Greenville, North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other places with the same name, see Greenville.
| City of Greenville |
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| Nickname: "Pro Town USA" | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | North Carolina | ||
| County | Pitt County | ||
| Settled | 1771 | ||
| Founded | 1774 (Martinsborough) | ||
| Founded | 1786 (Greenville) | ||
| Mayor | Don Parrott | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 68 km² (26.3 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 66.3 km² (25.6 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 1.8 km² (0.7 sq mi) 2.59% | ||
| - Urban | 72.3 km² (44.9 sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 1102 km² (685 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 17 m (56 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| - City (2005) | 67,525 | ||
| - Density | 912.8/km² (2,364.6/sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 84,059 | ||
| - Metro | 206,476 | ||
| - Metro Density | 187/km² (301/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| [[ZIP Code]] | 27833 | ||
| Website: greenvillenc.gov | |||
Greenville, one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. State of 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. American Demographics Magazine projects the city will be ranked among the top 10 places in America for growth rate of both population and employment over the next twenty years. Greenville is known as the cultural, economical, and educational hub of North Carolina's Inner Banks. The city boasts a vibrant business community and is consistently ranked among the top places nationally to live, work, study and play. 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 and Ryan Nyquist.
The city has a total population of over 70,000 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 the late Bernard Edwards, Rapper Petey Pablo, rock band Valient Thorr, and world famous Jazz pianist, composer, teacher and lecturer Billy Taylor.
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[edit] Geography
Greenville is located at (35.601613, -77.372366)GR1.
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.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2006, there are 206,476 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.
[edit] 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. County-wide festivals round out the calendar, celebrating everything from collards to watermelons. Entertainment can also be found at the Spazzatorium Galleria!, a community center featuring art and music from local and national acts, and other music venues and clubs such as the new and popular Silver Bullet.
Athletics predominate the area. Football dominates the ECU athletic scene([1]). 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 known on the national level for its annual large Halloween street party and live music bars.
Theater is beginning to emerge in Greenville as well. Local groups such as the Greenville Theater Project (http://www.greenvilletheaterproject.com) and the Magnolia Arts Center (http://www.magnoliaartscenter.com) offer creative outlets for both performers and audiences alike. Smiles and Frowns Playhouse (http://www.smilesandfrowns.org) will celebrate its twentieth year of producing premier children's theatre in November 2006. Additionally, student groups such as SWASH Improv (http://www.swashimprov.com) offer entertainment at the university and local establishments.
[edit] 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 is the city's enclosed center, featuring over 60 shops anchored by Belk, JCPenney and Steve & Barry's University Sportswear. Other large centers include University Commons, Lynncroft and Arlington Village, the later which features many local shops and boutiques as well as national chains. A new development called Galleria 11, on the site of the former Carolina East Mall, being developed by Brodyco will feature a number of big-box retailers as well as incorporating the Sears store once part of Carolina East Mall. The remainder of Carolina East Mall was slated for demolition in the Fall of 2006.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Educational institutions
[edit] 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 42-mile beltway highway system around the city is expected to be completed by 2016. Two of the nation's most extensive and financially healthy railroads intersect in Greenville.
Greenville is close to these destinations:
- 2 hours to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
- 1 hour to Raleigh, North Carolina
- 2 hours to Fayetteville, North Carolina
- 2 hours to Wilmington, North Carolina
- 2 hours to Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- 2 hours to Virginia Beach, Virginia
- 3 hours to Richmond, Virginia
- 3 hours to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- 4 hours to Washington, DC
- 5 hours to Charlotte, North Carolina
- 8 hours to New York, New York
- 8 hours to Atlanta, Georgia
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 in the MidAtlantic. This network of sidwalks, gravel, and paved trails are used for walking, biking, and jogging. 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. Delta Air Lines and Allegiant Airlines offer scheduled service to Atlanta and Orlando, respectively. 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.
[edit] Media
[edit] Newspapers
The Daily Reflector serves as the main daily newspaper [2] 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; and The Minority Voice.
[edit] Radio Stations
- WNCT 107.9 FM: [3] oldies 107.9 fm
- WERO 93.3 FM: [4][BoB 933.FM ALL THE HITS
- WRNS 95.1 FM: [5]WRNS FM 95.1 Country Radio Station
- WPWZ 95.5 FM: [6] POWER 95.5 Urban Station in Eastern NC
[edit] Television
Greenville is served by eight broadcast TV stations:
- NBC: WITN 7 of Washington, NC
- CBS: WNCT 9 of Greenville, NC
- ABC: WCTI 12 of New Bern, NC
- ENC-TV: WCTI of New Bern, NC
- PBS: WUNK 25
- The CW: WGWB 31
- MyNetworkTV: WEPX 38
- FOX: WYDO 14
[edit] Photographs taken around Greenville
Photographs of Greenville, NC.
[edit] External links
- Official website of Greenville, NC
- Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce
- Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Kinston Regional Jetport
- N.C. Global TransPark
- Greenville NC Relocation Information
- Greenville NC Real Estate Guide
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
