Crime statistics for College Hill over the past six months

Map showing location of assaults and robberies in last six months

Map showing location of assaults and robberies in last six months. Click for a larger version.

Map showing vehicle break-ins in the area of The Province. Click for a larger version.

Map showing vehicle break-ins in the area of The Province. Click for a larger version.

With National Night Out coming up tomorrow night, here are some statistics on crime in College Hill over the past six months (data from crimemapping.com).

The most prominent pattern in the data is the concentration of burglaries and vehicle break-ins at The Province. There were 10 burglaries in the neighborhood; five were at The Province. Of the 27 vehicle break-ins, 13 were at The Province, and nine more occurred within a block of the complex. The one vehicle theft reported also occurred at The Province.

Greensboro Police report that almost all vehicle break-ins occur when items of any value — even loose change — can be seen from outside. Reports of homeless people breaking into cars simply for change have become common, they say. The police give the same good advice that vehicle break-in victims have been ignoring for years: Always remove or hide items of any value, and always lock your vehicle’s doors.

Police reports are public record and to varying degrees are available online (Greensboro Police Department, UNCG Police).

Note: No murders or rapes (or other sexual assaults) were reported in College Hill within the past six months.

Assaults: 6

  • 900 block, Spring Garden Street: February 13, 12:45 a.m.
  • 300 block, South Tate Street: February 15, 6:30 p.m.
  • 700 block, Spring Garden Street: April 23, 1:12 a.m.
  • 600 block, Fulton Street: May 9, 2 p.m. (The Province, issue between roommates)
  • 300 block, South Tate Street: June 23, 2 a.m. (two New York Pizza customers)
  • 500 block, South Mendenhall: July 22, 8:30 p.m. (outside Firehouse Grocery)
  • UNCG campus: 10 assaults

Robberies: 2

  • 500 block, Houston Street, April 10, 8:30 p.m. (The Province)
  • 100 block, South Mendenhall Street, July 1, 2:43 a.m. (arrest made within minutes)
  • UNCG campus: 1 robbery

Burglaries: 10

  • The Province: 5
  • 900 block, Carr Street: 1
  • 800 block, West McGee: 1
  • 500 block, South Mendenhall: 1
  • 600 block, South Mendenhall: 1
  • 600 block, Walker Avenue: 1

Vehicle Break-Ins/Thefts: 27

  • The Province: 13*
  • 1000 block, West Market Street: 1
  • 800 block, West McGee Street: 2
  • Lilly Avenue @ South Mendenhall Street: 2*
  • 900 block, Morehead Avenue: 2*
  • 100 block, Odell Place: 1
  • 800 block, Spring Garden: 3*
  • 900 block, Spring Garden: 1*
  • 600 block, Walker Avenue: 1*
  • 900 block, Walker Avenue: 1
  • * Within one block of The Province: 9

Vandalism: 14

  • Auto: 10
  • Residence: 2
  • Other: 2

Auto Theft: 1

  • The Province: 1

 

Posted in Carr Street, Fulton Street, McGee Street, Mendenhall Street, Morehead Street, Neighborhood Watch, Odell Street, Public Safety, Spring Garden Street, Tate Street, The Province, Walker Avenue | Leave a comment

Join your neighbors in kicking August off at National Night Out; UNCG’s fall semester begins on Monday August 22

August calendar of events

National Night Out flyerAnd don’t forget the regular Tuesday events:

  • In*Spire Meditation group
    Tuesdays, noon, Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 501 South Mendenhall Street, in the Sanctuary. The meditation period is less than an hour and is open to the public.
  • Noon at the ‘Spoon
    Second Tuesday each month, Weatherspoon Art Museum, Spring Garden Street at Tate Street, a 20-minute exploration of a new exhibition.
  • Taco Tuesday Beginners Bike Ride
    Tuesdays, rolling at 6:30 p.m., ReCycles, 908-A Spring Garden Street
    A social ride, an opportunity to meet new riders who wish to get outside and maybe work up to longer rides over the course of the summer. Initially, the ride will be averaging around 6-10 miles, no-drop, at a pace averaging around 10+, then building through the summer.  Afterward, the Bandito Burrito Food Truck is at South Mendenhall and Spring Garden on Tuesdays.
Posted in College Hill Neighborhood Association, Downtown Greenway, Events, Mendenhall Street, Neighborhood Watch, Public Safety | Leave a comment

Coming to Tate Street: Cookie shop and 4th pizza restaurant

Thai Garden restaurant with "For Lease" sign in window

Coming soon to Tate Street: Cookies and even more pizza

National Night Out flyerThe former Thai Garden location on Tate Street will be split in two for a cookie shop and the business district’s fourth pizza restaurant, The Business Journal has reported.

