Greenville

 

City (1990 pop. 44,972), seat of Pitt co., E N.C., on the Tar River; founded 1786. It grew as a tobacco center, and while still an important tobacco-processing and -marketing city, it also manufactures apparel, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and fishing boats. East Carolina Univ. and Pitt Community College are there.

For other places with the same name, see Greenville.

City of Greenville
City hall in downtown Greenville, 2005
Flag Seal
Nickname: The Spirit of the East
Location of Greenville shown within North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°36′6″N 77°22′21″W / 35.60167, -77.3725
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Pitt
Settled	1771
Founded	1774 (Martinsborough)
Founded	1786 (Greenville)
Government
- Mayor	Don Parrott
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
- Urban	sq mi ( km²)
- Metro	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2006 est. 72,052)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
- Urban
- Metro
- Metro Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP Code	27858
Area code(s)	252
FIPS code	37-280802
GNIS feature ID	10237213
Website: greenvillenc.gov

Greenville, one of the fastest growing cities in North Carolina, is the county seat of Pitt County, and is the principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is situated on the Tar River. Greenville, to some, is known as the cultural, economical, and educational hub of North Carolina's Inner Banks. The city boasts a vibrant business community and is occasionally ranked among the top places nationally to farm, bike, and study. In 2004, Greenville was named Sportstown USA for the state of North Carolina by Sports Illustrated and the National Parks & Recreation Association. The city is also known as "Pro Town USA", as it is home for many top professional BMX riders, such as Dave Mirra, Ryan Nyquist, Ryan Guettler, Mike Laird, and Josh Harrington.

The city has a total population of over 75,000 residents. The Greenville Metro Area includes approximately 207,000 residents. It is the home of East Carolina University and University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, which includes Pitt County Memorial Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in North Carolina.

Greenville is also the birthplace of the Atlanta Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler, Chic bass player and producer Bernard Edwards, film and television actor Lee Norris, Rapper Petey Pablo, rock band Valient Thorr, PGA Tour golfer Will MacKenzie, water ski champion Kristi Overton-Johnson, and world famous Jazz pianist, composer, teacher and lecturer Billy Taylor.

Geography

Greenville is located at 35°36′6″N, 77°22′21″W (35.601613, -77.372366).¹

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.0 km² (26.3 mi²). 66.3 km² (25.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (2.59%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2006, there are 206,976 residents in the Greenville MSA, 130,204 households, and 110,997 residents residing within five miles of the city limit. The population density was 912.8/km² (2,364.6/mi²). There are 130,204 housing units at an average density of 424.8/km² (1,100.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 60.20% White, 32.14% African American, 0.80% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.06% of the population.

There were 25,204 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 28.7% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,648, and the median income for a family was $44,491. Males had a median income of $31,847 versus $26,324 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,476. About 15.6% of families and 26.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Greenville serves as a regional entertainment hub for all of Eastern North Carolina. The area boasts a vast array of local and national-chain restaurants catering to a variety of tastes from down-home favorites to gourmet specialties. Several restaurants within the city have been recognized nationally for their barbecue and superior wine selection.

Culture permeates on and off the East Carolina University campus. East Carolina University offers musical concerts, theatrical and dance productions, travel films, and lectures. Antique stores are scattered throughout the county and offer a number of unique treasures. Also, local art galleries feature major art collections, traveling exhibits, and the work of local and regional artists.

Athletics predominate the area. Football dominates the ECU athletic scene. Greenville is also home to the Eastern Regional High School Football and Basketball Tournament, NC Senior Games, and hosted the Babe Ruth World Series Girl’s Softball Tournament in the Summer of 2002.

Numerous restaurants and nightclubs offer live entertainment in the evenings on the weekends and Uptown Greenville has a district that includes numerous venue options. Freeboot Friday in the fall and Sunday in the Park offer great opportunities to enjoy friends and family and the seasons. The downtown area is nationally known for its large annual Halloween street party and live music bars.

