Greenville

The Brook Valley neighborhood is almost synonymous with the Brook Valley Country Club, whose private golf course is the first thing folks tend to think of when they think of this section of Greenville. “It’s a golfing community,” says Realtor Katherine Deal of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. “The Brook Valley golf course is one of the premier courses in Pitt County and it’s a big draw to the neighborhood. That, and the fact that it’s safe, centrally located and the homes are well-built.” Kunny Brothers, a Century 21 Realtor, agrees. “It’s one of the most sought-after neighborhoods around here, just due to the convenience of shopping and dining and, of course, the golf course at the country club, which also has a pool and a clubhouse.” Both Brothers and Deal note that the list of appealing features is long. And the thing that really seals the deal for homebuyers interested in Brook Valley? “It has mature landscaping,” says Brothers. “If you want trees and mature landscaping, you don’t want one of those new developments. You want a more established one, like this.” “There’s an old section and a new section of the neighborhood,” says Brothers. “Some of the homes in the earlier phases date back to the 1960s, even the 1950s. The newer section was built in the late 1990s and early 2000s.” Brook Valley’s more established homes tend to be Colonial Revival and ranch-style, while the newer construction leans toward Traditional. Prices start at around $320,000 and can climb to more than $600,000. “The homes are well-built and have been very well maintained,” says Brothers. “There are actually a lot of renovations going on in the neighborhood.” Deal agrees: “A lot of the kids who grew up in Brook Valley are buying the houses and remodeling them. People tend to stay here long-term.” Kids between preschool and fifth grade go to Eastern Elementary School, which earns a B-plus from Niche. It’s ranked No. 3 on Niche’s list of the best public elementary schools in Pitt County, too. Older students continue to C.M. Eppes Middle and J.H. Rose High. The middle school gets a C-plus from Niche; the high school gets a B-plus. The list of clubs and extracurriculars Rose High offers is lengthy, with options from the Aspiring Authors Club and Asian Culture Club to the Pitt Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and Future Health Professionals. Similar to the elementary school, Rose High boasts the No. 3 spot on Niche’s list of the best public high schools in the county. All three schools are conveniently located within 4 miles of most homes in the neighborhood. The Brook Valley Country Club offers classic club amenities close to home, from an 18-hole golf course designed by Ellis Maples to tennis/pickleball courts and a clubhouse. The outdoor pool has an enclosed waterslide; in the summer, the Brook Valley Barracudas swim team practices and holds meets there. The club is part of the McConnell Golf community, so membership at Brook Valley comes with reciprocal access to other McConnell Golf courses. “They own golf courses all over North Carolina, it’s a nice perk of the membership,” says Deal. Brook Valley Country Club membership is separate from the Brook Valley neighborhood’s HOA. “The HOA is a voluntary one, and less than a hundred dollars a year,” says Brothers, adding that it’s also possible to be a member of the club without being a Brook Valley resident. Just a couple miles west of home, the public Perkins Athletic Complex features fractals of baseball diamonds and batting cages. Jaycee Park, another public park nearby, has a playground, skateboard ramps and softball fields. The adjacent Jaycee Park Center for Arts & Crafts offers a variety of visual and performing arts programs. Greenville Mall, anchored by JCPenney and Belk, is just a couple miles west of home, off US Route 264. The mall is home to MAC Cosmetics, Torrid and American Eagle, too, as well as a host of food-court-style eateries. For food with more local flair, family-owned Nino’s Cucina Italiana offers authentic Italian fare. It’s been a popular fixture in Greenville for more than 75 years. “There are many restaurants in Greenville, but Nino’s is one of my favorites,” says Brothers. Across the street, locals can pick up groceries at the Publix in the Greenville Square Shopping Center. There’s a Food Lion, an Aldi and a Walmart Supercenter even closer to home, too, off North Carolina Highway 33. “Brook Valley is convenient to US Route 264 and Highway 33,” says Brothers, adding that its proximity to the two main roads is a large part of its appeal. Route 264 is less than 2 miles northwest of the neighborhood. Highway 33, also known as East 10th Street, runs along Brook Valley’s eastern edge. The nearly 6-mile drive west to the ECU Health Medical Center can take just 14 minutes via Highway 33/East 10th to West 10th Street, depending on traffic. The East Carolina University campus itself is even closer; the less-than-3-mile drive northwest typically takes under 10 minutes. “The hospital and the university are both big employers in the area,” says Deal.

