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Renting an Apartment in Greenville
What You Should Know
Greenville, one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. State of North
Carolina, is the county seat of Pitt County, and is the principal city of the
Greenville, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is situated on the
Tar River. American Demographics Magazine projects the city will be ranked among
the top 10 places in America for growth rate of both population and employment
over the next twenty years. Greenville is known as the cultural, economical, and
educational hub of North Carolina's Inner Banks. The city boasts a vibrant
business community and is consistently ranked among the top places nationally to
live, work, study and play. In 2004, Greenville was named Sportstown USA for the
state of North Carolina by Sports Illustrated and the National Parks &
Recreation Association. The city is also known as "Pro Town USA", as it is home
for many top professional BMX riders, such as Dave Mirra, Ryan Nyquist, Ryan
Guettler, Mike Laird, and Josh Harrington.
The city has a total population of over 75,000 residents. The Greenville Metro
Area includes approximately 207,000 residents. It is the home of East Carolina
University and University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, which includes
Pitt County Memorial Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in North Carolina.
Greenville is also the birthplace of the Atlanta Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler,
CHIC bass player and producer the late Bernard Edwards, Rapper Petey Pablo, rock
band Valient Thorr, PGA Tour Golf Player Will MacKenzie, world famous Jazz
pianist, composer, teacher and lecturer Billy Taylor, and the Hardee's American
fast-food restaurant chain.
Geography
Greenville is located at 35°36′6″N, 77°22′21″W (35.601613, -77.372366)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.0
km˛ (26.3 mi˛). 66.3 km˛ (25.6 mi˛) of it is land and 1.8 km˛ (0.7 mi˛) of it
(2.59%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2006, there are 206,976 residents in the Greenville MSA,
130,204 households, and 110,997 residents residing within five miles of the city
limit. The population density was 912.8/km˛ (2,364.6/mi˛). There are 130,204
housing units at an average density of 424.8/km˛ (1,100.4/mi˛). The racial
makeup of the city is 60.20% White, 32.14% African American, 0.80% Native
American, 1.82% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.29%
from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.06% of the
population.
There were 25,204 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 52.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all
households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was
65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average
family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 28.7%
from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there
were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,648, and the median income
for a family was $44,491. Males had a median income of $31,847 versus $26,324
for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,476. About 15.6% of
families and 26.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including
24.1% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
Greenville serves as a regional entertainment hub for all of Eastern North
Carolina. The area boasts a vast array of local and national-chain restaurants
catering to a variety of tastes from down-home favorites to gourmet specialties.
Several restaurants within the city have been recognized nationally for their
barbecue and superior wine selection.
Culture permeates on and off the East Carolina University campus. East Carolina
University offers musical concerts, theatrical and dance productions, travel
films, and lectures. Antique stores are scattered throughout the county and
offer a number of unique treasures. Also, local art galleries feature major art
collections, traveling exhibits, and the work of local and regional artists.
County-wide festivals round out the calendar, celebrating everything from
collards to watermelons. Entertainment can also be found at the Spazzatorium
Galleria!, a community center featuring art and music from local and national
acts, and other music venues and clubs such as the new and popular Silver
Bullet.
Athletics predominate the area. Football dominates the ECU athletic scene([1]).
Greenville is also home to the Eastern Regional High School Football and
Basketball Tournament, NC Senior Games, and hosted the Babe Ruth World Series
Girl’s Softball Tournament in the Summer of 2002.
Numerous restaurants and nightclubs offer live entertainment in the evenings on
the weekends and Uptown Greenville has a district that includes numerous venue
options. Freeboot Friday in the fall and Sunday in the Park offer great
opportunities to enjoy friends and family and the seasons. The downtown area is
known on the national level for its annual large Halloween street party and live
music bars.
Theater is beginning to emerge in Greenville as well. Local groups such as the
Greenville Theater Project (http://www.greenvilletheaterproject.com) and the
Magnolia Arts Center (http://www.magnoliaartscenter.com) offer creative outlets
for both performers and audiences alike. Smiles and Frowns Playhouse (http://www.smilesandfrowns.net)
will celebrate its twentieth year of producing premier children's theatre in
November 2006. Additionally, student groups such as SWASH Improv (http://www.swashimprov.com)
offer entertainment at the university and local establishments.
City Life
Greenville is a city that attracts many people as it has become a major center
of employment, entertainment, and living within North Carolina. The city's
population has experienced a major growth boon since the 1990s. New restaurants,
hotels, strip malls have all been introduced within the city over the past five
years. Hundreds of new housing subdivisions (housing developments) have been
built in Greenville in the last couple of years such as: Camelot, South Hall,
Paramore, Sheffield, White Oaks, Irish Creek, Cedar Ridge, and many more.
Shopping
Greenville is the regional shopping destination for much of a 12 county
surrounding area. Numerous options offer shoppers variety in price, selection,
and style, and range from consignment shops to boutiques, malls to commercial
strips, and galleries to showrooms. Many big-box retailers and specialty shops
have located in Greenville over the past decade. Colonial Mall Greenville
(formerly Pitt Plaza Mall) is the city's enclosed center, featuring over 60
shops anchored by Belk, JC Penney and Steve & Barry's University Sportswear.