Theater is beginning to emerge in Greenville as well. Local groups such as the Greenville Theater Project and the Magnolia Arts Center offer creative outlets for both performers and audiences alike. Smiles and Frowns Playhousecelebrated its twentieth year of producing premier children's theatre in November 2006. Additionally, student groups such as SWASH Improv offer entertainment at the university and local establishments.

City Life

In a city that is on the move and attracts many people as it has become a major center of employment, entertainment, and living within North Carolina. The city's population has experienced a major growth boom since the 1990s. New restaurants, hotels, strip malls have all been introduced within the city over the past five years. Hundreds of new housing subdivisions (housing developments) have been built in Greenville in the last couple of years such as: Chesapeake, Langston Farms, Paramore, Bedford, Charleston Village, White Oaks, Irish Creek, Savannah Place, Tara, Wimbledon, Colony Woods, Barrington Fields and many more.

Shopping

Greenville is the regional shopping destination for much of a 12 county surrounding area. Numerous options offer shoppers variety in price, selection, and style, and range from consignment shops to boutiques, malls to commercial strips, and galleries to showrooms. Many big-box retailers and specialty shops have located in Greenville over the past decade. Colonial Mall Greenville (formerly Pitt Plaza Mall) is the city's enclosed center, featuring over 60 shops anchored by Belk, JC Penney and Steve & Barry's University Sportswear. Other large centers include University Commons, Lynncroft and Arlington Village, the latter of which features many local shops and boutiques as well as national chains. Greenville Grande, a mix of cafes, restaurants, shops, and a fourteen screen movie theater has recently opened. A new development called 11 Galleria, on the site of the former Carolina East Mall, being developed by BrodyCo will feature a number of big-box retailers, including Kohl's, as well as incorporating the Sears store once part of Carolina East Mall. Demolition is complete and construction has begun on the new shopping center. The new shopping center (Galleria 11) is planned to be 400,000 sq. ft. and will be completed in two phases.

Health Care

The health care community in Greenville is one of the largest in the state of North Carolina. Pitt County Memorial Hospital is one of four academic medical centers in North Carolina. It serves as the teaching hospital for the adjacent Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. The hospital hosts over 1700 licensed medical providers and serves over 1.2 million residents of the region. Many medical offices and clinics along with the hospital and university teaching facilities lie on Greenville's west side, comprising what is locally known as the Medical District. Currently the East Carolina Cardiovascular Institute is under construction and will add 250 jobs at the hospital along with a state-of-the-art six floor medical center.

Educational institutions

• East Carolina University[1]
• Pitt Community College

Transportation

Greenville is centrally situated within Eastern North Carolina. Several major U.S. and state highways converge in the area to provide easy access to the interstate highway system. A 17-mile, four to six lane highway around the southwestern portion of the city is expected to be completed by 2016. Greenville is North Carolina's largest city without a major interstate; however, Interstate 95 is located 32 miles to the west of the city. Two of the nation's most extensive and financially healthy railroads intersect in Greenville. Greenville is considered to be the most congested city in Eastern Carolina due to its large traffic volumes during the afternoon rush hours. Travel by automobile along Greenville Boulevard, Arlington Boulevard, and Memorial Drive exceed over 100,000 vehicles per day. Some of the city's busiest streets during rush hour are: Memorial Drive, Arlington Boulevard, Greenville Boulevard, Stantonburg Road, East 10th Street, Charles Boulevard, Evans Street, Greene Street, 14th Street, Fire Tower Road, West 5th Street, and Dickinson Avenue. Arlington Boulevard has just recently extended to NC State Route 43 and in the future extend past that to US 264 to help decrease traffic. Fire Tower Road from Memorial Drive (NC 11/NC 903) to Evans Street/Old Tar Road is currently being widened to handle the increased traffic along the road.