The Cottage Inn Pizza chain will open its first North Carolina store in two-thirds of the location. Some of its restaurants are open as late as 3 a.m.; others offer delivery as late as 4 a.m. It was founded in 1948 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and now operates more than 50 restaurants in Michigan and Ohio. It is expanding into Florida, South Carolina and Texas as well as North Carolina.

Cottage Inn will join New York Pizza, Slices and Manhattan Pizza and Subs on Tate Street.

Insomnia Cookies will open next door. The chain offers a variety of cookies, cookie cakes and ice cream. It delivers as well, typically from noon to 3 a.m. It has North Carolina locations in Boone, Chapel Hill, Greenville and Raleigh. The chain was founded in 2003 in Philadelphia and now has locations in most states east of the Mississippi.

On the other side of Tate Street, Smoothie King opened last week in the storefront formerly occupied by The Space and Maya Gallery.

Posted in Businesses, Tate Street | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

It’s National Night Out in College Hill: Next Tuesday, August 2! At College Hill Sundries, The People’s Perk & the burrito truck!

National Night Out flyer

Posted in Businesses, College Hill Neighborhood Association, Events, Mendenhall Street, Neighborhood Watch, Public Safety, Spring Garden Street | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

College Hill notes: Two more properties under contract

Street view of 626 Joyner St.

626 Joyner Street is under contract after being for sale about four months

The old Addams bookstore location on Tate Street is apparently under contract. The “For Sale” sign is gone and surveyors’ flags have sprouted around the property. The listed price was $650,000; the one-time Victory Theatre has been up for sale since April 2015. … 626 Joyner Street is now under contract. The house was put on the market in March; listed price was $170,000. … There are now four houses under contract in College Hill. Six single-family homes are for sale. …

Good neighbor Turner Pinson of Walker Avenue helped West Virginians displaced by the terrible flooding by collecting enough food to just about fill a car. The food will be delivered this week. Thanks to the many neighbors who contributed. …

Historic Preservation Commission note: The matter of Winburn Court‘s long out-of-compliance dumpster on Edgar Street is expected to be on the August agenda for a public hearing. That meeting will be Wednesday August 31. …

Neighborhood Watch news

Be advised: Greensboro and UNCG police are zealously enforcing marijuana laws. There have been three arrests in College Hill on marijuana charges in the past month. There were at least 35 marijuana arrests on campus last semester. …

Greensboro police are warning players of the Pokemon Go game to stay aware of where they are and who is around them while outdoors playing the game. They remind players to play during the daytime or in well-lit areas, to avoid areas they don’t know and to play with others and not alone. …

Posted in Businesses, City Government, Neighborhood Watch, Neighbors, Public Safety, Real Estate, Tate Street, UNCG, Walker Avenue | Tagged | 1 Comment

News to know from Tate Street, Walker Avenue and the ‘Spoon

A puzzling (to me, at least) illustration relating to the exhibition at the Weatherspoon

“Humorous and tense, systematic and chaotic— these seemingly mismatched descriptors capture the playful complexity of Alex Hubbard’s video works.” To be explained Tuesday at Noon at the ‘Spoon.

From the Tate Street business district: There’s activity in the former University Laundry location. Tables and chairs have been moved in and upfitting is under way. Oh boy — another restaurant. … Novelist Miriam Herrin of Walker Avenue was recently interviewed on Voice of America about her two novels, Absolution and A Stone for Bread. Click here to listen. …

Good neighbor Clara Kelly reunited a lost bicycle with its owner this week through the Nextdoor.com listserv. If you’re not on Nextdoor, click here to sign up. … Speaking of Nextdoor, the site has added a recommendations page listing providers of home-repair and other professional services. Since it’s new, there are relatively few listings so far. Any recommendations you can provide would be much appreciated. …

