Business Is Blooming at the City Center in Elizabeth City

Life is flourishing beyond the river in this revitalized area near downtown.

By Kayse Ellis on April 17, 2024

Eric Waters

Coined the “Harbor of Hospitality,” Elizabeth City has always been a bustling place where different goods, people and ideas have flowed along the eastern coast of North Carolina.

Historically, this port city carried trade to and from the New World. Today, those influences have created a culture in which all are supported and encouraged to add their own flair to the many neighborhoods that make Elizabeth City what it is today. 

One of these distinct neighborhoods seeing growth is City Center in Elizabeth City. Located near downtown, the area was once dominated by large, commercial developments. Now, as the revitalization of downtown’s small businesses has begun to permeate neighboring communities, independent shops are popping up left and right in City Center, contributing to the unique vibe of Elizabeth City. 

Doing Their Thing 

The Happy Daisy Garden Center is just one of the businesses located in the Kenyon Bailey Shopping Center that has contributed to the neighborhood’s eclectic assortment of shops. 

Three years ago, owner Katie Klages came to Elizabeth City from Virginia Beach for that close-knit community feel that is often found in smaller towns. Since then, not only has her gardening and house-plant business thrived, but she has also been able to welcome neighboring brick-and-mortars to the area. 

“I think City Center is all about entrepreneurship,” Klages says. “Just with the space that’s available, it’s just made it really easy for entrepreneurs to do their thing.” 

Eric Waters

As veterans who were stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City, Jennifer Napolitano and her husband, Mark, took inspiration from their duty to country to start City Center’s first nanobrewery. With 10 drafts on rotation, AVDET Brewing, short for aviation detachment, neighbors The Happy Daisy Garden Center. 

“We wanted to have an outdoor area,” Jennifer Napolitano says. “The place that we found has a beautiful patio area, and that’s kind of what we were looking at when we thought about doing this. I think you can just see it with all the housing units going up, too. You can tell there’s definitely more people moving to the area now, [and] businesses are starting to feel that.” 

Other notable additions in City Center are antique furniture store EC Design and home goods store The Griffin Three. Despite competing for business in the area, shop owners encourage visitors to check other local stores for things they might not have. 

“You’ll very quickly and easily find the community support that is here,” Klages says of her peers. “It is the support that’s always been phenomenal.” 

First Stop 

As more people travel from out of town to partake in the vibrant opportunities that the area has – like the delicious food and fun environment at Montero’s Restaurant & Bar and community events like Trunk or Treat – City Center is everyone’s first stop on their way to downtown. 

“People still pass through City Center on a daily basis,” says Andy Montero, co-owner of Montero’s Restaurant & Bar. “They’re driving past your storefront or potential storefront.” 

Montero moved to Elizabeth City with his wife in 1999 after graduating college. They both recognized the city was a better environment to operate an independently owned business, and, in 2005, they retrofitted a Colonial-style farmhouse into an American eatery. Almost 20 years later, the Monteros’ restaurant has been able to withstand the changing tastes and preferences of the community. 

“I think it allowed folks to feel comfortable coming to Elizabeth City because they were starting to see businesses that they were used to,” Montero says about the chain restaurants and shops in the area. “It’s been nice to see things changing again. Our community is starting to ask for and support independent businesses again.” 

Quick, convenient establishments, like Panera Bread, Chick-fil-a and Starbucks, are available, but City Center’s independent restaurants, like Homestyle Bakery & Café and Currituck BBQ, are stopping travelers on their way to the Outer Banks. 

“I think it’s a reflection of the culture as a whole,” Montero says, “where our area is starting to balance out corporate, large business, and independent businesses are starting to comingle and survive in Elizabeth City.”