Northeast Greensboro Greensboro, NC

The steady growth that the area in and around Outer North Carolina A&T has experienced since the 1950s directly correlates with the growth that North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University encountered during the same time. Once rural farmland, the community now contains many single-family houses, apartments and basic shopping options.

Greensboro houses a number of great museums, art galleries and theaters, and although none lie in the Outer North Carolina A&T neighborhood, they're reachable with just a short drive. Families love visiting the Greensboro Science Center, located west of the city on Lawndale Drive. Featuring a zoo, aquarium and hands-on museum, this science center engages both children and adults alike. Other museums and galleries of note include the Greensboro Historical Museum and the Irene Cullis Art Center.

The city hosts great festivals year-round, such as the Eastern Music Festival at Festival Park and Fun Fourth at the Center City Park.

Locals find that they must drive outside Outer North Carolina A&T in order to find quality local restaurants. Most establishments within the neighborhood can be described as fast food or casual chains, and they lie primarily along North O Henry Boulevard, Wendover Avenue, or Hicone Road.

Karonda's Sports Bar & Grill sits in the Hicone Shopping Center and serves great-tasting American cuisine. Customer favorites include the stuffed chicken breast, fried fish platter, and shepherd's pie.

Diners craving pizza and Italian specialties head to Elizabeth's Pizza on Summit Avenue. One of the best pies on the menu, the white pizza, contains hearty helpings of ricotta, broccoli, mozzarella, and garlic. Other great choices include the vegetarian stromboli, mozzarella sticks, and chicken calzone. Because it has been voted the area's best pizza parlor, Elizabeth's gets quite busy on weekends and during the dinner rush. Customers should arrive early to ensure a short wait.

African Sister Restaurant and Catering, situated on North English Street in Greensboro, prepares tasty, traditional African dishes. This specialty restaurant only opens Wednesday through Friday during the lunch and dinner hours. Best bets include the curried goat plate, lamb chops and okra. All of the food served at African Sister is freshly made, though prices remain surprisingly reasonable.

Very few bars and nightlife options lie in the Outer North Carolina A&T neighborhood. Locals must travel south to Wendover Road, closer to the university, for a cold beverage. Popular hangouts include Boston's House of Jazz, Reioja Wine Bar and Print Works Bistro. Upscale nightclubs and music venues, such as Artistika Nightclub and the Greene Street Club, are also found downtown.

Outer North Carolina A&T residents rely on cars or public transportation to run errands, as the neighborhood is considered neither walkable nor bikeable. Compared to the rest of Greensboro, a higher percentage of residents throughout the Outer North Carolina A&T neighborhood commute to work via a personal vehicle or by carpooling. However, close to three percent utilize public transportation, which also averages above normal for the city and county. Those driving into downtown Greensboro take Summit Avenue south, straight into the city center. To access Interstate 40, residents must drive along South O Henry Boulevard for seven miles. Because no parking lots or garages sit within the neighborhood, visitors and locals park along residential streets.

Greensboro Transit Authority operates bus transportation from the neighborhood to downtown. Bus stops along 16th Street and Phillips Avenue pick riders up between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those interested in using taxi service or Uber should call ahead or use their smartphone app to reserve a ride.

Greensboro and Guilford County maintain numerous parks. Keeley Park, one of the gems of the Greensboro park system, lies just south of Outer North Carolina A&T. Keeley Park features a community garden, playground, walking trails, a pond and even a sprayground for the little ones to enjoy during the hot summer months. This facility opens from dawn to dusk, seven days a week and does not charge an entrance fee. Greensboro Public Park on the west side of the city has become one of the more popular spots in town to host an athletic game, participate in educational programs and bring the dog to play in the Bark Park.

The Parks and Recreation department hosts a number of events and festivals during every season of the year. Festival Park, located downtown, houses a majority of these events. The BB&T Beach Music in the Park occurs on Tuesday evenings during May and June and features live music and family-friendly fun.

The cost of living in Outer North Carolina A&T mirrors the rest of Greensboro and lies five percent below the national average. Renters pay $564 per month for a one-bedroom apartment in Outer North Carolina A&T. In terms of transportation, Greensboro Area Transit charges riders $1.50 for one-way fare and $4 for a day pass, while gas sits only 1 percent above the national average. Restaurant and bar costs remain consistent throughout the region, and patrons indulging in a pint of local beer should expect to pay between $4 and $5, depending on the establishment.

Most of the retail shops and service providers within the Outer North Carolina A&T neighborhood lie along North O Henry Boulevard and 16th Street and further south along Burlington Road. Big-box stores such as Lowe's and Family Dollar sit next to smaller shops specializing in affordable apparel, auto parts, and technology services. No upscale shopping can be done along this corridor. Instead, residents head south to the Westover Gallery of Shops on Battleground Avenue or the Four Seasons Town Center Mall directly off of Interstate 40.

Grandpa's Marine sits along North O Henry Boulevard, and has become the area's most trusted purveyor of all things boating. This store's mission is to provide shoppers with an affordable boat to enjoy on beautiful spring and summer afternoons. Name brands featured at Grandpa's include Malibu, Four Winns, Moomba and Polar Kraft. Aside from boats, Grandpa's carries wave runners, wake boards and other boating accessories.

Clark Farm, Lawn and Garden Supply lies to the west of Outer North Carolina A&T. This store specializes in selling garden, farm and utility tractors and provides landscaping services. Customers appreciate the friendly service and prices that average lower than what can be found at larger retailers.

Locals purchase groceries at the Walmart Supercenter on 16th Street, the Save-A-Lot on Yanceyville Road and the Food Lion on Hicone Road. A handful of smaller specialty grocery shops such as Dega Market and Kim Food Mart are also located nearby. The Greensboro Farmers Curb Market operates year-round and features local produce, meats, goods and art. The market opens on Saturday mornings all year long and on Wednesday mornings from April through December.