1. No One Wastes Time In Greensboro
Greensborians love getting outdoors to move their bodies, especially with all the activities going on in Center City Park. Right smack dab in the middle of the city with a great view, you can take classes on everything from tai chi and jazzercise to funk aerobics and African dance. Grab your yoga mat or your headdress and head to the center of the city to join them.
2. And You’ll Never Hear A Rude Word
Sure, a lot of people are nice, but trust me, these people go above and beyond. Other than the obvious smiles, greetings, and general neighborly helpfulness,
Greensboro started 2014 with a public kindness meditation in the park. How’s that for starting the year off right?
3. Watching Movies Is A Community Affair
What’s better than watching movies outside during summer? Watching free movies outside during summer! Everyone gets together to watch on a humongous inflatable screen with blankets, picnics, and lawn chairs. Talk about a great way to meet new people.
4. Welcome To Tournament Town
Greensboro’s nickname is Tournament Town due to all the sports tournaments it hosts including the ACC Basketball Tournament and NCAA basketball games. The city has also hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and a number of national competitions at the new Greensboro Aquatic Center.
5. Shocker: There’s A Lot Of Green In Greensboro
There are ample areas for walking, biking and just enjoying the great outdoors in Greensboro, from the continuous park system, the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden and the many lakes, to the greenway that is currently under construction. There’s even talk about adding a bike share to downtown once the greenway is complete. Maybe that’s why it’s called Greens-boro.
6. And A Mountain Getaway Is Closer Than You Think
Greensboro’s landscape is rather flat, but the mountain majesty that is the Blue Ridge Parkway is just a couple of hours away. You can hike to breathtaking overlooks, play in waterfalls, see beautiful fall colors, or just head up for a picnic and a change of scenery.
7. South Elm Street Is Booming
South Elm Street is coming alive after years of vacant buildings with restaurants, antique shops, art galleries and other local businesses opening up. It’s all part of a redevelopment project to revitalize the core of the Boro. Keep your eyes peeled and check on it often, because it’s growing quickly.
8. Beware Of Alligators
Just kidding, but I got your attention, right? Well, there are alligators, and a bunch of other exotic animals you want at the Greensboro Science Center. It’s a zoo, science museum, SciQuairum and OmniTheater—part planetarium, part theater with a 40-foot dome ceiling that uses a cutting-edge Super MediaGlobe full-dome projection in 3-D. Yeah, it’s amazeballs.
9. Also Of Police On Segways
Have you ever been pulled over on a segway? The Center City Resource Team is a group of 10 officers that get to ride around on bikes and segways, and do some foot patrol in the central business district. It’s pretty cool since they keep things safe downtown, plus it’s just fun to see cops on segways.
10. Everyone Jumps At The Chance To See The Hoppers
The city's minor league baseball team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, keep NewBridge Bank Park hopping all season long. The stadium's seating capacity is only 7,499, so get your tickets early. Why are they named the Grasshoppers? No one’s sure, but it’s better than their two previous names: The Greensboro Bats and the Greensboro Hornets. Meh.
11. Brace Yourselves: The Food Trucks Are Coming
The food truck scene is exploding in the Boro and you’ll find them in all over the city. You can get everything from crepes and BBQ to Creole and ice cream. And the locals are digging it. The city’s first “Food Truck Derby” is happening this year on July 19th.
12. Dancing Is Practically The Official City Sport
If dancing is your thing, you won’t have to look far in this city, whether you like club music, jazz or country line dancing. Try Boston’s House of Jazz & Blues for a guaranteed awesome time. Whether you like to put on your skimpiest dress, grab your cowboy boots, or just go casual, you’ll find the perfect spot in Greensboro.
13. Except For When It’s Golf
Speaking of tournaments, every year Greensboro holds The Wyndham Championship, one of the oldest events of the PGA Tour. This year marks the 75th year of this Greensboro PGA event, the last event event before the Playoffs. It’s held at the Sedgefield Country Club, and this year is the 75th anniversary, so it would be a crime for true golf lovers to miss.
14. Don’t Be Fooled: This Southern Town Is Out And Proud
Just because you’re in the South, don’t think that the people in Greensboro are behind the times. The LGBT community has plenty of great spots to meet and mingle like Chemistry Nightclub, Q Lounge or Warehouse 29. And if you want a great church community, the coolest church in Greensboro is College Park Baptist Church, where they celebrate diversity and are all inclusive. The Greensboro Pride Festival offers another opportunity for everyone to celebrate and be proud of who they are. See, even the Bible Belt is progressing.
15. With A History Of Challenging the Status Quo
A lot of cities have museums, but few have a claim to fame in the history books like Greensboro. In 1960 four black citizens made history by refusing to leave Woolworth’s when they were denied service. The nonviolent protest soon spread all over the South and led to Woolworth’s desegregation.
Today you can learn all about the city’s role in changing society at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, in the original Woolworth’s building where it all began.
16. You Can Go All The Way At Yum Yum
This awesome hot dog and ice cream shop has been around for over 100 years. Seriously, Yum Yum Better Ice Cream and Hot Dogs has been here since Spring Garden was a dirt road. It’s brick walls and plastic tables aren’t that impressive, but the all-the-way chili dogs are, with mustard, chili, onions and slaw. Pair it with a can of Cheerwine and follow it up with some
homemade ice cream.
17. First Friday Is The Best Day Ever
Grab some friends and head out for a self-guided walking tour to discover the local artistic community and support locally-owned businesses, galleries, and art studios. It doesn’t hurt that you get to bar hop, try new restaurants, and hear great music.
18. Get Monster Biscuits At Smith Street Diner
Monster is not an exaggeration. These biscuits are HUGE. They are also flaky, buttery, hot and delicious. They‘ll strongly caution you against ordering two, and for good reason, it is highly unlikely that you’ll be able to eat two. These suckers are monstrous and will rock your tastebuds.
19. Once A Year You Can Jam To Beach Music In The Park
There might not be a beach in Greensboro, but the city still features some of the hottest beach music bands every summer at the BB&T Beach Music in the Park concert series. Everyone comes together to dance the night away, eat great food and drink outside to rockin’ beach music. They might even sing, “I wish they all could be Greensboro, girls, girls, girls!”
20. Greensboro Has A Bigger Sweet Tooth Than You
Hershey’s is practically a joke in this city. There’s only one chocolatier in Greensboro, but they really only need one. Loco for Coco Gourmet Chocolates has all the classics: Truffles, tortes, fudge, toffee and everything else you could want you could desire to quench your chocolate cravings.
21. The Roller Derby Is Rockin’
Love to watch people hit each other but bored of the Grasshoppers? Never fear, because the Greensboro Roller Derby has three home teams: Battleground Betties, Mad Dollies and the Elm St. Nightmares, and the Gate City Roller Girls all-star team. Head to the Greensboro Coliseum between March and November to watch these athletes prove that roller skating is no girly sport.
What do you love about living in Greensboro? Let us know in the comments below.
