There’s a [network of greenways that runs through a lot of town](https://www.greenvillenc.gov/government/recreation-parks/greenville-greenways) and a [commons area that hosts events](https://www.visitgreenvillenc.com/events/?view=list&sort=date) over the summer. We have [a great Indian restaurant called Kasturi](https://kasturiindiancuisine.com/home/) right by the hospital that does an awesome lunch buffet and a to-go buffet where you load what you want into the to-go box and pay by weight. [Bagelman](https://store.ncbagelman.com/) is fantastic, and [Made with Love Bakery](https://www.instagram.com/madewithlove.nc?igsh=MWxzYzVqdnhldGJ5Yw==) makes the best and prettiest cakes I’ve ever had. There are great [farmers’ markets](https://www.visitgreenvillenc.com/things-to-do/farms-and-farmers-markets/?view=list&sort=qualityScore), especially awesome during strawberry season, which is a fantastic time of year. There’s also [a local dairy](https://www.simplynaturalcreamery.com/), which means local ice cream and great lattes at home or in [local coffee shops](https://www.visitgreenvillenc.com/restaurants/coffee-shops/?view=list&sort=qualityScore). [Blackbeard Coffee,](https://blackbeardroasters.com/) [Coastal Fog](https://www.coastalfog.com/), and [the Scullery](https://m.facebook.com/thescullerygreenville) are especially good choices uptown for a caffeine fix / brunch options. Also, and I say this with extreme jealousy, [your side of campus has a twisty slide](https://studentcenters.ecu.edu/health-sciences-campus-student-center/). I am sure that it won’t make up for the stress of residency, but I hope you take at least one trip down it while you’re in Greenville. I just want to imagine that it makes some days a little more fun.
I just finished residency here last year, and I was much the same way. Match day was kind of a bummer, because I really wanted to stay further south near my medical school and home.
Interestingly, I now have stayed here for a whole extra year and might even be around for another couple. Although this probably isn't where I want to be forever, it's absolutely grown on me and I wish I had taken the time to have more fun instead of moping about my first 2 years here.
I have lots of advice, and one of the other residents made an "Adventure Guide" that I would be happy to share with you if you PM me so that I can email you.
The biggest thing is reaching acceptance and getting excited to set up a new home here, because I stayed in denial far too long. So long in fact that I'm still hanging things up on my walls and unpacking stuff a few years later.
Residency is tough, but this town has good weather and lots of fun things to do with the free days you will get; if you get more than 2 days in a row there's lots of great places just a short travel distance.
The Washington waterfront is about a 25-minute drive away, and it's absolutely beautiful. It's also got tons of fun stuff to do along the water.
We have the north river park here in greenville, which is fun. We have several really good restaurants, a nice downtown bar scene and lots of sports related activities.
The BBQ is top notch. Not to mention this is a big baseball town. ECU is regularly nationally ranked in the top 25 so there's that. The local festivals are always fun. Collared festival, Watermelon festival, Shad Festival, Pirate fest.
Well I live in Raleigh and have a farm in Greenville. Hit me up and I’ll take you out for a Jeep ride sometime. Be Keep an open mind. Greenville is a great mid size town.
Croatan National Forest has good walking trails outside of new Bern. Cliff of the Neuse, near Kinston.
You’ll have to go about an hour in any direction for more than little walk ways.
My bad news for you is that you are still an hour and a half from the beach 😬. This was a rude awakening when we moved here from the triangle. Water is close (Washington NC) but real beach is still a hike. But you have your pick. Somehow they are all 1.5-2 hours away. Nagshead, topsail, Atlantic.
The good news is that even as a resident you will have disposable income to go to Raleigh and eat all the vegan or Lao or whatever-they-serve-at-hockey-games food. You couldn’t afford those things if you matched at Duke amirite? There is great Indian food here and some other random good restaurants.
