubble.  Much of the “Wake Forest experience” occurs on campus.  Students typically only venture out of the bubble for food, date functions and going out to dinner during Parents’ Weekend.

Although Winston-Salem isn’t a thriving college town like Ann Arbor or Bloomington, it’s unique to the Wake Forest experience.  Wake Forest is a small, southern school and Winston-Salem is our small, southern town.  If you haven’t already, get out there and explore! You only have four years to do so. Make the most of it.