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Gastonia, North Carolina

Gastonia is a city in North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Gaston County. The population was 66,277 according to the 2000 census (35% of the population of Gaston County). It is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area, officially designated the Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As the second-largest city (in population) in the MSA after Charlotte, Gastonia has experienced steady growth, with a population change during the 1990s (according the US Census Bureau) of more than +10%.

Geography

Gastonia is located at (35.255220, -81.180249). at the geographic center of Gaston County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 46.3 square miles (119.8 km²), of which, 46.1 square miles (119.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (0.43%) is water. It occupies 13% of the total area of Gaston County.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 66,277 people, 25,945 households, and 17,720 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,438.9 people per square mile (555.6/km²). There were 27,857 housing units at an average density of 604.8/sq mi (233.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.18% White, 25.62% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.45% of the population.

There were 25,945 households out of which 30.6% had children under the living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,924, and the median income for a family was $44,873. Males had a median income of $33,215 versus $24,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,592. 15.0% of the population and 11.8% of families were below the poverty line. 21.2% of those under the and 12.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy

Despite many shutdowns and job losses over the past decade, Gastonia maintains a relatively strong manufacturing workforce. The city is the international corporate headquarters for textile company Parkdale Mills, the number one manufacturer of spun yarn in the world. The company also operates two production facilities in Gastonia and several in surrounding communities.

Other manufacturers in Gastonia include Wix Filtration Corp., Freightliner LLC, Stabilus, Danaher Tool Group (Easco Hand Tools), and Curtiss-Wright Controls Engineered Systems. Other major employers include the City of Gastonia and Gaston County governments, the Gaston County Schools system, Caromont Healthcare (Gaston Memorial Hospital), and retailers Walmart and Advance Auto Parts.

Public services

Police force: Gastonia and Gaston County are home of one of two county police forces within the State of North Carolina, the Gaston County Police Department. The other county police force in NC is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police in neighboring Mecklenburg County. Other forces include City of Gastonia Police Department and the Gaston County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office holds two of only 25 bomb/drug dogs in North Carolina.

Fire/Rescue: The Gastonia Fire Department houses over 32 engines including ladder units, quints, and pumpers. Gastonia also has a strong rural fire department which is headed by volunteers.

The Gaston County EMS (GEMS): Includes many paramedic ambulances and the Gaston County Life Saving crew, a BLS (Basic Lifesaving Service).

Public works: This includes road maintenance and sanitation as well as DWP (department of water and power) to the city.

Attractions and institutions

Gastonia and surrounding areas are home to several notable cultural centers.

The Schiele Museum of Natural History is located east of downtown on Garrison Boulevard. The main branch of the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library System is right across the street from the Schiele Museum. The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located just southeast of the city on NC 279. The U.S. National Whitewater Center (located on the Catawba River) is east of the city in neighboring Mecklenburg County, NC. Forty-Five Minutes away is Southpark Mall in Charlotte, NC. The Northlake Mall is also in Charlotte but is about twenty minutes away.

Gastonia and Gaston County have a varied topography, with the maximum elevations of 1,690 feet (King's Pinnacle) and 1,625 (Crowder's Mountain) both located in the Crowders Mountain State Park, part of which is located within the city limits of Gastonia, several miles west of downtown. The park and the peaks within are popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts, and represent the highest elevations in the Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord Metropolitan Statistical Area. A few smaller mountains are also located at the periphery of the city.

Gastonia is also known for its abundance of churches, primarily Baptist and Methodist.

Notable residents

The following people are former or current residents of Gastonia:

African-American muralist John T. Biggers - born in Gastonia
NBA star James Worthy,who attended Ashbrook High School
NBA star Darrell Armstrong, who attended Ashbrook High School
NBA star Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, who attended Hunter Huss High School.
MLB pitcher Kevin Millwood
MLB player Wesley Ray "Wes" Helms, who attended Ashbrook High School
NFL and CFL player Rufus Crawford
NASCAR driver Glenn Dunnaway
Musician Fred Durst (Rock group Limp Bizkit), who attended Hunter Huss High School.
Musician Trè'Kas "Trè" Simms (R&B group "ATL")
Televangelist Ernest Angley, who was born in Gastonia and grew up in the surrounding area.
Lionel Shriver, author of We Need to Talk About Kevin
Billy, of radio talk show The John Boy and Billy Show
Wrestler and Actor Evan Karagias
Fantasy artist Clyde Caldwell
MLB pitcher Jonathan Hovis, formerly of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and now a rookie for the New York Yankees, grew up in Gastonia and attended Forestview High School.
Country music star Jimmy Wayne

Education

K-12

Gaston County Schools (GCS) is the name for the only public school system that serves the city of Gastonia. GCS operates schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Private schools are also available in the city. Gaston Day School, Gaston Christian School and First Assembly Christian Academy (FACA) are among various private schools offered in the Gastonia area.

Gastonia also has a charter school, Piedmont Community Charter School, that serves K-12 grade students.

College and university

Although there are no colleges or universities within the city limits of Gastonia, higher education is well represented in the greater Gastonia area. Gaston County is home to Belmont Abbey College (Belmont; 4-year) and Gaston College (Dallas, Belmont; 2-year).

