I know it's the home of ECU, but what else?

July 11, 2011 12:01 PM

Moving to Greenville, NC for 13 weeks, completely sight unseen. Where do I go to __ (fill-in-the-blank)?

Live, work, eat, shop, hang out, meet new people? I'm asking this question for my travelling-nurse sister who just signed a 13 week contract in Greenville, NC. She'd like to enjoy her time in the town and rent a place in a worthwhile area with entertainment and amusements. Any suggestions of places to check out or stay away from?

posted by Kronur to Grab Bag (4 answers total)

Best answer: This may not be the answer you're looking for, but my roommate lives in Greenville. I live in Durham. She rents the room in Durham so she'll have a place to go on the weekends to eat, shop, hang out and meet new people.

She says your sister's best bet is probably to meet people through the hospital itself. It's not that there's nothing to do in Greenville, although the scene is limited compared to other North Carolina places -- it's just that it's (in her words) "impossible to meet new people."

Her suggestions in Greenville:

For cocktails: Starlight Cafe. For Beers: Winslow's. For coffee/ice cream: the Scullery. For hippies: Tipsy Teapot. Umbrella Market on wednesday nights. The lack of non-chain restaurants is frustrating, especially with such a lively food scene elsewhere in the state.

Depending on your sister's interests, she can also run, bike, swim, ride horses, join a knitting club, go to church, and do all the other things that exist elsewhere, quoth The Roommate. "You just better either like doing it alone or be lucky enough to find someone to do it with."

It's about 75 minutes to Raleigh, and about 100 minutes to Durham. Both of those places have really robust social scenes where it is easier to meet fellow travelers. Good luck!
posted by jeffmshaw at 12:22 PM on July 11, 2011

Whether you agree with his personal beliefs or not, Orson Scott Card (sci-fi author) writes articles for the Rhino Times where he reviews just about everything from movies to snack foods. He writes a *lot* about the Greensboro area and has tips for restaurants, movie theaters, etc.
posted by tacodave at 2:28 PM on July 11, 2011

Greensboro is a long, long way from Greenville.
posted by jeffmshaw at 2:41 PM on July 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

Whoops. I read the town name wrong, I guess. My face is red: just take my word for it.
posted by tacodave at 2:53 PM on July 12, 2011