Noon @ the ‘Spoon next Tuesday: For this month’s 20-minute tour, Emily Stamey, curator of exhibitions, will talk about the current exhibition Single-Channel Catalyst: Alex Hubbard’s “Eat Your Friends” and Selections from the Collection. Noon at the Weatherspoon Art Museum. …

Three houses for sale in the neighborhood are now under contract: 306 South Mendenhall Street, the Orlo Epps House at 808 Walker Avenue and the sweet little 625 Joyner Street. …

June decisions from the Historic Preservation Commission: The owner of 706 Walker Avenue was ordered to replace within 120 days the two trees that were cut down on the property. The city arborist will recommend the size and species of the new trees. … The owner of 918 Carr Street violated the historic district guidelines by putting concrete over the front foundation of the house. Since the concrete can’t be removed without replacing the foundation, he was ordered to stain the concrete a brick-red or dark brown and plant shrubs in front of the foundation, with a six-month deadline.

Posted in Bicycling, Businesses, Carr Street, City Government, Events, Historic Preservation, Joyner Street, Mendenhall Street, Neighbors, Real Estate, Tate Street, UNCG, Walker Avenue, Weatherspoon Art Museum | 1 Comment

Welcome to July in College Hill

July calendar with College Hill events noted

… and remember, every Tuesday: the In*Spire meditation group and the Taco Tuesday Bike Ride.

For details, see the Calendar page.

Posted in Events | 1 Comment

This week’s notes on life and real estate in College Hill

Where the former Aycock Auditorium sign was, the original name appears: "North Carolina College for Women Auditorium"

In case you haven’t noticed: Look what UNCG found under the “Aycock Auditorium” sign (click to embiggen).

Neighbors James and Amanda Keith have bought the stately mansion Double Oaks at 204 North Mendenhall. They plan to re-establish the turn-of-the-century, colonial revival house as a bed-and-breakfast by the end of the summer. …

There are rumblings from the city once again about paving Edgar Street. If you have any particular opinion about that possibility, please let the neighborhood association know by email. … Speaking of Edgar Street, the city has asked Winburn Court to bring its dumpster into compliance with city regulations. It needs a concrete pad under it, and it’s supposed to be shielded from view. …

Word on the street is that another of College Hill’s finer Mendenhall Street houses may come up for sale soon. … Disappointing real estate news: 817 Rankin Place, which sold very quickly for its asking price in the spring, is now a rental at $2,000/month. But at least it’s a high-end rental. Undergraduates need not apply: Renters must have a credit score over 600, verified income of at least $84,000 and no prior evictions. …

A lot of painting going on: 311 South Mendenhall now has an elegant shade of teal on the shingles under the gables. 715 Walker has a bright new paint job as well. … The new roof at 442 South Mendenhall is being installed. The old slate is crated up in the driveway; it will be repurposed. …

Neighborhood Watch note

Gunshots awoke neighbors in the area of the Tate Street business district last Tuesday, June 21. Around 4:45 a.m., a person was seen firing a gun in direction of New York Pizza. That person quickly got into a car and drove away toward Market Street. The police investigated; the report on the incident is not available from the police online system. One of our neighborhood police contacts is trying to find it for us. …

Posted in City Government, Edgar Street, Mendenhall Street, Neighborhood Watch, Public Safety, Rankin Place, Real Estate, Tate Street, UNCG, Walker Avenue | Leave a comment

Slow down on Tuesdays with a meditation group or bike ride … Plus sightings of little kids, Republicans and a raccoon …

Rabbit on sidewalk by chain-link fence

College-bound rabbit on McGee Street

A weekly meditation group will begin meeting this week, Tuesdays at noon at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. The public is invited. For more information contact Lora Farlow or the church office, 336-275-6403. … Also every Tuesday, the Taco Tuesday Beginner Ride rolls out from Re:Cycles, 908 Spring Garden Street. It’s a social ride, averaging 6 to 10 miles, pace of 10+ or so, no-drop. …

Halloween came early on Carr Street. On Saturday afternoon, a little fellow had a Halloween-themed birthday party; Mom supplied neighbors with treats to give out. … That little guy, his brother and their gal pal up the street are giving Carr an old-fashioned neighborhood-with-kids vibe. …

Daytime animals seen in the neighborhood lately: rabbits on McGee Street at the college, a chipmunk defying death by racing across Carr and a raccoon at Morehead and Cedar. The Carr Street owls have been heard but not seen of late, and the Greensboro College woodchuck is laying real low right now (if he’s still around). …

Update on National Night Out: The People’s Perk and the Burrito Bandito will join College Hill Sundries in supporting the event. The coffee house will serve as the voter registration site, the bar will serve as party headquarters, and the food truck will serve burritos. …

N&R box with notice to readers, if any

Click to read their apology for any inconvenience.

