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Help,
My husband was offered a job on Fri. 2pm and must respond by Tues. 9am
(remember Mon. is a holiday)...He has been to Greenville once for the interview and a quick jaunt around the area....
To be honest, he doesn't seem to terribly excited about the location....of course, how can he be with only a few hours there under his belt. He definitely said ECU and the hospital were the towns livelihood. It's odd because he can't seem to put his finger on what seems to be missing....
He did say the beach was about an hour away......o.k? that is good I guess....what about the rest of everyday life?
He did seem a bit concerned that there wasn't a main highway, and that for a town of 100,000 people there wasn't some higher end shopping (especially since it is 2011). I have to admit, it concerns me too. We are not huge shoppers, but if you do want a nice pair of shoes for example...I don't want to drive an hour to get them.
He also mentioned there is an airport, but its really small and a plane flies you to other airports to get you where you need to go.....hmmm? Doesn't sound like life is terribly convenient there....
I am also concerned about hurricanes since here in Chicago we just deal with freezing our butts off...I would like to know more about what to expect weather wise.....sunny? I would love to have a vegetable garden for more than the 3-4 mos. we get here in Illinois.
Is Greenville the kind of place that people that have no affiliation with the University or hospital can thrive....? or is it just a place to exist?
Not bashing Greenville....but with such limited time I would love some really honest, open thoughts from 40-50 year olds that are transplants.......we are really in a quick pickle!
If your choice is Greenvile vs. Unemployment (and possible financial ruin) then I'd pick Greenville. Otherwise, I'd skip it. There is literally NONE of the amenities of a major metro area (cultural, shopping, fine dining, etc.). The constant refrain of "Raleigh is only 90 minutes away" is very cold comfort. The day to day living is quite rural (or country or provincial) despite the fact that you are living in a city of 80k+ people. If you've always lived in/near a big city, it will be quite an adjustment.
Isn't Chicago like the third largest city in the US? Greenville is no comparison. If you enjoy where you're at now, Greenville is sure to be a let down. That said, it's not the sticks either. Thigh shopping is limited to major national chains/big box stores. You are about 1.5 hours from Raleigh. Hurricans typically have been of little issue to Greenville. Some may brin up FLoyd in 99, ut that was the exception, not the rule. Greenville has even caught less of the bad (by NC standards) winter weather that hit NC over the past week.
US 264 is better than some interstates, and the speed limit is 70mph along the whole stretch. You are less than hour from I-95. US 17 will shoot you up to Norfolk/VA beach area. If you have kids or are planning to have kids Greenville has alot to offer families. As a young couple it has less to offer, if as said before, you are used to big city amenities. If you are a nature type (fish, hunt, hike, boat) the area offers alot of that. Warm weather is typically April through October and an average winter has around 50 degree highs, though we haven't had an average winter for two years.
Greenville has several boutique type stores...it's a small city but there is some higher end retail in Arlington Village. I know it is cliche, but if you can find really fancy stuff in Raleigh and that isn't that far away.
Greenville will never offer the cultural amenities of a Chicago, or even a mid-sized city, but is a good place to raise kids, especially if they are into sports.
There isn't a huge threat of hurricanes in Greenville, and there are at least 4 really nice boutiques in Arlington Village (Whimsy, The Monkees, Pizazz! and a few others whose names I can not think of off the top of my head), 2 really nice ones in Little Washington (Whimsy and Charisma), so finding an expensive pair of shoes shouldn't be an issue. I don't find G-Vegas to be rural, Bethel is rural, Rocky Mount could be considered rural, but calling Greenville, or even Winterville rural is a LARGE stretch. Raleigh is a straight shot, and a really easy drive. I'm not saying you have to go to Raleigh every weekend to enjoy your life, but it is a nice day trip. I'm a transplant (not 40-50, but my parents are in that range) and they love it here too. But coming from such a large city it is going to be an adjustment, no doubt.
Hello, my two cents: Me? 40 years old, transplant from the North, single, have lived in PA, FL, NJ, CT and overseas. Why did I move to Greenville? To work for my current employer at my mentor's suggestion. Am on my fifth year in town...still adore my boss...have stayed because of her and a relationship and a few other factors. My girlfriend has moved out of town...I am selectively job searching...will stay if the right doors do not open, but would not be sad to go...except for some very special people I have met here.