In central Greenville, within just a few miles of East Carolina University (ECU) and the ECU Health Medical Center, Elmhurst-Englewood offers a quick commute for students and professionals alike. Its proximity to the university and the hospital is a large part of the neighborhood’s appeal, according to local Realtor Yvette Lewis of Legacy Premier Real Estate. In fact, she says being close to all kinds of Greenville amenities, including shopping and dining, grade schools and ECU sports stadiums, factors into the neighborhood's appeal to homebuyers. “There’s a mix of young people as well as older people and families. Greenville in general has a hometown feel, but of course we have ECU and the medical center, which give it more of a city feel. This neighborhood is the best of both vibes, because of its location close to everything.” The wide, gently curved residential streets here are shaded by tall oak and pine trees. Broad, neatly trimmed front lawns tend to extend straight to the curb, uninterrupted by sidewalks. Most homes, whether they’re midcentury ranch-style, 1970s split-levels or 1980s Colonial Revivals, feature attached garages/carports and long driveways. Prices start at around $229,000 and can climb to a little more than $380,000. The median hovers close to the $270,000 mark, on par with the wider city. “Everything is starting to get some days on the market now, but in this neighborhood, homes usually sell reasonably quick,” says Lewis. On average, Elmhurst-Englewood homes are on the market for around 37 days — seven days shorter than the national average. Youngsters between preschool and fifth grade go to Elmhurst Elementary, which earns a B-minus from Niche. Older students continue to C.M. Eppes Middle, which gets a C-plus, and J.H. Rose High, which gets a B-plus. The list of clubs and extracurriculars Rose High offers is lengthy, ranging in focus from drama and dance to Spanish and student government. Similar to the elementary school, Rose High is ranked third on Niche’s list of the best public high schools in Pitt County. All three schools are also conveniently located within a mile and a half of most homes in the neighborhood. East Carolina University (ECU) is less than 2 miles northwest of Elmhurst-Englewood as well. The public university offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs and is the only university in North Carolina with schools of engineering, dentistry and medicine. In the northeast corner of the neighborhood, Peppermint Park offers a playground, picnic shelter and a pickleball court. The fully fenced, public park is within a mile of most Elmhurst-Englewood homes. ECU’s Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is only about a mile west of home, next to the elementary school. At the height of football season, it can seat 50,000 Pirates fans. ECU’s baseball and softball stadiums are just a few blocks away, too. The softball stadium, or the Max R. Joyner Family Stadium, seats a thousand people. Lewis Field at Clark LeClair Stadium, the baseball field, seats 5,000. The school’s NCAA Division I athletics draw spectators from around the country, and proximity to the campus and the three stadiums is a large part of this neighborhood’s appeal. Lewis says that she’s worked with several clients recently who bought homes here for their children to live in while they’re in school at ECU, so they can be close to campus and within walking distance of the stadiums during game seasons. “We’re seeing that more and more, especially if families have more than one child going to ECU, they’ll buy a house here and have their kids live in it for a few years instead of letting them rent on campus.” Residents don’t need to venture far for everyday essentials. “Greenville doesn’t have a whole lot, it’s not like Raleigh, but we do have supermarkets and a small mall,” says Lewis. There’s a Publix about a mile west of most homes in the Greenville Square shopping center. Across the street, Greenville Mall is anchored by JCPenney and Belk. The mall also has jewelers and shoe stores, along with familiar clothing retailers such as Torrid, PacSun and American Eagle. Kunny Brothers, a local Realtor with Century 21, says that one of her favorite places to eat in Greenville is Café Duo. The casual restaurant/bar is right next to the Greenville Mall, within a couple miles of Elmhurst-Englewood. “The local spots are my favorite, and Café Duo is a great one,” Brothers says. Lewis adds that one of her top restaurant recommendations is a locally owned eatery in nearby Winterville, a few miles south of Greenville proper. “Main & Mill is fantastic, and it’s not too far from here, only about five or six miles away.” Close to the middle of the city, Elmhurst-Englewood is within easy reach of downtown as well as the ECU Health Medical Center. Downtown is just a couple of miles northwest of most homes; the hospital is less than 4 miles northwest. Both destinations are about a 10-minute drive away, depending on traffic. Greenville Area Transit, or GREAT, provides bus service throughout the city. Locals can catch the bus close to home at one of the stops on Greenville Boulevard, the main thoroughfare that runs east-west along the neighborhood’s southern edge.

