Greenville may be home to East Carolina University, but to describe it as simply a college town would do this multifaceted city a disservice. It’s widely recognized as the educational and medical hub of eastern North Carolina, thanks to ECU and the ECU Health Medical Center, the teaching hospital for the university’s Brody School of Medicine and the fifth-largest hospital in the state. Other big employers include Catalent, a multinational pharmaceutical brand, and Grady-White Boats, a fiberglass watercraft manufacturer. “It’s not just ECU contributing to the economy here, which is unique among college towns,” says Realtor Melinda Deigan of United Real Estate East Carolina, a Greenville local. She adds that a wealth of artsy and outdoorsy entertainment options gives the city dimension that most cities which have been taken over by their universities lack. “There’s lots to do even if you’re not a student or into ECU sports.”
Greenville Medical Center is a major employer near the Brook Valley neighborhood.
The Greenville County Museum of Art isn't to far from the Brook Valley neighborhood.
Skinnerville-Greenville Heights locals enjoy Stand-up Night at Pitt Street Brewing Co.
Grady White Boats is a major employer in the Greenville area.
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From student rentals near ECU to golf course communities on the outskirts
Neighborhoods close to ECU’s campus, like The Grid, are student-rental heavy. Many of the bungalows, Colonial Revivals and ranch-style homes around there were converted into multifamily rental properties as the university grew and students needed off-campus housing. Joe Carteret, the CEO and team leader of The Carteret Group at Simply Brokerage, says sales prices for condo units in rental-heavy neighborhoods tend to start at around $175,000, but the median is closer to $230,000. He adds that most buyers are investors interested in renting to students. “It’s a good place for them to get a return on their investment,” he says, observing there’s been an increase in out-of-state investors lately. Small neighborhoods south of ECU and downtown, like Elmhurst-Englewood, are filled with traditional single-family bungalows, split levels, ranch-style homes and Colonial Revivals. Late 1900s and early 2000s-era subdivisions, such as Brook Valley, closer to the outskirts of town, tend to have larger, Traditional and Modern Transitional homes on spacious lots. The median sales price for single family homes in Greenville is nearly $312,000, below the U.S. median of $422,100.
Smaller homes comprise the majority of The Grid residences.
Brook Valley Country Club offers an 18-hole Ellis Maples designed golf course.
Homes in The Grid come in a wide range of architectural styles.
Elmhust-Englewood features a wide range of single story ranch homes.
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Pitt County Public Schools and East Carolina University
Pitt County Public Schools serve about 24,000 Greenville students between preschool and 12th grade, with an average student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1. The district allows open enrollment; students can apply to go to any school in the district, regardless of their home address. Nine Pitt County schools offer magnet programs in subjects such as arts, leadership, global health and wellness, STEM and language immersion. A-rated Oakwood School is the No. 1 best private high school in Pitt County, according to Niche. The secular, co-ed school serves preschoolers starting at age 3 and kindergarten through 12th graders on its campus just northwest of Greenville proper.
East Carolina University’s campus is close to the Tar River on the north side of town. The public university offers more than 165 degree programs, ranging from bachelor’s to doctoral. ECU’s undergraduate nursing program is the university’s largest in terms of enrollment. Its business administration program has the highest enrollment at the graduate level. Diegan says ECU sports are a big deal, but that the most popular sport changes depending on the person. She and her family enjoy baseball, but there are 18 Pirates teams total, including football and basketball.
East Carolina University is central to The Grid neighborhood.
H B Sugg Elementary is a public school located in Farmville, NC near Bell Arthur.
Sam D. Bundy is a public school located in Farmville, NC near Bell Arthur.
Farmville Central High School is ranked 275th within North Carolina.