Renovations on Carr Street: The long-empty house at 931 is getting a waaaaay overdue paint job, and a new porch floor has been put in right across the street at 928 by College Hill’s own DLM Builders. … Tate Street update: The Smoothie King‘s local representatives expect a July opening. … The News & Record has kissed off whatever remaining customers it had for its two boxes in College Hill. If you’re under 25, an old person can explain what newspaper boxes used to be for. …

College Hill results for the June 7 primary: 209 voters cast ballots, a pathetic 9% turnout (countywide turnout: a paltry 10%). … The neighborhood backed neither of the winning Congressional candidates — Republican nominee Ted Budd came in third here, and Democratic winner Bruce Davis came in fourth. … The 34 neighborhood R’s who voted went for Blust, 12; Henning, 6; Budd 4; and the other 12 votes were spread out across the other 14 candidates. … College Hill D’s backed Coker, 70; Ferguson, 35, Isner, 33; Davis, 19; other guy, 14. …

In the nominally nonpartisan Supreme Court race, Morgan led with 109 College Hill votes; Edmunds — conservative, hometown guy and incumbent — was second with 34 … the exact same number as the total number of R’s who showed up. … They’ll run against each other in November.

Posted in Animals, Bicycling, Businesses, Carr Street, Cedar Street, Elections, Events, Greensboro College, McGee Street, Morehead Street, Neighborhood Watch, Neighbors, Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, Tate Street | Leave a comment

A few things you need to know about College Hill right now … including news of babies, chickens, churches and more …

National Night Out logoA few short items worth knowing about College Hill, delivered via the venerable but vanishing journalistic device known as a three-dot column:

Save the date: National Night Out is Tuesday August 2, and what better place to hold the official College Hill event than College Hill Sundries. … The neighborhood’s population increased by two on March 2, when the twin son and daughter of Marjorie Bagley and Ian Beatty were born. …

Hold these dates, too: The Weatherspoon’s annual Summer Solstice Party will be Friday the 24th and the dual Matisse exhibits (this one and that one) open on the 25th. … The College Hill poultry census: Chickens are roosting in three backyards, one each on Spring Garden Street, Tate Street and Walker Avenue. (Are we missing anyone?) Greensboro poultry farmers are limited to four chickens and no roosters. …

A major thank-you to our neighbors who spent two very long days working at our polling location for this spring’s primaries — Virginia Haskett, Judy Horn, Clara Kelly and Terry Weaver. And Liz Pinson, who facilitated the use of the Associated Campus Ministries building as the polling place at UNCG. … The Board of Elections is seeking representation from the neighborhood’s Republicans for the polls. So far, no one has stepped up. …

Smoothie King logoPresbyterian Church of the Covenant is seeking practicing meditators to facilitate a weekly meditation. Sessions will be held each Tuesday at noon. If you can help out, send an email to Lora Farlow. … Upfitting for the new Smoothie King shop is well under way on Tate Street, next to Wear Yours.  … You got the word about the Spartan Open Pantry needing food donations, right? …

More about food: College Place UMC is holding an ice cream social Friday June 24, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sugar-free options will be available. … The 70-year-old slate roof on the old firehouse at 442 South Mendenhall is way past its expiration date and will be replaced with shingles that simulate slate. It’s one of the historic district’s few remaining slate roofs, but the HPC recognizes that the real thing is now colossally expensive, in many cases impossibly expensive. …

The police say car break-ins are increasing all over Greensboro, and College Hill is no exception. Do what you know you should be doing: Always lock your car (yes, always) and never leave anything valuable where it can be seen. … The neighborhood association board meets next on Monday June 27. Special location: Tate Street Coffee House.

Posted in Businesses, City Government, College Place UMC, Duke Energy, Elections, Events, Historic Preservation, Neighborhood Watch, Neighbors, Parking, Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, Public Safety, Spartan Open Pantry, Spring Garden Street, Tate Street, UNCG, Walker Avenue, Weatherspoon Art Museum | Tagged | 1 Comment