Overlooking the Uptown District and East Carolina University (ECU) from the heart of the city, West Greenville is known, first and foremost, for its location convenient to campus. “Greenville is a cute, quaint little town, and it compares to any college town in the country. We tend to see the housing market is centered on the university,” says Realtor Joe Carteret, team leader of the Carteret Group at Simply Brokerage. He says that’s especially true in West Greenville, which is filled with single-family homes that are now student rentals. “People are here buying a house or buying a rental simply because the university is there. It’s an attractive area for people, whether they attend the university or the medical school or work for the university or the medical school.” Being less than a mile from ECU’s main campus — and just 2 miles from the ECU Health Medical Center/ECU Brody School of Medicine — certainly keeps West Greenville’s housing market hot, according to Melinda Deigan, a Greenville local and Realtor with United Real Estate East Carolina. “The market has slowed, but it’s still very active,” she says, adding that homes here tend to sell for their list price in just two or three months. These neat, grid-patterned streets are lined with boxy American Foursquares, classic ranch-style homes and Minimal Traditional and Craftsman cottages. Many of the larger homes in the neighborhood have been converted from single-family residences to condos. “A lot of the condos here are student housing, what with the university being so close and the need for student housing. Not everyone can live on campus,” says Cartaret. He adds that both Greenville in general, as well as West Greenville, specifically, attract a significant number of investors due to the university-centered housing market. “As long as there is a university presence, it’s going to be an attractive market for homebuyers, especially investors and parents buying for their kids.” Prices here start at around $100,000 and can go up as high as nearly $180,000. But the median hovers close to the $87,000 mark, well below the median for the wider city, which sits closer to $245,000. Elmhurst Elementary, which earns a B-minus from Niche, serves youngsters between preschool and fifth grade. Older students continue to C.M. Eppes Middle, which receives a C-plus, and J.H. Rose High, which gets a B-plus. Rose High ranks third on Niche’s list of the best public high schools in the county. High schoolers are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a club or extracurricular activity; there are all kinds of options, from the Pitt Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) or the Aspiring Authors Club to the Future Health Professionals Club or Asian Culture Club. Elmhurst Elementary, Eppes Middle and Rose High are all conveniently located within 2.5 miles of most homes. Sadie Saulter Pre-K Center serves the community’s littlest learners from even closer, off Fleming Street at the south end of West Greenville. The main East Carolina University (ECU) campus is a quick walk east past Evans Street, within half a mile of most homes. The public university, the only in North Carolina with schools of medicine, dentistry and engineering, offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. “Greenville is a college town, and if that’s not what a homebuyer is looking for, they’re not going to buy close to the university in neighborhoods like this one,” says Cartaret. “There’s an understanding that the closer you are to the university, the more student presence there will be, so it’s expected here. The proximity allows for walkability to campus, for getting to games easier and for getting involved in student or alumni organizations.” Greenville Outdoor Aquatic Center and Eppes Recreation Center are both within half a mile of most West Greenville homes, at the corner of West Fourth and Nash Streets. Between the two facilities, residents enjoy easy access to an outdoor pool, playground and basketball courts. The rec center offers youth and adult recreational/athletic programs from its gymnasium, weight room and computer lab. The Tar River flows through the city less than a mile north of West Greenville. “The parks right on the river are very nice. There’s a dog park, a floral garden park and the Tar River Greenway,” says Deigan. She adds that Town Common, a 21-acre greenspace on the riverfront within a mile and a half of home, hosts a popular summer concert series each year. “They invite a lot of local artists, folks from the North Carolina-South Carolina region, which is really cool.” Town Common also hosts the annual PirateFest in April, during which the park is overtaken by a pirate encampment. The swashbuckling festivities are complete with, live music shows, sword-fighting demonstrations and fine arts, food and drink vendors. The city’s vibrant downtown dining scene is within a mile and a half of West Greenville. On Dickinson Avenue, just a few blocks east of home, Native Fine Diner serves elevated greasy spoon fare, from green gumbo to seafood poutine. Down the street, Ford & Shep offers an elegant and ever-changing Southern-inspired menu. “We like the local restaurants best, and those are two of our favorites,” says Deigan. “Greenville, and this part of North Carolina in general, is also famous for its barbecue. I’m not going to comment on my favorite barbecue restaurant because barbecue is a religion around here, and I don’t want to leave anyone out. But everybody has their own favorite.” Sam Jones, Parker’s and RJ’s are just three of the many East Carolina-style barbecue joints around here. All three eateries are on Memorial Road, within 6 miles of West Greenville. Locals can grab groceries at the Harris Teeter on Evans Street, about 3 miles south of the neighborhood. The grocery store is in a bustling shopping district on the south side of town. Between the Greenville Mall and the surrounding strip mall-style shopping centers, there are department stores, jewelers, shoe stores and clothing retailers galore. US Route 13, known locally as South Memorial Drive, runs north-south close to the west side of the neighborhood. The ECU Health Medical Center is just across the main thoroughfare, within about a mile of most West Greenville homes. Downtown and ECU’s main campus are even closer, both less than a mile east. The Pitt-Greenville Airport is about 4 miles north. “It’s a beautiful, cute little airport, with a very nice lounge and waiting area. There are three flights a day leaving from there to Charlotte, and from Charlotte, you can go basically anywhere in the world,” says Deigan. The public airport is used mostly for general aviation, but American Airlines provides the three-flight daily commuter service to Charlotte.