Greenville is close to these destinations:

• 20 minutes to Washington, North Carolina
• 40 minutes to New Bern, North Carolina
• 45 minutes to Rocky Mount, North Carolina
• 1 hour to Raleigh, North Carolina
• 1.5 hours to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
• 1.5 hours to Durham, North Carolina
• 1.5 hours to Morehead City, North Carolina
• 2 hours to Atlantic, North Carolina
• 2 hours to Fayetteville, North Carolina
• 2 hours to Wilmington, North Carolina
• 2 hours to Virginia Beach, Virginia
• 2 hours to Cape Hatteras National Seashore
• 2.5 hours to Richmond, Virginia
• 2.5 hours to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• 3 hours to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• 4 hours to Washington, DC
• 4 hours to Charlotte, North Carolina
• 5 hours to Charleston, South Carolina
• 7 hours to Atlanta, Georgia
• 8 hours to New York, New York
• 9 hours to Orlando, Florida
• 38 hours to Los Angeles, California

Air service is available through Pitt-Greenville Airport with scheduled flights daily to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport via USAirways.

The City of Greenville operates a mass transit bus system, Greenville Area Rapid Transit or GREAT.

The City of Greenville has one of the largest greenway systems on the east coast. This network of sidewalks, gravel, and paved trails along with waterways are used for walking, biking, jogging, canoing, kayaking, and boating. The greenway connects neighborhoods to recreational areas and parks within the city.

The North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP) is located approximately 30 minutes south of Greenville at the Kinston Regional Jetport (ISO) in Kinston. Allegiant Airlines offers scheduled service to Orlando. The TransPark is a combined airport-industrial complex developed by the State in Lenoir County. The runway has been extended to 11,500 feet and a new 120,000 sf building is fully leased. Further construction is expected in the near future.

Designed to attract industry and bring increased economic opportunities to the citizens of Eastern North Carolina and beyond, the GTP features more than 2,400 acres available for immediate development, an on-site Education & Training Center, and daily non-stop jet service to and from Atlanta with ASA Delta Connection.

In May of 1996, the Global TransPark was designated as Foreign Trade Zone 214. The designation means companies can export and import products through the TransPark without many of the usual customs restrictions and tariffs.

Media

Newspapers

The Daily Reflector serves as the main daily newspaper and is Greenville's oldest business. Founded in 1882 by brothers Julian R. and David Jordan Whichard, the newspaper began as a weekly publication knowns as The Eastern Reflector. The Daily Reflector joined the Cox Newspapers Inc. family in 1996. "Her" and "mixer" are free monthly magazines produced by The Daily Reflector. Her — as the name implies — is a magazine for women. mixer — written with a lowercase "m" — focuses on the college-age, 18 to 35-year old population with local music, night spots and events for the same area.

Other newspapers that serve the city include: The Greenville Times; The East Carolinian, the student newspaper of East Carolina University; Pieces of Eight, produced by East Carolina University staff; The Minority Voice; G-Vegas Magazine; and Viva Greenville.

Viva Greenville is the first community Hispanic newspaper in East Carolina. It distributes 5,000 free copies in more than 100 locations in Pitt, Beaufort, Greene, Wilson and Lenoir counties. The publication provides a resource to individuals, families and organizations to meet crucial needs, such as local news and events, along with information about healthcare, education and social activities in Spanish as the Greenville area has experienced a 800% increase since 2000 in the number of Hispanics that have located to the city and throughout East Carolina.