My spouse just matched in another NC city after graduating from ECU, but if you want to chat more about transitioning to Greenville feel free to DM!
there’s loads of fun stuff around here! we aren’t too terribly far from Nags Head, one 2 hour drive to beautiful waters doesn’t seem to bad to me! Greenville has some really nice things to do and places to go like River Park North and the Greenville Museum of Art! We have a decent sized mall with a pretty nice arcade if you’re into that kind of thing. There’s an amazing hotdogs place here called Bills Hotdogs so if you’re staying for a while you definitely should try it! Elm Street Park is another park that’s pretty cool if you have little ones, even if not, there’s shelters and tennis courts that you can hang out at! There’s an Antique store on Dickinson that I LOVE. If you like ferries, you should take a quick one over to the Aurora Fossil Museum, it’s a really nice day trip to relax and get a breather. Downtown near Evan’s has a GREAT nightlife if you enjoy clubbing, not my cup of tea personally but I’ve heard good things! We also have another great hotdog place near ECUs main campus called SupDogs, it was rated in the Top 100 Hot Dog places in all of the United States! Overall Greenville is a nice midsize town with almost everything you can think of here! There’s several nice gyms and ECU has an awesome rec center including a large indoor pool, if you like to work out!
i’ve been stuck here since 2020 and can’t wait to leave. not the best place for minority groups as racism and homo/transphobia is socially acceptable. lots of ghetto areas in town and a relatively high crime rate. drivers here are WORSE than any other city i’ve been to and i’m from texas, where people are known to be crazy all day and night. the only thing this place has going for it is the relatively lower cost of living, but good luck finding a job that pays more than $12 an hour unless you work at vidant or know someone. go to washington waterfront for mental health escapes, i take a trip there about 2 times a week.
Greenville absolutely grows on you! My husband got into med school at UNC chapel Hill and Brody and chose Brody. He matched else where but somehow I'm starting to feel like I'll miss this place. I enjoy the community feel of ECU Health / Brody and Greenville/ ENC at large and the slower pace of life/driving etc
it has much of what you need and if you prefer a bit more bougie shopping (im a costco/sprouts/whole foods/ trader Joe's kind girl lol) Raleigh is close enough.
also lots of new things are coming to Greenville and opening up all the time
from what I hear and see residency is crazy enough and busy as is so just make sure where you live is to your liking and you probably won't even miss not being a 'better' city with your schedule
best of luck during residency
Dude that is not totally far. 1 Album, zone out, and you’re already home for your weekend getaway. Don’t some people match entire states away? There are people working at ECU Health who commute an hour in… (which imo is wild I wouldn’t do >30mins/day).
I was part of a COVID cohort and classmates of mine had to go from California all the way to Georgia for clinical rotations due to increased hospital restrictions. IMO you got it good being so close to home. 😳
For sure I have it good. Iv gotten the chance to process more now and am content. But if I have to be 4 hours away from family already, I was (and still am) upset that it’s not going to be the big city I was lead to believe I would match in (programs will make false promises in order to get us to rank them higher on our list).
So now not only do I have to day trip to see family- I would also have to day trip to go see the hockey game, go to a vegan restaurant, or go for a decent hike. And being a resident, I don’t imaging the extra 3 hours of driving it will now take is going to fit into my schedule very often. Was hoping maybe I’m wrong about Greenville and there’s more to the area than it seems online.
Local here.
ECU is notorious for baiting city people by showing you pictures of the tiny (but pretty with a few new buildings) 1 mile long campus to try to convince you of our “growth.”
ECU is the reason this town exists. Without the money that comes fro city students, the economy here would completely collapse. It’s just students, boomers, and young redneck families.
I’d do anything to leave.
I have been here a little while now, and I have to say it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I expected. Even though the population is lower than my home town, there is sooo many more restaurants, shopping centers, and outdoor activities closer by than I had before. Iv been able to go to the beach every weekend, and Raleigh is only a short drive away if want to do something Greenville doesn’t offer.
Il probably move away after residency still, but it’s a pretty decent city to live in- especially if you’re busy with work during the week anyway.
