Greensboro, NC

[katanianQ]

Any info on Greensboro, NC would be very greatly appreciated.. I'd be coming from NYC so any info about food, cost of living, social life, safe/unsafe areas would be wonderful..

[Psych]

I'm interested in this as well as the area of Winston-Salem, NC

[greekthunder76]

I've lived in winston my whole life. I can tell you that it is a really boring place to live. If you like smaller town living then it would be great for you. The city is full of upper middle class snobs and their kids who are way too bored and unnapreciative of their lives, so they go around vandalizing people's property for no reason. Also, a good amount of these bored kids are heavily into drugs and some deal. In my neighborhood (what is considered an upper middle-class, very safe, neighborhood) I know of 2 kids that were dealing. One is currently on house arrest and one has stopped. There are a ton of places to eat in the city, and that's about it for entertainment. Nightlife is pretty much non-existant.

Greensboro is a little better than winston, it has a much better nightlife and the drive to the raleigh/durham/chapel hill area is not bad at all.

[katanianQ]

thanks, greekthunder... btw are you greek or is the username a fraternal thing?

I am of greek descent and while I know there's a greek orthodox church in Greensboro, I was unable to find anything out about the local greek community, food stores, etc.. any info would be very much appreciated...

[greekthunder76]

haha, yeah everyone thinks its a fraternity thing, I am Greek. I'm not too sure about the greek community in greensboro, but I know the church and community in winston is great. I've been going to that church as long as I can remember and the priest is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.

[katanianQ]

I was surprised to find out that there was a church in greensboro since I saw like 1 greek person (at the gyro place across from uncg) the whole time i was there...

I live in greek central right now and I'm completely spoiled here.. right now at 12am on a tuesday, I have my pick of 5 pastry places still open within walking distance.. I just dont think I can give that up for greensboro.. I'm thinking of going to greece actually..

[greekthunder76]

haha, you wont find anything like that in winston, and most likely not in greensboro either. you have it good wherever you are right now. And it's true, there really is nothing like Greece, maybe I'll go live there too.

[katanianQ]

awesome, greekthunder. I'll meet you at the kafene!

[PaperChaser]

Any info on Greensboro, NC would be very greatly appreciated.. I'd be coming from NYC so any info about food, cost of living, social life, safe/unsafe areas would be wonderful..

Coming from NYC to Greensboro? Oh, you'll save a TON! Housing isn't quite as cheap (new law school and UNCG expansion have jacked up downtown housing costs), but you can find something reasonable outside of downtown. Aside from housing, the cost of living is reasonable EXCEPT for Guilford County taxes, which are among the highest in the state. I'd advise registering your vehicle elsewhere if you have one. If not...get one, because there aren't grocery stores within walking distance of UNCG and the bus system SUCKS.

Food: totally non-descript. Undercurrent is one of the better restaurants, but most are chains. Very suburban.

Social life: Europa (wine bar) is pretty popular, most of the clubs are skanky and have come and gone. I'd say social life=driving an hour to Raleigh.

[coyabean]

Paperchaser is not far off.

Stay close to the University and downtown. But even downtown living will be far lower than what you are accustomed to. A renovated loft for $800 maybe? Cheaper closer to the Uni. It is a college town so it lives and dies by the semester schedule. Nightlife is difficult. There's cultural stuff but not any real party life. Honestly, the bulk of your life will probably be spent on campus as its the hub of the city. Yoga and beer within walking distance of campus. Public transportation is not ideal. I'd stay out of the surrounding 'burbs you'll see advertised -- High Point, Kernersville, Winston -- until you know the area better. It's a weird place in that a suspect neighborhood can be right next to a former plantation home. So until you know those ins and outs stay close to school.

And Raleigh and Charlotte are within driving distance. That's your best bet if a more urbane social experience is your thing.

There is a decent alt-hippie type of scene though. Farmers markets and the like can be found.

[PaperChaser]

Paperchaser is not far off.

Stay close to the University and downtown. But even downtown living will be far lower than what you are accustomed to. A renovated loft for $800 maybe? Cheaper closer to the Uni. It is a college town so it lives and dies by the semester schedule. Nightlife is difficult. There's cultural stuff but not any real party life. Honestly, the bulk of your life will probably be spent on campus as its the hub of the city. Yoga and beer within walking distance of campus. Public transportation is not ideal. I'd stay out of the surrounding 'burbs you'll see advertised -- High Point, Kernersville, Winston -- until you know the area better. It's a weird place in that a suspect neighborhood can be right next to a former plantation home. So until you know those ins and outs stay close to school.

And Raleigh and Charlotte are within driving distance. That's your best bet if a more urbane social experience is your thing.

There is a decent alt-hippie type of scene though. Farmers markets and the like can be found.