Radio Stations

• 1070 AM: - WNCT - Talk 1070, Eastern NC's Superstation, ECU Pirates Flagship Station
• 1250 AM: - WGHB Pirate Radio 1250 National and Local Sports Talk
• 1320 AM: - WTOW Gospel
• 1570 AM: - WECU Urban Gospel
• 88.1 FM: - WKNS Public Radio
• 88.5 FM: - WZRU NPR and Classical
• 88.7 FM: - WAGO Gospel
• 90.1 FM: - WZPE Classical
• 90.9 FM: - WRQM Public Radio University of North Carolina
• 91.3 FM: - WZMB 91.3 FM East Carolina University
• 91.7 FM: - WBKU Religious
• 92.1 FM: - WRSV Soul 92 Jams Hip Hop
• 93.3 FM: - WERO all the hits {"BOB 93.3"}
• 94.3 FM: - WWNK 94.3 The HOT FM
• 95.1 FM: - WRNS Your Country 95.1
• 95.5 FM: - WPWZ Power Hits STATION 95.5
• 97.3 FM: - WMNX Hip Hop and R&B
• 97.5 FM: - WQOK Hip Hop and R&B
• 98.3 FM: - WLGT - Gospel (The Light)
• 98.5 FM: - WDWG { THE BIG DAWG COUNTRY}
• 98.9 FM: - WNBR Country Music The Bear
• 99.5 FM: - WXNR New Rock 99x
• 100.7 FM: - WRVA River 100.7 Classic Rock Station
• 101.1 FM: - WQZL Party 101.1 FM It's Feel Goods
• 101.5 FM: - WRAL MIX 101.5 The Best of the 80s, 90s and Today
• 101.9 FM: - WIKS Best in Hip Hop and R&B, The Beat of Coastal Carolina
• 102.9 FM: - WELS - Gospel
• 103.3 FM: - WMGV Soft Rock V 103.3
• 103.7 FM: - WRHD Thunder Country 103.7
• 104.3 FM: - WFXK Radio One Foxy 104
• 104.5 FM: - WSTK The Light 104.5 Plays Urban Gospel
• 105.1 FM: - WDLV Religious
• 105.3 FM: - WYFL Religious
• 106.1 FM: - WRDU Rooster Country
• 106.5 FM: - WSFL Classic Rock station 106.5
• 107.3 FM: - WBOB The Promise 107.3 Play Urban Gospel
• 107.9 FM: - WNCT Oldies 107.9

Television

Greenville is part of the Greenville-Washington-New Bern-Morehead City market, which is the 107th largest in 2006, according to Nielsen Media Research. Broadcast television stations serving the market include:

• WRAL-TV, the (5), Raleigh (CBS affiliate)
• WITN-TV, the (7), Washington/Greenville/New Bern (NBC affiliate)
• WNCT-TV, the (9), Greenville (CBS affiliate, The CW on digital)
• WCTI-TV, the (12), New Bern (ABC affiliate, independent ENC-TV on digital)
• WYDO-TV, the (14), Greenville (Fox affiliate)
• WUNK-TV, the (25), Greenville (PBS affiliate, part of the UNC-TV Network)
• WEPX-TV, the (38), Greenville (i Network/MyNetworkTV affiliate)

Voice of America/IBB

Greenville has long been known as one of the major transmitter sites for Voice of America (VOA) shortwave broadcasts under the auspices of the U.S. government's International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). Both transmitters and a large antenna 'farm' are located just outside Greenville. The Greenville Transmitting Station provides shortwave broadcasts for U.S. government-funded, non-military, international broadcasting and serves as a standby, alternate gateway for the Satellite Interconnect System to use to uplink programming, should the Washington, D.C., SIS gateway become unavailable. The station is also a backup facility for uplinking programming to the Atlantic Ocean Region satellite and serves as the primary return link of that satellite. For the VOA, the main target areas for the station’s shortwave broadcasts are Latin America, Cuba, the Caribbean, North Africa, and Africa, but transmissions from other countries are also relayed to audiences in North America, including the Royal Thai government.

Photographs taken around Greenville

Photographs of Greenville, NC.

External links

• Official website of Greenville, NC
• Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce
• Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Kinston Regional Jetport
• N.C. Global TransPark
• East Carolina Spanish Newspaper
• Greenville NC Relocation Information
• North Carolina Travel and Tourism Website

Coordinates: 35.601613° N 77.372366° W

Municipalities and communities of Pitt County, North Carolina
County seat: Greenville
City	Greenville
Towns	Ayden | Bethel | Falkland | Farmville | Fountain | Grifton | Grimesland | Simpson | Winterville

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