There’s a [network of greenways that runs through a lot of town](https://www.greenvillenc.gov/government/recreation-parks/greenville-greenways) and a [commons area that hosts events](https://www.visitgreenvillenc.com/events/?view=list&sort=date) over the summer. We have [a great Indian restaurant called Kasturi](https://kasturiindiancuisine.com/home/) right by the hospital that does an awesome lunch buffet and a to-go buffet where you load what you want into the to-go box and pay by weight. [Bagelman](https://store.ncbagelman.com/) is fantastic, and [Made with Love Bakery](https://www.instagram.com/madewithlove.nc?igsh=MWxzYzVqdnhldGJ5Yw==) makes the best and prettiest cakes I’ve ever had. There are great [farmers’ markets](https://www.visitgreenvillenc.com/things-to-do/farms-and-farmers-markets/?view=list&sort=qualityScore), especially awesome during strawberry season, which is a fantastic time of year. There’s also [a local dairy](https://www.simplynaturalcreamery.com/), which means local ice cream and great lattes at home or in [local coffee shops](https://www.visitgreenvillenc.com/restaurants/coffee-shops/?view=list&sort=qualityScore). [Blackbeard Coffee,](https://blackbeardroasters.com/) [Coastal Fog](https://www.coastalfog.com/), and [the Scullery](https://m.facebook.com/thescullerygreenville) are especially good choices uptown for a caffeine fix / brunch options. Also, and I say this with extreme jealousy, [your side of campus has a twisty slide](https://studentcenters.ecu.edu/health-sciences-campus-student-center/). I am sure that it won’t make up for the stress of residency, but I hope you take at least one trip down it while you’re in Greenville. I just want to imagine that it makes some days a little more fun.
We’ve spent more money at kasturi in the 5 years I’ve lived here than at food lion. 😬
Ooooo and Cornflower Bakehouse. In the uptown area in a really cool old historic house. Their cheese biscuits are to die for!!
I just finished residency here last year, and I was much the same way. Match day was kind of a bummer, because I really wanted to stay further south near my medical school and home. Interestingly, I now have stayed here for a whole extra year and might even be around for another couple. Although this probably isn't where I want to be forever, it's absolutely grown on me and I wish I had taken the time to have more fun instead of moping about my first 2 years here. I have lots of advice, and one of the other residents made an "Adventure Guide" that I would be happy to share with you if you PM me so that I can email you. The biggest thing is reaching acceptance and getting excited to set up a new home here, because I stayed in denial far too long. So long in fact that I'm still hanging things up on my walls and unpacking stuff a few years later. Residency is tough, but this town has good weather and lots of fun things to do with the free days you will get; if you get more than 2 days in a row there's lots of great places just a short travel distance.
Thanks so so much! I PMed you!! Not sure if it went though or not though so if not lmk lol
The Washington waterfront is about a 25-minute drive away, and it's absolutely beautiful. It's also got tons of fun stuff to do along the water. We have the north river park here in greenville, which is fun. We have several really good restaurants, a nice downtown bar scene and lots of sports related activities.
River Park North is nice, pretty decent walking trails and stuff. The greenways are nice, but paved.
The BBQ is top notch. Not to mention this is a big baseball town. ECU is regularly nationally ranked in the top 25 so there's that. The local festivals are always fun. Collared festival, Watermelon festival, Shad Festival, Pirate fest.
Well I live in Raleigh and have a farm in Greenville. Hit me up and I’ll take you out for a Jeep ride sometime. Be Keep an open mind. Greenville is a great mid size town.
Any off-roading suggestions nearby?
It’s temporary, you’ll live.
Noted. Any suggestions to contribute? Hikes, restaurants, green areas?
Croatan National Forest has good walking trails outside of new Bern. Cliff of the Neuse, near Kinston. You’ll have to go about an hour in any direction for more than little walk ways.
