Can anyone give me the scoop on Greenville, North Carolina?

[Anaxamander]

My SO has been offered a job at East Carolina University and I wonder if someone in the know can be kind enough to give me the lowdown on Greenville so I know what I'm getting into. Stuff about the city, the people, the weather, the cost of living, and the political climate would be helpful. Just as a basis of comparison, we'll be moving from Tallahassee, Florida, which is a predominantly democratic city of about 150,000 people in north Florida, and, as you all know, the capital of political chicanery in the Sunshine State. Any help is much appreciated!:dem:

[GainesT1958]

1. I went to grad school at ECU (M.P.A.)...

And Greenville is the most progresive city in Eastern North Carolina. It's pretty much heavily Democratic--with the exception of a few precincts--and that includes the University-related populace, as well as traditional Democratic voters in both Greenville itself AND in rural areas of Pitt County. Greenville is growing, (I think it was at 85,000 in the 200 Census), even after being devastated in many parts by Hurricane Floyd's flood waters in 1999. Its cost of living is going up, but is still lower than larger urban areas of N.C.--the Triangle, Charlotte, and here in Wilmington, for instance. (Not sure how it would compare to Tallahassee).

A growing student population, and a big-time love for football are two things you'll find ECU has in common with FSU (even though ECU hasn't had quite the, um, record FSU has over the last eight years! :eyes: )

ECU is also growing in the number of PhD programs it offers (now up to 15, I believe). It has a medical school that is developing a very good reputation for producing well-qualified M.Ds--both G.P.s and specialists--for smaller cities and rural areas, where there is an acute shortage of both. It has a very good school of education, as well as a really good dramatic arts and visual arts department. It also has a really good urban planning department, from which my M.P.A. took its concentration!:D

In short, I think your S.O. is making a good move, one that you'll enjoy and which will also be a big asset to ECU!

B-)

[Anaxamander]

2. Thanks so much Gaines

for the info. It sounds like a pretty nice place, and bigger than I thought. Thanks again, Gaines!

[carolinayellowdog]

3. One of the least-segregated metro areas

Greenville, Fayetteville, and Jacksonville NC all rank in the top 10 least-segregated metro areas in the US according to recent stats. OTOH my family roots are in eastern NC and there is some deep-rooted racism in the region. You'll have lots of recent immigrants to socialize with, though.

[kwolf68]

4. I was born there

1968. Pitt County hasn't been the same since.

[Widgetsfriend]

5. Wow!! An Eastern NC thread!!

I'm from Swansboro, originally, but now live in Maryland. Greenville used to be a very sleepy and very small college town in the tobacco belt (farming, farming, farming). It's grown substantially as ECU has grown. First assessment up there seems pretty accurate. As long as you'll be in North Carolina anyway, you should get down to Beaufort and take the ferry over to Shackelford Island; uninhabitated and pristine outer banks island; Core Banks as well. Also take the ferry to Ocracoke and Hatteras Island but wait until the fall or spring. It's crowded in the summer but almost isolated in other seasons. And go see Swansboro. Nice shops and seafood restaurants. They have a Mullet Festival in October that's fun. You can probably skip Jacksonville (sorry if I offend). Otherwise, be sure to visit NC's mountains...breathtaking. Gosh, I sure do miss home!! And envy you being able to live there, although you may not be able to see it through my jaded eyes. It might not look so nice to you. Oh, Edenton, Oriental, that whole area on the western side of the Pamlico Sound. Very nice and quaint. New Bern, too..see Tryon Palace and gardens. Oh, almost forgot Wilmington. Downtown is gorgeous and the old Cotton Exchange has been cleaned up and made into shops. The traffic there is pretty awful, but it's a beautiful old antebellum town with gorgeous houses.

[Anaxamander]

6. Hey Widgetsfriend,

thanks for the info. I love mullet and mullet-related activities. Sounds like there are many beautiful sights to see. :)