Other large centers include University Commons, Lynncroft and Arlington Village,
the later which features many local shops and boutiques as well as national
chains. A new development called 11 Galleria, on the site of the former Carolina
East Mall, being developed by BrodyCo will feature a number of big-box retailers
as well as incorporating the Sears store once part of Carolina East Mall. The
start of the demolition began in January 2007.
Health Care
The health care community in Greenville is one of the largest in the state of
North Carolina. Pitt County Memorial Hospital is one of four academic medical
centers in North Carolina. It serves as the teaching hospital for the adjacent
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. The hospital hosts over
1700 licensed medical providers and serves over 1.2 million residents of the
region. Many medical offices and clinics along with the hospital and university
teaching facilities lie on Greenville's west side, comprising what is locally
known as the Medical District. Currently the East Carolina Cardiovascular
Institute is under construction and will add 250 jobs at the hospital along with
a state-of-the-art six floor medical center.
Educational institutions
* East Carolina University
* Pitt Community College
Transportation
Greenville is centrally situated within Eastern North Carolina. Several major
U.S. and state highways converge in the area to provide easy access to the
interstate highway system. A 42-mile six to eight lane beltway highway system
around the city is expected to be completed by 2016. Greenville is North
Carolina's biggest city without a major interstate; however, Interstate 95 is
located 34 miles to the west of the city. Two of the nation's most extensive and
financially healthy railroads intersect in Greenville. Greenville is the most
backed up Eastern Carolina city due to it being the hub city the traffic volume
of the city during the afternoon rush hours is believed to exceed over 260,000.
Some of the city's busiest streets during rush hour are: Memorial Drive,
Arlington Boulevard, Greenville Boulevard, Stantonburg Road, East 10th Street,
Charles Boulevard, Evans Street, Greene Street, 14th Street, Fire Tower Road,
West 5th Street, and Dickinson Avenue.
Greenville is close to these destinations:
* 15 minutes to Washington, North Carolina
* 40 minutes to New Bern, North Carolina
* 45 minutes to Rocky Mount, North Carolina
* 1 hour to Raleigh, North Carolina
* 1.5 hours to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
* 2 hours to Fayetteville, North Carolina
* 2 hours to Wilmington, North Carolina
* 2 hours to Virginia Beach, Virginia
* 2 hours to Cape Hatteras National Seashore
* 2.5 hours to Richmond, Virginia
* 2.5 hours to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
* 4 hours to Washington, DC
* 4.5 hours to Charlotte, North Carolina
* 5 hours to Charleston, South Carolina
* 7 hours to Atlanta, Georgia
* 8 hours to New York, New York
Air service is available through Pitt-Greenville Airport with scheduled flights
daily to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport via USAirways.
The City of Greenville operates a mass transit bus system, Greenville Area Rapid
Transit or GREAT.
The City of Greenville has one of the largest greenway systems in the
MidAtlantic. This network of sidwalks, gravel, and paved trails are used for
walking, biking, and jogging. The greenway connects neighborhoods to
recreational areas and parks within the city.
The North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP) is located approximately 30 minutes
south of Greenville at the Kinston Regional Jetport (ISO) in Kinston. Delta Air
Lines and Allegiant Airlines offer scheduled service to Atlanta and Orlando,
respectively. The TransPark is a combined airport-industrial complex developed
by the State in Lenoir County. The runway has been extended to 11,500 feet and a
new 120,000 sf building is fully leased. Further construction is expected in the
near future.
Designed to attract industry and bring increased economic opportunities to the
citizens of Eastern North Carolina and beyond, the GTP features more than 2,400
acres available for immediate development, an on-site Education & Training
Center, and daily non-stop jet service to and from Atlanta with ASA Delta
Connection.
In May of 1996, the Global TransPark was designated as Foreign Trade Zone 214.
The designation means companies can export and import products through the
TransPark without many of the usual customs restrictions and tariffs.
Media
Newspapers
The Daily Reflector serves as the main daily newspaper and is Greenville's
oldest business. Founded in 1882 by brothers Julian R. and David Jordan
Whichard, the newspaper began as a weekly publication knowns as The Eastern
Reflector. The Daily Reflector joined the Cox Newspapers Inc. family in 1996.
Her and mixer are free monthly magazines produced by The Daily Reflector. Her —
as the name implies — is a magazine for women. mixer — written with a lowercase
"m" — focuses on the college-age, 18 to 35-year old population with local music,
night spots and events for the same area. Other newspapers that serve the city
include: The Greenville Times; The East Carolinian, the student newspaper of
East Carolina University; Pieces of Eight, produced by East Carolina University
staff; The Minority Voice; and Viva Greenville.
Viva Greenville is the first community Hispanic newspaper in East Carolina. It
distributes 5,000 free copies in more than 100 locations in Pitt, Beaufort,
Greene, Wilson and Lenoir counties. The publication provides a resource to
individuals, families and organizations to meet crucial needs, such as local
news and events, along with information about healthcare, education and social
activities in Spanish as the Greenville area has experienced a 800% increase
since 2000 in the number of Hispanics that have located to the city and
throughout East Carolina.