I definitely back up Coyabean's admonition of the 'burbs. They may appear "close" on Craigslist, but Greensboro is REALLY spread out, so going more than one zip code away from campus is usually adding 30 minutes to your commute. There are a lot of new student housing (if you have no pets, kids, or issues living with undergrads) that looks pretty nice. There are more hippie-ish Victorians around UNCG that are decently priced BUT most of them don't allow kids or pets and don't have W/C connections. There's a real problem with parking around the UNCG area and the adjacent neighborhoods, so if you want to live close, you might need a bike. A number of the "renovated" buildings downtown (the ones near the law school) are the subject of homeowners' association lawsuits...so...can't name names, but do your homework so that you don't end up in one of those!

I have friends who commute from Chapel Hill daily. If you don't have class 5 days a week, I'd opt to live there and commute----MUCH better graduate scene and social events. Greensboro isn't really a grad student's dream town, but it's tolerable for a finite period of time.

[swerdna]

There's some really good information in this thread. Does anyone have names of specific apartment complexes appropriate for grad students that are near UNCG? Are they in safe areas?

Thanks!

[PaperChaser]

There's some really good information in this thread. Does anyone have names of specific apartment complexes appropriate for grad students that are near UNCG? Are they in safe areas?

Thanks!

I wouldn't advise a complex that caters to students "near campus." First of all, usually that means you rent a ROOM (not an apartment) for $250-600, which is ridiculous since you have to share it with 3 other people! Secondly, these places get absolutely trashed after the first round of students move out. They're relatively high-crime---not violent crime, just property crime---and they are NOT quiet places to study. I'd advise renting a room in one of the older Victorian-style houses around campus (close enough to walk but not good if you have pets or kids), renting a small house near campus (there are quite a few in walking/biking distance), or finding a regular apartment complex on the HEAT line. (The HEAT bus is MUCH safer than the regular bus-it's only for higher ed students in the area.) If you know when you'll be moving, you can post what you're looking for on the "Housing Wanted" thread on the Greensboro Craigslist. With the housing market so bad, people are more willing to deal now than a few years ago....

[chelle82]

Any updates on the housing market since last year? I've been able to find 1br apts as low as 400-450/month within biking distance to UNC. Both Trulia and Craigslist seem helpful. I prefer Trulia more, the results are a little limited, but the map function saves a lot of time.

[sabomnim]

There's some really good information in this thread. Does anyone have names of specific apartment complexes appropriate for grad students that are near UNCG? Are they in safe areas?

Thanks!

I have the same question. Anyone suggest any specific locations to rent from? or live?

which areas are safer and lower crime

my wife and I are going to be moving to the greensboro area (I will be attending grad school there and she is a nurse)

we see some good deals but are getting concerned about its level of crime

any suggestions are highly appreciated

[emdolive]

Hi! I will soon be moving to Greensboro, North Carolina...I can't find very much information about the city and surrounding areas, especially things that grad students are concerned with. Anyone know of places that I should avoid (ie: loud, too many undergrads, unsafe, etc)? Or, conversely, anyone know of any great areas or apartments? I just need a place that is spacious and calm (unlike where I am now!) Cheap doesn't hurt either! Thanks in advance!

[codyallenmusic]

I am in a program that funds me with about 8,100 dollars a year and does RETROACTIVE (also not guaranteed) tuition waivers until I get state residency.  I need to live there a year ahead of time of applying for state residency;  so I would like to move in early and put a little money in my savings account.  Any recommendations as far as jobs go?

 

Also, I need to find housing that is reasonable.  I am thinking that in the area I can get a place that is around 400 a month for my part of the rent and utilities.  I will be living in the Greensboro area. 

[xypathos]

The College Hill District is within a very short walking distance of UNCG and Greensboro College. There's also plenty of small time galleries, coffee shops, bars, and eateries. 400 for rent and utilities will require some searching but is doable, though you might be pushed into the Glenwood neighborhood, which is still waking distance to the areas I named.

[xypathos]

The UGs that live off campus but not with their parents mostly live in College Hill or the parts of Glenwood that run along Lee St.

[Roll Right]

Man, you guys make the town seem horrible . I think its a fun place to chill. The pace of life is slow and the people are pretty cool. You should be able to rent a house for cheap, or an apartment for even less. And by cheap I mean $600-800.

[IncomingPhD2017]

Anyone else heading to Greensboro this fall? Any new insights about the area other than those few listed on pg 1 of this thread? I'm currently looking for an apartment, would prefer not to be near tons of UGs, and being close to the center of town would be preferable.

Edited April 30, 2015 by PhillyCJ

[scarvesandcardigans]

Anyone else heading to Greensboro this fall? Any new insights about the area other than those few listed on pg 1 of this thread? I'm currently looking for an apartment, would prefer not to be near tons of UGs, and being close to the center of town would be preferable.

