What is there to do in Kinston?

Published: Saturday, June 28, 2014 at 07:19 PM.

“We could turn some of those places into a hangout spot for kids, so they have something to do other than nothing or being in the streets,” Gillespie said.

Sara Cox, 23, said she would like to see some additional changes to Kinston due to some attractions in the city wearing off.

“You have the Nature Center, which is fun the first time and maybe the second, but gets kind of boring after that,” Cox said. “Having the water park helped, but it would be pretty cool to have an arcade and a couple of restaurants like Sonic or Cookout. We just need places where kids can hang out.”

Harmony Keslar, 18, said Kinston could learn from a neighboring city and appeal to another base of residents.

“I would like to see an ice skating rink here like they have in Greenville,” Keslar said. “There are a lot of hockey fans who like the (Carolina) Hurricanes and it would give the city an opportunity to showcase ice skating to others.”

Latoya Betton, 25, said the city could benefit from several additional attractions.

“In New Bern, they have a laser tag facility, which is good for people like me, who are competitive and like having fun,” Betton said. “It would also be nice to have more museums because there are kids who are not rich in culture. We have more than just the barbecue culture. An arcade like Dave & Busters would be great and a couple of sophisticated clubs.”

As Kinston works on producing a more vibrant atmosphere and excitement in the city, more activities and places have sprung up.

Taylor Roberson, 23, said she has seen significant growth over the past five to ten years.

“I feel like things have gotten better with things such as Sand In The Streets, Ginger 108, Red Room, Tap Room and Boiler Room,” Roberson said. “There’s also the drag strip on Thursdays and The Dugout, which wasn’t here until five years ago. Before then, it was a pool hall, but now it’s a sports bar with a dance floor and bands who play on occasion.”

But not everyone in Roberson’s demographic — Kinston residents between the ages of 18 and 25 — share the same sentiment and many feel like there could be more progress made.

Chris Carter, 22, said he feels options have been limited over the years.

“We have the water park, bowling and the movies and that’s about it,” Carter said. “We’ve had other things, but violence took them away.”

Dominique Gillispie, 23, said there are some abandoned places in Kinston being underutilized.

“We could turn some of those places into a hangout spot for kids, so they have something to do other than nothing or being in the streets,” Gillespie said.

Sara Cox, 23, said she would like to see some additional changes to Kinston due to some attractions in the city wearing off.

“You have the Nature Center, which is fun the first time and maybe the second, but gets kind of boring after that,” Cox said. “Having the water park helped, but it would be pretty cool to have an arcade and a couple of restaurants like Sonic or Cookout. We just need places where kids can hang out.”

Harmony Keslar, 18, said Kinston could learn from a neighboring city and appeal to another base of residents.

“I would like to see an ice skating rink here like they have in Greenville,” Keslar said. “There are a lot of hockey fans who like the (Carolina) Hurricanes and it would give the city an opportunity to showcase ice skating to others.”

Latoya Betton, 25, said the city could benefit from several additional attractions.

“In New Bern, they have a laser tag facility, which is good for people like me, who are competitive and like having fun,” Betton said. “It would also be nice to have more museums because there are kids who are not rich in culture. We have more than just the barbecue culture. An arcade like Dave & Busters would be great and a couple of sophisticated clubs.”

Pride of Kinston Executive Director Adrian King said there are some inhibitors in the age group, especially on the younger end of the demographic.

“My personal feeling is if you can vote or join the Army, you can have a beer,” King said. “The reality is some of the young folks like having a beer and alcohol can be kind of a glue to some of the social events.”

King said there are opportunities to volunteer and some events, but there isn’t a whole lot to do on a consistent basis.

“There are a lot of nonprofits, such as Young Professionals, Boys & Girls Club and church-related programs,” King said. “As far as social events, you have things like restaurants and bars. There was the idea of the arcade and ice cream parlor on Queen Street last year, but the project never materialized. You can still go to places such as Ginger 108, Mother Earth Tap Room and Chef And The Farmer, but right now there aren’t a whole lot of opportunities in a social sense, and you can’t argue about that.”

Laura Lee Sylvester, president of the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce, said there is a group to assist those in the demographic.

“As a chamber, we recognize that what would help that age group is to give them the opportunity to network amongst each other and learn different things,” Sylvester said. “Several years ago, we came up with the Young Professionals of Lenoir County, which is open for anyone between the ages of 21 through 40. We found out when we organized the group was young people are sometimes unaware of what there is to do in the community. For instance, every Friday, Young Professionals has a ‘Working for the Weekend Lunch,’ where they select a different restaurant in the city each week. Young people are encouraged to go there, listen to what’s said and learn what there is to do in the community.”

Kinston Mayor B.J. Murphy said he believes there are activities for the age group in the city, but also wants to receive additional input from residents.

“Besides the numerous workout facilities and social gathering spots in downtown Kinston and many community events such as Sand In The Streets and Festival On The Neuse, what I’d encourage those from 18 to 25 to do is let the community leaders know what they want,” Murphy said. “Engaging in civic boards for public dialogue is vital for the future of the community. They can have a great impact on their desires.”

Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.