Sister Cities

Gastonia has two sister cities located in distinct places on earth. Gotha, Germany was the first. Mayor Jenny Stultz visited Gotha in 2007. Later that year a new sister city was added in Peru. Santiago De Surco, Peru. In December 2007 the current mayor of Santiago De Surco visited for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in the Rotary Pavilion. Since he was the guest he was allowed to light it along with one of the town's counselmen.

Shopping

The store "Other Things" on 307 S. Broad St. in a charming house near downtown, has the best selection of antique collections, which includes furniture, household items, vintage and used clothing.

Today, there are two major shopping centers in Gastonia:

Westfield Eastridge is a large regional mall and is anchored by Matthews Belk, Dillard's, Sears, and JC Penney.The mall is also home to 100 specialty stores along with a full-service Food Court. Westfield Eastridge

Along with Westfield Eastridge, Franklin Square is the other one of Gastonia's premier shopping centers. The complex is divided into three Phases. Phase I features a Wal-Mart (one of two in the city), Best Buy, Ross Dress for Less, and Michaels. Phase II is home to Kmart, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, and Sam's Club. Phase III is where Kohl's, Old Navy, Books-A-Million, Sports Authority, and a 14-screen movie theater is located. The new Shops at Franklin Square is home of hhgregg,T-Mobile, Ashley Furniture Home Store and Cutting Image Salon. Other stores are in the works for this newly constructed addition of Franklin Square includes The Original Flip Flops Bar and Grill.

The Gaston Mall, which is currently in the process of a redevelopment that will include a new Target, houses a large and popular fabric store called Mary Jo's, and one of the oldest operating Harris Teeter grocery stores in the chain.The mall also housed a popular local restaurant called Jacksons Cafeteria.It has since been moved.The shopping center will also house McAllisters Deli and new AT&T store and a Starbucks Coffee.

Sports

The Gastonia Grizzlies play baseball at Sims Legion Park. The team is part of the Coastal Plain League (CPL) featuring players at the collegiate level. The season runs from the end of May to August.

The Gastonia Gargoyles play rugby at Gaston County's North Belmont Park. The team is part of the North Carolina Rugby Union (NCRU) and plays Division III men's rugby. The club plays in the fall (August - November) and spring (Feb - May) seasons. The club also hosts an annual rugby 7's tournament in Clover, SC during the Clover Scottish Games on the first Saturday in June.

Media

Newspaper

The Gaston Gazette is Gastonia's main newspaper. It is published daily, and covers Gastonia city, Gaston County, and surrounding areas. The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina's largest newspaper) is also available and features a Gaston/Lincoln section on Wednesdays and Sundays. Gastonia News Gastonia's online up to the minute news source

Television

Gastonia has no broadcast television stations licensed in the city, but is served by network affiliates and independent stations broadcasting from nearby Charlotte. Cable television service in Gastonia is provided primarily by Time Warner Cable.

Radio

Gastonia is served by numerous FM and AM radio stations, mainly based in nearby Charlotte. The city has two licensed AM stations: WGAS 1420 AM licensed to South Gastonia and WGNC 1450 AM; it has one licensed FM station: WBAV 101.9 FM.

Transportation

Highways and major city thoroughfares

Interstate 85 (I-85) links Gastonia directly with Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, and Petersburg/Richmond (to the north) and Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta and Montgomery (to the south). Gastonia's transportation network is supplemented by one additional freeway (US 321), the freeway portion of which directly connects Gastonia with transcontinental I-40 and the city of Hickory, North Carolina. An additional limited-access highway, the toll Garden Parkway is planned as a loop that would encircle Gastonia to the west, while also adding a direct southeastern connection to Charlotte, I-485 and the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. Gastonia is also served by three US highways: US 29; US 74 (US 29 and 74 are coexistent through Gaston County); and US 321. US 29 parallels I-85 through the Carolinas; while US 74 provides direct east-west links to Charlotte and Wilmington (east), and Asheville and Cherokee (to the west). US 321 links Gastonia to central South Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest North Carolina.

State highways NC 7, NC 274, NC 275 and NC 279 also traverse Gastonia.

Franklin Blvd., Garrison Blvd., Hudson Blvd., and Ozark/Long/Airline/Gaston Aves. are major east-west city thoroughfares. New Hope Rd., Chester St./York Rd., and Marietta St., are major north-south city thoroughfares.

Bus (local)

Gastonia Transit (GT) is Gastonia's city transit provider. The bus service operates on a fixed-route system covering most of the city. GT has a new fleet of seven buses and stops are clearly visible around town. Buses run Monday-Saturday, and transfer downtown Gastonia at the Bradley Station. Regular fare is $1.00, transfers are free.

Bus (regional)

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is Gastonia's commuter provider to Charlotte. The Gastonia Express (Route 85X) offers Monday-Friday bus service to/from uptown Charlotte, via the Bradley Station. One-way fare to/from uptown Charlotte: $2.40; transfer costs vary.

Bus (intercity)

Greyhound Lines is Gastonia's intrastate/interstate transit provider. The staffed bus station in located on Davis St., just east of downtown.

Train (Amtrak)

Amtrak Crescent (trains 19, 20) connects Gastonia (GAS) with the cities of (to the north) New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, and (to the south) Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans. The unmanned Amtrak station is situated at 350 Hancock Street.

Air

The Gastonia area is served by two airports. The Gastonia Municipal Airport (AKH) handles most of the city's private air service needs. It is located in the southeast part of the city, off NC 274. The Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) provides Gastonia with a major domestic/international gateway and is located 18 miles east of Gastonia in Charlotte.