 

Are you looking for a roommate? What kind of funds are you going to allocate toward housing? All-inclusive preferred or no? I'd be happy to help or answer any questions (I've been to the GSO/WS area a lot), but what are you looking for? 

 

I have found that apartmentguide.com is pretty good about providing info about quality, normally non-student-oriented housing options. I also just went straight to google maps and typed "apartment" for Raleigh and a ton of results came up, which allowed me to do my own research about what kind of companies and properties are out there. One other thing that I did which was helpful to me was joining the university Housing page on Facebook. It's mainly for undergraduates, but there are usually grad students lurking around looking for roommates. This time of year those pages are overrun with subletting, but usually when I see posts that fall within my price range or amenities, I'll look it up on my own. It gave me insight as to where UGs go for housing, and where to avoid.

 

Doing a little basic research about Greensboro, I found a couple of places: The District at West Market has really affordable all-inclusive studio apartments, and it looks like it would be a nice walk to campus, not too far at all! www.chaneyproperties.com also has a lot of affordable houses. They have mixed reviews on Google, though.

 

As far as Greensboro, I didn't see mentioned the potential for you to travel to a lot of different places. There is an Amtrak/bus station downtown and you can take the train east or west, or even take a bus up to the mountains if you are looking for some different adventure. Fares are relatively cheap, too. Downtown has a lot of different things to do, and the city's proximity to Winston-Salem and I-40 opens up the opportunity to see and do new things even more. 

[IncomingPhD2017]

Are you looking for a roommate? What kind of funds are you going to allocate toward housing? All-inclusive preferred or no? I'd be happy to help or answer any questions (I've been to the GSO/WS area a lot), but what are you looking for? 

 

I have found that apartmentguide.com is pretty good about providing info about quality, normally non-student-oriented housing options. I also just went straight to google maps and typed "apartment" for Raleigh and a ton of results came up, which allowed me to do my own research about what kind of companies and properties are out there. One other thing that I did which was helpful to me was joining the university Housing page on Facebook. It's mainly for undergraduates, but there are usually grad students lurking around looking for roommates. This time of year those pages are overrun with subletting, but usually when I see posts that fall within my price range or amenities, I'll look it up on my own. It gave me insight as to where UGs go for housing, and where to avoid.

 

Doing a little basic research about Greensboro, I found a couple of places: The District at West Market has really affordable all-inclusive studio apartments, and it looks like it would be a nice walk to campus, not too far at all! www.chaneyproperties.com also has a lot of affordable houses. They have mixed reviews on Google, though.

 

As far as Greensboro, I didn't see mentioned the potential for you to travel to a lot of different places. There is an Amtrak/bus station downtown and you can take the train east or west, or even take a bus up to the mountains if you are looking for some different adventure. Fares are relatively cheap, too. Downtown has a lot of different things to do, and the city's proximity to Winston-Salem and I-40 opens up the opportunity to see and do new things even more. 

 

Thanks for the helpful comments! I've got my roommate covered- that'd be my wife So no, we aren't looking for all-inclusive or furnished apartments. We aren't sure what kind of job she'll be able to get so we're looking for 2 bedroom places near $1000 or less. We're from Philadelphia and we'll dearly miss this big city, so we're thinking that we'll want to be close to the center of Greensboro so we can still be close to restaurants, bars, etc. since that's what we're used to.

 

Good tip on the university housing page; we certainly want to find out where the UGs live and try to avoid those areas, if possible.

[scarvesandcardigans]

Thanks for the helpful comments! I've got my roommate covered- that'd be my wife So no, we aren't looking for all-inclusive or furnished apartments. We aren't sure what kind of job she'll be able to get so we're looking for 2 bedroom places near $1000 or less. We're from Philadelphia and we'll dearly miss this big city, so we're thinking that we'll want to be close to the center of Greensboro so we can still be close to restaurants, bars, etc. since that's what we're used to.

 

Good tip on the university housing page; we certainly want to find out where the UGs live and try to avoid those areas, if possible.

 

Having a spouse is definitely a good way to cover having a roommate! I would definitely recommend apartmenguide.com for decent places in that price range. One thing that I like about that site is that you can search specifically for complexes near universities to eliminate going way out on the opposite end of the city. I feel like anything between Tate street and Church street would be a good place to feel like you're right in the center of a city like Philadelphia, but that's just me. 

 

Good luck!  

[Need Coffee in an IV]

@scarvesandcardigans I'm really interested in University of North Carolina Greensboro as well! How are the city parks? They look really awesome online but then again everything does. Also how is the job outlook? My boyfriend may be coming with me if he doesn't get one of the federal jobs he has applied for. I'm really excited since this city seems big enough so there is a vibrant area, but not too big where I can get swallowed by the crowds. Plus the program I've applied for is one of my top choices!

Edited December 12, 2015 by Need Coffee in an IV
forgot to tag