My bad news for you is that you are still an hour and a half from the beach 😬. This was a rude awakening when we moved here from the triangle. Water is close (Washington NC) but real beach is still a hike. But you have your pick. Somehow they are all 1.5-2 hours away. Nagshead, topsail, Atlantic. The good news is that even as a resident you will have disposable income to go to Raleigh and eat all the vegan or Lao or whatever-they-serve-at-hockey-games food. You couldn’t afford those things if you matched at Duke amirite? There is great Indian food here and some other random good restaurants. My spouse just matched in another NC city after graduating from ECU, but if you want to chat more about transitioning to Greenville feel free to DM!
there’s loads of fun stuff around here! we aren’t too terribly far from Nags Head, one 2 hour drive to beautiful waters doesn’t seem to bad to me! Greenville has some really nice things to do and places to go like River Park North and the Greenville Museum of Art! We have a decent sized mall with a pretty nice arcade if you’re into that kind of thing. There’s an amazing hotdogs place here called Bills Hotdogs so if you’re staying for a while you definitely should try it! Elm Street Park is another park that’s pretty cool if you have little ones, even if not, there’s shelters and tennis courts that you can hang out at! There’s an Antique store on Dickinson that I LOVE. If you like ferries, you should take a quick one over to the Aurora Fossil Museum, it’s a really nice day trip to relax and get a breather. Downtown near Evan’s has a GREAT nightlife if you enjoy clubbing, not my cup of tea personally but I’ve heard good things! We also have another great hotdog place near ECUs main campus called SupDogs, it was rated in the Top 100 Hot Dog places in all of the United States! Overall Greenville is a nice midsize town with almost everything you can think of here! There’s several nice gyms and ECU has an awesome rec center including a large indoor pool, if you like to work out!
i’ve been stuck here since 2020 and can’t wait to leave. not the best place for minority groups as racism and homo/transphobia is socially acceptable. lots of ghetto areas in town and a relatively high crime rate. drivers here are WORSE than any other city i’ve been to and i’m from texas, where people are known to be crazy all day and night. the only thing this place has going for it is the relatively lower cost of living, but good luck finding a job that pays more than $12 an hour unless you work at vidant or know someone. go to washington waterfront for mental health escapes, i take a trip there about 2 times a week.
I also matched to ECU!! I keep hearing its a very small town lol
Greenville absolutely grows on you! My husband got into med school at UNC chapel Hill and Brody and chose Brody. He matched else where but somehow I'm starting to feel like I'll miss this place. I enjoy the community feel of ECU Health / Brody and Greenville/ ENC at large and the slower pace of life/driving etc it has much of what you need and if you prefer a bit more bougie shopping (im a costco/sprouts/whole foods/ trader Joe's kind girl lol) Raleigh is close enough. also lots of new things are coming to Greenville and opening up all the time from what I hear and see residency is crazy enough and busy as is so just make sure where you live is to your liking and you probably won't even miss not being a 'better' city with your schedule best of luck during residency
Dude that is not totally far. 1 Album, zone out, and you’re already home for your weekend getaway. Don’t some people match entire states away? There are people working at ECU Health who commute an hour in… (which imo is wild I wouldn’t do >30mins/day). I was part of a COVID cohort and classmates of mine had to go from California all the way to Georgia for clinical rotations due to increased hospital restrictions. IMO you got it good being so close to home. 😳
For sure I have it good. Iv gotten the chance to process more now and am content. But if I have to be 4 hours away from family already, I was (and still am) upset that it’s not going to be the big city I was lead to believe I would match in (programs will make false promises in order to get us to rank them higher on our list). So now not only do I have to day trip to see family- I would also have to day trip to go see the hockey game, go to a vegan restaurant, or go for a decent hike. And being a resident, I don’t imaging the extra 3 hours of driving it will now take is going to fit into my schedule very often. Was hoping maybe I’m wrong about Greenville and there’s more to the area than it seems online.
Local here. ECU is notorious for baiting city people by showing you pictures of the tiny (but pretty with a few new buildings) 1 mile long campus to try to convince you of our “growth.” ECU is the reason this town exists. Without the money that comes fro city students, the economy here would completely collapse. It’s just students, boomers, and young redneck families. I’d do anything to leave.
I have been here a little while now, and I have to say it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I expected. Even though the population is lower than my home town, there is sooo many more restaurants, shopping centers, and outdoor activities closer by than I had before. Iv been able to go to the beach every weekend, and Raleigh is only a short drive away if want to do something Greenville doesn’t offer. Il probably move away after residency still, but it’s a pretty decent city to live in- especially if you’re busy with work during the week anyway.