By Leon Steele

Downtown Kinston has a growing energy and a vibe that differs from day to night. Much of downtown may be closed on Mondays for now, which is normal for small towns, but unlike many other small towns, Kinston’s sidewalks do not roll up at 5PM the rest of the week and it is live at night.

Daytime downtown has a rather mellow hustle and bustle with boutiques, barber shops and salons, lunch meetings, Courthouse activities, and a beehive of others doing and taking care of business. Things start to transition at 5PM to an active nightlife with something for everyone from children to adults.

Kinston’s cultural history has always been rich with entertainment whether it was Sugarhill girls, gambling, sports, music, acting, or eating, and it remains so today with brewery tap rooms, live music venues, quality restaurants, and experience-focused establishments. Many locals include their children when they are enjoying downtown Kinston. Basically, downtown Kinston is just a great neighborhood in the greater neighborhood of Kinston. Another contributing factor is the visual difference of downtown Kinston at night. Many property owners are installing programmable LED lights on the exteriors and downtown streets are now lined with cool and warm lights strung pole-to-pole to designate the primary zone of activity as well as add a festive ambience along with an added sense of security.

With many more downtown residential opportunities in the works Kinston will see even more people and businesses downtown soon.

If you have not experienced downtown Kinston lately, please bring some friends and family and enjoy yourselves.