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Barbecue eateries all over town and a walkable downtown district on the river
The commercial corridors on the city’s southwest side, surrounding the Greenville Mall, are lined with national chain retailers and restaurants. Deigan says that while Lexington’s barbecue may be more famous, Greenville’s rivals it, and that barbecue restaurants are scattered all over town. “There’s B’s Barbecue, there’s Sam Jones BBQ, there’s Parker’s Barbecue and there’s R.J.’s Famous Chicken, BBQ & Ribs,” she rattles off, adding that each joint does their East Carolina-style meat a little differently. “I’m not going to comment on my favorite,” she says, joking that calling out just one could start a riot. “Greenville folks care deeply about their grilled meats.”
Downtown Greenville, formerly known as the Uptown District for its location on the river at the city’s north end, has over 35 locally owned eateries, bars and breweries. The walkable, historic downtown district is also the artistic heart of the city, filled with murals, art galleries and museums, including the Greenville Museum of Art, which offers guided tours every Friday and hosts regular seasonal events. The non-profit Pitt County Arts Council provides workshops and showcases work by local artists at the Emerge Gallery & Art Center. Nearby, ECU students put on music and theatre performances in Fletcher Hall and Wright Auditorium. The two venues host concerts, ballets and more during the university’s annual S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series. Theatre shows at the Magnolia Arts Center, about 3 miles southeast of downtown, flaunt talent source directly from the Greenville community. During monthly First Friday ArtWalks, locals can take a self-guided walking tours of the city or hop on the free trolley service to visit galleries, museums, breweries and restaurants displaying work by local and national artists. Live street musicians perform at each corner along Dickinson Avenue and in local venues throughout the city, too.
Sam Jones Whole Hog BBQ is a Greenville institution.
Downtown Greenville is a short drive from Brook Valley.
The Grid residents enjoy a wide range of grilled treats at Jack Brown's Burger Bar.
Greenville residents can grab a variety of quick cuisine options at The Bodega and Cafe.
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Tar Riverfront parks and Greenville’s annual PirateFest
The city maintains more than 30 public parks and recreational facilities, including the 324-acre River Park North, set just north of the Tar River. The sprawling park has ponds for boating and fishing, and miles of riverside hiking trails where wild birds like great blue herons and bald eagles occasionally make an appearance. The 364-acre Wildwood Park is also on the Tar’s northern bank. It features a sandy beach with a kayak launch, as well as a BMX skills course, several miles of mountain bike trails and a series of pedestrian boardwalks through the wetland. Town Common, on the river’s south bank just north of downtown, is a popular gathering place with over 20 acres of open green space and a playground. Greenville’s annual summer concert series takes place at the Town Common Amphitheater. The city’s annual PirateFest, established in 2006 to celebrate ECU’s centennial, draws crowds from around the region for food, art, live music and, of course, pirate reenactors.
The Greenway at Town Commons Park runs along the Tar River.
Fishing at Town Common Park is a popular pastime for Skinnerville-Greenville Heights residents.
ECU football players greet the crowd at Concert On The Common.
Brook Valley residents flock to Town Common for live music on the riverfront on Thursday's.
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Commuting by bus, car or plane
The G.K. Butterfield Transportation Center serves as the main transportation hub where all local and regional public transportation services connect, including the Greenville Area Transit, Pitt Area Transit, and ECU Transit bus systems. Greyhound and Amtrak also utilize the facility for connections. U.S. Routes 13 and 264, and North Carolina Routes 33, 43 and 903 weave through the city, connecting across, around and beyond. In far north Greenville, off Route 13, there’s the Pitt-Greenville Airport. It’s a public airport used primarily for general aviation, but American Airlines provides three commuter flights to Charlotte every day. Deigan says the lounge and waiting area in the small airport are “very nice,” adding that the daily flights to Charlotte are all that’s necessary, given that the Charlotte airport offers hundreds of direct flights around the country.
Increase in total crime, decline in violent crime
According to the Greenville Police Department’s 2023 Annual Report, there was a 13.67% increase in total crimes committed in the city between 2022 and 2023. During the same year, the department’s data shows the total number of violent crimes declined by more than 7%.
On average, homes in Greenville, NC sell after 77 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Greenville, NC over the last 12 months is $269,900, up 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
