Portrait Session Locations

Downtown Winston Salem

Winston-Salem is a city in and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States.^[3] With a 2018 estimated population of 246,328 it is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the fifth most populous city in North Carolina, the third largest urban area in North Carolina, and the eighty-ninth most populous city in the United States.^[4] With a metropolitan population of 676,673 it is the fourth largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. Winston-Salem is home to the tallest office building in the region, 100 North Main Street, formerly the Wachovia Building and now known locally as the Wells Fargo Center.

Winston-Salem is called the "Twin City" for its dual heritage and "City of the Arts and Innovation" for its dedication to fine arts and theater and technological research. "Camel City" is a reference to the city's historic involvement in the tobacco industry related to locally based R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's Camel cigarettes. Many locals refer to the city as "Winston" in informal speech. Another nickname, "the Dash," comes from the dash in the city's name (although technically it is a hyphen^[5]); this nickname is used by the local minor league baseball team, the Winston-Salem Dash.

In 2012, the city was listed among the ten best places to retire in the United State by CBS MoneyWatch.^[6] Winston-Salem has seen a surge in growth and revitalization in the downtown area with hotels, restaurants, and apartments under construction. In 2017, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal ranked the city second in their lists of the most livable downtowns in America. Winston-Salem tied with Charlotte for the highest growth in small business. WalletHub ranked Winston-Salem the third most affordable large city to start a small business.