California girl thinking of going to ECU for grad school. Will it be a good fit? (Greenville: crime) - Coastal North Carolina - North Carolina (NC) - City-Data Forum

nicagrace · 07-20-2011, 02:41 PM

Hello!

I hope this isn't a repeated question on here; I searched the forums for a few hours and didn't really find what I was looking for.

I was born in Illinois, but spent most of my life living in the Bay Area. I've been wanting to get out of the area for quite some time now, and the south seems perfect. Friendly people, good amount of history, good food, and country music! I will be applying for grad programs in speech language pathology and am interested in ECU. Would ECU and Greenville be a good fit for me, or would I feel out of place?

Based on what I have read about Greenville, people seem to think that it's mostly a safe city, except in certain parts. Is that correct? I grew up near Richmond (CA) and my high school had at least one memorial every other month for someone who got shot and killed, so I'm used to being in areas like that and I like to think that I know how to avoid dangerous situations.

Is it easy to make friends in Greenville; are people friendly? I don't know anyone in NC, so I will be completely on my own at first and I hope that I can make some friends.

Does it have a southern feel to it? Based on what I have read on these forums, Greenville seems to be the 'big city' in eastern NC and is less 'southern' feeling than the smaller towns surrounding it. Will I be able to go to a lot of bars that play country and see people wearing plaid shirts and cowboy hats? Haha, it sounds silly, but it would be nice to meet some country people, especially guys. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find fellow country music lovers in the Bay Area!

Finally, is there reliable public transportation or would I have to bring my car? I have no idea how big the area is or how easy it is to get from one place to another.

If anyone has any other suggestions in terms of schools/cities, I'm open to that as well

I am not a big city type of person and would like to eventually end up in a smaller town. I'm figuring it's not the best idea for a girl in her mid 20s to move to a totally rural area because then I won't meet people my age, so it's probably best to stick with mid-size cities.

Thank you for your advice!

Edinboro Bound · 07-20-2011, 02:44 PM

Check your inbox. I've sent you a message.

EB

nicagrace · 07-20-2011, 05:51 PM

Thanks

MrBojangles · 07-22-2011, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicagrace

Hello!
Based on what I have read about Greenville, people seem to think that it's mostly a safe city, except in certain parts. Is that correct?

Learn where to go and don't go and you should be fine. Of course crime can be random.

Is it easy to make friends in Greenville; are people friendly? Greenville is a social town, you should be able to do fine as long as you make the first move.

Does it have a southern feel to it? I think so. Of course it isn't like Kinston (thank god), because of the influx of people to work/go to school at ECU and PCMH.

Will I be able to go to a lot of bars that play country and see people wearing plaid shirts and cowboy hats? Most bar bars (over 21), at least downtown have their selection of popular country they play. I can't recall off the top of my head a truly COUNTRY bar. There was one, but I believed it closed. As for the plaid shirts and cowboy hats, that is more Texas than the south.

Finally, is there reliable public transportation or would I have to bring my car?
ECU has a great bus line and the City of Greenville has a bus line. Depending on where you live and where on campus your classes are, the ECU bus should be fine. But for everything else I would have a car.

Let me know if there is anything else.

nicagrace · 07-24-2011, 11:46 PM

Thank you for the information! Good to know that there is a decent bus line around the campus.

Hamish Forbes · 07-25-2011, 08:39 AM

You will be fine in Greenville. It's a nice town. Although I doubt that you'll find too much in the way of flannel shirts and cowboy hats, people in the area have a wide variety of tastes and interests, including some country/western (but c/w is not the predominant style by any means). Life will be a lot easier if you bring your car. But if that's a hardship you can probably survive without it.