🛝 Our Parks, By the Numbers
Winston-Salem ranked No. 88 out of 100 U.S. cities in the Trust for Public Land's annual ParkScore index. Here's what's behind that number.
Washington Park
Scores: ParkScore rates cities out of 100 across 5 categories. Winston-Salem's breakdown:
Park Space Equity: 59 | How parks are distributed across neighborhoods based on race and income.
Amenities: 58 | Popular features, like splash pads and dog parks, that appeal to a wide range of people.
Acreage: 54 | The average park size and percentage of city area used for parks.
Access: 12 | The population of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Investment: 6 | The 3-year average of public and private spending on parks.
Strengths: Winston-Salem bucks national trends on park space equity — neighborhoods of color have 93% more park space per person than the city average, and low-income neighborhoods have 56% more. We have a large number of splash pads and rec/senior centers, which boosted our amenities score.
Weaknesses: Only 36% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, compared to a national average of 76%. The city devotes just 5% of its land to parks and recreation, compared with the national median of 15%. Per-resident park spending over the past 3 years was $61, less than half the national average of $154.
How We Compare: Among NC's major cities, Raleigh leads at No. 49. Winston-Salem (88) trails Greensboro (79) but edges out Charlotte (90) and Durham (99).
Your Turn: What do you want to see more of in Winston-Salem's parks? Reply and let us know — we'll feature your answers in an upcoming newsletter.
With kids out of school and families away on vacation, it's a great time to start a home renovation. ICON Custom Builders is ready to bring your vision to life. Here's a look at some recent transformations:
Forest Drive: A cramped cottage expanded into a spacious home with a full primary suite, large kitchen, and finished lower level.
Reynolds Drive: A dated kitchen transformed into a bright, open gathering space with an island that seats four and a seamless flow into the sunroom.
Stratford Road: A century-old home on the National Register of Historic Places got marble tile and modern updates in this primary bath that celebrate the home's history.*
🗓 Events
Tuesday, June 30
Baseball - The Dash take on the Greenville Drive at Truist Stadium all week, with special Independence Day fireworks shows on July 2-4!
Kids Painting - Your little artist paints a patriotic pup at Wine & Design. 1 PM
Mom Meetup - Gather with other moms at West Salem Public House — come solo or bring the kids. Hosted by Her Hive. 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Open Jam - Sing or play onstage with Kyle Brooks at Whiskey, Taps, and Tails Saloon! 7:30-11:30 PM
Wednesday, July 1
Cooking Class - Learn to pull off an impressive summer spread at Southern Home & Kitchen. On the menu: carne asada-marinated chicken. 6 PM
Block Party - Meet new people over burgers and live music at The Dwelling every Wednesday in July. 5-7 PM
Yogammunity - Take an all-levels yoga class with Encompassed Well-Being at Radar Brewing. 7 PM
Uno Tournament - Battle to become the Uno champion at Joymongers! A portion of drink sales benefit kids and young adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities. 7 PM
Thursday, July 2
Line Dancing - Break out your red, white, and blue for a beginner class with Maggie Shipley at The Shepherd's Center. 5 PM
Open Mic - Showcase your skills (or just sit back and listen) while enjoying wings, pizza, and ice cream at Willow Ridge Farmstead! 5-9 PM
Tea Tasting - Enjoy tea made with the traditional Gong Fu steeping method at Chad’s Chai! 6 PM
🗞 Other News
💬 Answered: We highlighted Dunnes’ Chinese Restaurant last week, a locally owned business that closed in the ‘80s. A couple of our readers remember dining there! Carol K. shared, “We ate at Dunnes’ in the late 1970s. The food was excellent! It was the best Chinese restaurant in town.”
🚗 Civic: The city is updating PayByPhone parking signs this week to make it easier to tell city-owned lots apart from private ones. Prices aren't changing. Don’t forget that all on-street city-operated parking is free on weekends and after 5 PM on weekdays.
🎉 Reopened: If It’s Paper is back! The family-owned stationery shop closed its Winston-Salem location years ago and has returned at 1204 Reynolda Road with cards, wrapping paper, hosting supplies, and more.
📚 Donate: Bookmarks’ Used Book Sale is July 16-19! They need donations of children’s, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and historical fiction. Drop off your books at 206 N. Spruce Street Mon-Fri, 10 AM - 4 PM.
💼 Business: Got a startup? Apply to exhibit at ConvergeSouth by July 15! The 2-day expo (August 27–28) includes keynote presentations, 1-on-1 investor meetings, and the Startup World Cup Regional Competition — the winner receives a $1 million investment.
️⚽️ World Cup: Team Germany has been eliminated from the World Cup after losing a penalty shootout to Paraguay in this evening’s matchup. As their host city, we’re disappointed to see their time in the tournament come to a close.
🚗 Shape the City’s Future
The Northern Beltway, passenger rail, and major road improvements are up for funding — and you get a say on which projects are prioritized.
NC By Train in Raleigh | Photo via NCDOT
What’s Happening: The Winston-Salem Area Transportation Planning Organization will use the public’s feedback to help create the 2028–2037 State Transportation Improvement Program, a 10-year construction and funding schedule for transportation projects in NC.
What’s on the Table: 27 projects are competing for potential state and federal dollars, including the Northern Beltway, passenger rail, US 52 Interstate upgrades, and interchange and intersection improvements around the area.
How to Weigh In: Check out the map of projects, take the survey (open through July 13), or attend a public meeting at the Reynolda Manor Branch Library on July 7.
🤔 Our parks need more:
👀 Poll results: You can only have one drink this summer. What are you choosing?
Iced coffee - 40%
Lemonade - 29%
Smoothie - 13%
Sweet tea - 18%
Nykhia H. chose lemonade and shared, “Lemonade is a summertime necessity. Every summer I create a signature drink. This year is lavender butterfly lemonade.”
🌀 The Wrap
🥞 Team member Stevie visited the new Miam location last week! He recommends the smoked salmon Benedict.
️⚽️ Team Germany may be out of the World Cup, but you can catch Team USA’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at these local spots this Wednesday.
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