Basic Apartment Information
An apartment (or flat in Britain and most other Commonwealth countries) is a
self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Apartments
may be owned (by an owner-occupier) or rented (by tenants).
Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments, either as co-ops, in which the
residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or development; or
in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments and share ownership of the
public spaces. Most apartments are in buildings designed for the purpose, but
large older houses are sometimes divided into apartments. The word apartment
connotes a residential unit or section in a building. Apartment building owners,
lessors, or managers often use the more general word units to refer to
apartments. Units can be used to refer to rental business suites as well as
residential apartments. When there is no tenant occupying an apartment, the
lessor is said to have a vacancy. For apartment lessors, each vacancy represents
a loss of income from rent-paying tenants for the time the apartment is vacant
(i.e., unoccupied). Lessors' objectives are often to minimize the vacancy rate
for their units. The owner of the apartment typically transfers possession to
the occupant by giving him/her the key to the apartment entrance door and any
other keys need to live there, such as a common key to the building or any other
common areas, and an individual unit mailbox key. When the occupant move out,
these keys should typically be returned to the owner.
Apartments can be classified into several types. Studio, efficiency, bed-sit, or
bachelor apartments tend to be the smallest apartments with the cheapest rents
in a given area. These kinds of apartment usually consist mainly of a large room
which is the living, dining, and bedroom combined. There are usually kitchen
facilities as part of this central room, but the bathroom is its own smaller
separate room. Moving up from the efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments where
one bedroom is a separate room from the rest of the apartment. Then there are
two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments. Small apartments often have only
one entrance/exit. Large apartments often have two entrances/exits, perhaps a
door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the building design, the
entrance/exit doors may be directly to the outside or to a common area inside,
such as a hallway. Depending on location, apartments may be available for rent
furnished with furniture or unfurnished into which a tenant usually moves in
with his/her own furniture. Permanent carpeting is often included in an
apartment.
Laundry facilities are usually kept in a separate area accessible to all the
tenants in the building. Depending on when the building was built and the design
of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and electric may be common
for all the apartments in the building or separate for each apartment and billed
separately to each tenant (however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal
to split a water bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the
premises). Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in
apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always billed
separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar amenities are
extra also. Parking space, air conditioner, and extra storage space may or may
not be included with an apartment. Rental leases often limit the maximum number
of people who can reside in each apartment. On or around the ground floor of the
apartment building, a series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location
accessible to the public and, thus, to the letter-carrier too. Every unit
typically gets its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large
apartment buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and
provide mail-sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location
accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a doorbell) for
each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such as two- or
three-flats, or even four-flats, garbage is often disposed of in trash
containers similar to those used at houses. In larger buildings, garbage is
often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster. For cleanliness or minimizing
noise, many lessors will place restrictions on tenants regarding keeping pets in
an apartment.
In some parts of the world, the word apartment is used generally to refer to a
new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a building, whereas the
word flat means a converted self-contained unit in an older building. An
industrial, warehouse, or commercial space converted to an apartment is commonly
called a loft.
When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's family
member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny flat, though
these (sometimes illegally) created units are often occupied by ordinary renters
rather than family members. In Canada these suites are commonly located in the
basements of houses and are therefore normally called basement suites.
Staying in privately owned apartments rather than in a hotel is quickly becoming
popular with travelers.
Some Things to Consider When Looking for an Apartment...
When searching for a new apartment make sure to take your time to think
through what are the most important things to you in an apartment and plan your
search based on those priorities. Here are some things to consider when planning
your move:
1. Consider the areas where you would like to live
* What is the crime rate?
* If you have children - what rating does the local school system have?
* Is there area convenient shopping, health and recreation services in the area?
2. Make a list of your housing priorities
* Do you have pets?
* Do you need parking?
* Do you need to be on the ground floor?
* What amenities are important to you - swimming pool, fitness room, in unit
laundry?
3. Evaluate the building
* What is the condition of the unit and building?
* Are the grounds maintained?
* Are windows, steps, and railings in good condition?
* View the property at night. Is it safe and well lit?
4. The security of the property
* Are there security service? When is the guard on duty?
* Does the building have controlled access?
* Does each unit have secure door and window locks?
5. Talk to the neighbors
* Ask other residents whether they are satisfied with the building.
6. Amenities
* Who is allowed to use the amenities?
* When are they open?
* Are the fees charged to use those facilities included in rent?
7. Ask about Utilities
* Does the owner or tenant pay the utility bills?
* Are any utilities included with monthly rent?
* Do units have separate thermostats to control heat and air conditioning?
8. Review the lease
* How much notice must you give before moving out?
* Can the rent be increased? If so, by how much and how often?
* Are pets allowed?
* What is the security deposit and cleaning costs upon move out?
* What is the responsibility of tenants for damage to property?
* Is there a penalty for breaking a lease?
9. Information too bring to a lease signing
* Credit Report
* Pay stubs/tax returns
* Reference
* Application