Pros for the area: ECU, the hospital, Greenville Park and Rec, youth sports, some great families/people in town, lots of gyms, some parts of town are really pretty, ECU's campus is gorgeous, some cool restaurants/businesses in town, active runners and cyclists group, some very dedicated people who love this area.
Cons for the area: Raleigh really is an hour and a half away...(3 hours round trip for expanded shopping, pro sports, etc.)...Atlantic beach really is an hour and half away...(ditto on the 3 hours round trip), traffic is bad (small roads, fewer options), too many chain restaurants, the mall is tiny, downtown is basically clubs catering to the college kids - a few nice restaurants and stores - the municipalities - and rundown shops that boggle the mind they stay open. For a town this size, the crime feels excessive. From an outsider's perspective, the town is very much split between East and West Greenville, with West Greenville being the "poor" area with higher crime. Also, a certain topic gets brought up regularly when discussing crime...and it gets old. I never had allergies till I moved here...and they are horrible since arriving. And, the politics of the town, school board, etc. seem to be holding the entire place from reaching its full potential.
Like any thing, any place - you can see the good and/or the bad. I have found my respite in my work, my circle of friends, youth sports, etc. But, do I miss getting on the North Broad Street line and taking the subway into downtown Philly? Yes! Do I miss being able to shop in a "real" downtown where I can walk for many city blocks? Yes! I could go on...and you get the idea.
Again, I would not say I am miserable, but would I say I have enjoyed living here like I enjoyed Philly or Tampa or Miami...no, sorry. Apples to oranges...
Here is my take. I grew up in eastern NC and lived in Greenville from 2001-2008 before moving to Indianapolis.
It will be a serious culture shock moving from Chicago to Greenville. Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the country while Greenville is not even in the top 5 for North Carolina. There is no comparing the number of things to do in each city.
Your husband's impressions of the area are pretty spot on. The university and the hospital are the major employers, and anything really "to do" in Greenville will be tied to ECU, whether it's a sporting event, play etc. Greenville actually had two malls for a long period of time, and one was torn down to make a Fresh Market and a Kohl's (HUGE deal for a town like Greenville) so the one remaining is pretty small--one story with limited number of stores.
I remember Greenville was pretty excited when they landed an Olive Garden and an Old Navy a few years ago--for reference, how many of each of those can you choose to go to from where you live now? Greenville has one Target and just in Indianapolis there are at least 5 different Targets that I can choose to go to.
There are no higher-end stores in Greenville. People mention boutiques and such, but for true high-end shopping like Nordstrom, Saks, or designer stores (Lacoste, Prada, Louis Vuitton, etc.), you have to go to Raleigh or beyond.
US-264 is a pretty good sized highway and honestly could be an interstate in how it is set up. Two lanes each way and controlled access (read: no lights) between the city limits of Greenville and Raleigh. As posted above about 40 minutes out of town you intersect with I-95. Getting places by car from Greenville is no problem whatsoever.
However, you are right that Greenville's airport is pretty small, I think there are like two gates. The runway is too small for jets to land, so schools who fly into town to play ECU often have to fly 30 miles away to Kinston. You can fly anywhere as long as you don't mind stopping by to say hello to Charlotte Douglas airport first .
I wouldn't worry as much with the hurricanes (easy for me to say, I know) but I'd rather deal with hurricane season than all the snow the Midwest gets. The climate is milder with winters usually getting into the 30's during the day at the lowest. Snowfall used to be rare, but the past two winters in Greenville seem to have produced more snow than when I was there. Occasionally in the winter there would be warmer days even up to 60 I remember in January. Also, the sun actually does come out in the winter unlike the midwest which is grey from November to early March. I miss seeing grass, even if it is brown.
The biggest questions would be how much of an improvement would his work be, in terms of job satisfaction and salary? Salary may not be a huge deal as your money will go a whole lot farther in Greenville than in Chicago, that's for sure, even if there is no raise.
Also, where is your family located? If they are closer to Chicago that may be a factor. Like I said Greenville isn't a huge deal if the places out of town you want to go are within driving distance, but flying can be a pain as the options are having to take a small commuter jet to connect at Charlotte or to drive to Raleigh to get direct flights.
I grew up in a town smaller than Greenville, so actually when I was younger Greenville was the place to go to do anything (funny in retrospect)! After living in a city the size of Indianapolis, which is yet a good amount smaller than Chicago, I can't imagine living in a city that small again.
Good luck with the decision! Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions.
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