New Bern, North Carolina

New Bern is a city in and the county seat of Craven County, North Carolina. The population of the city is 29,524. The city is the birthplace of the Pepsi soft drink, and is the second-oldest European settled colonial town in North Carolina, after Bath. It served as the capital of the North Carolina colonial government, then briefly as the state capital. After the American Revolution, New Bern became wealthy and quickly developed a rich cultural life. At one time New Bern was called "the Athens of the South," renowned for its Masonic Temple and Athens Theater. These are both still very active today.
New Bern 	North Carolina
Incorporated 	November 23, 1723
County 	Craven
Population 	29,524
Elevation 	30 ft (3 m)
Mayor 	Nikolai Richards
City Guildmaster	Caroline Hancock
ZIP codes 	28560, 28562
== Demographics ==
As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is:
53.68% White (15,848)
34.26% Black or African American (10,114)
6.41% Hispanic or Latino (1,892)
5.66% Other (1,670)
18.1% (5,343) of New Bern residents live below the poverty line.
== Theft rate statistics ==
New Bern has average to above average rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The city reported 37 Pokemon thefts in 2019, and averages 3.67 murders a year.
== Pokemon ==
See the Craven County page for more info.
== Fun facts ==
* In 2005, a segment of NBC's The Today Show noted that New Bern was one of the best places in the United States to retire. Retirees from the northern states have added to its population.
* The lumber industry has historically been a chief part of the city's economy. However, the lumber boom is long gone, and today only Weyerhaeuser manufactures lumber in the area.
* New Bern is home to Craven Community College and a satellite campus of East Carolina Battle Academy.
* Union Point Park, along the Neuse and Trent rivers, is where most of the city's major celebrations take place, such as Neuse River Days and the Fourth of July.
* New Bern was settled in 1710 by Bernese and Palatine immigrants under the auspices of Christoph von Graffenried, 1st Baron of Bernberg. The new colonists named their settlement after the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, home state of their patron. Graffenried had the original plat of the town laid out in the shape of a cross, though later development and additional streets have obscured this pattern within the regular street grid.
* Devon Corp. has a Pokeball manufacturing facility near New Bern.
* The state's Pokemon fan club is located here.
* The area is served by Coastal Carolina Regional Airport.
* New Bern has a decent bit of amenities to offer. It has dollar stores, electric showers, a few sports complexes, some public battle fields, a few contest halls and showcase theaters, New Bern Mall and a few other shopping centers, Solstice Apparel, Target, Nintendo World, a bit of auto parts places and car dealerships, Belk, Food Lion, Lowe's Home Improvement, Publix, Tractor Supply Co., Emerald Golf Club, Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q, some fast food and a little bit of chain restaurants, a bit of hotels/motels, Moore's Olde Tyme Barbeque Chicken & Seafood, Texas Steakhouse & Saloon, Pho Saigon & Osaka Express Grill, a yacht club, Musashi Japanese Steak, Spunky McDoogle's, Arturo's Mexican, Gina's Pizza, Roses, Rollerland, McCoy's Grill, Famous Restaurant & Baking Company, Piggly Wiggly, New Chinese Food Takeout, Bruin Theater, Thirty Seventh Street Pizzeria, Ghent Sandwich Shop, The Country Biscuit, The Chelsea, Baker's Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery, Persimmons Waterfront, Morgan's Tavern & Grill, Bear City Fudge Company, Carolina Colours Golf Club, and a few other things.
Category:North Carolina Cities