Greensboro Daily Photo

On Westover Terrace

Some people dream of the future and technological innovation. Others are quite content to live in the present. Still others, have a little piece of their heart in the past. We suspect the residents of the above home fall into the past-loving category. In front of their house we see the retro lawn chairs and that beauty of a 1956 Dodge Royal. Can't you imagine sitting in that yard in the evening, catching fireflies with your children, and piling in that sedan to head for an ice cream... maybe even at nearby Yum-Yum.

The Westover Terrace of today is a street dissected by Benjamin Parkway. It has a busy part by Grimsley High School and Wendover Avenue. It also has a little section on the edge of Westerwood. The above house is located on that section that cuts through from Friendly Avenue to Aycock Street. As we drove by, we could almost imagine Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and Carl Perkins music playing on that car radio. 

Q is for Quantity and Quality

The yard sale season is upon us. Increasingly, people are painting, repurposing and reselling surplus items from their homes. The above photo features a sale from a while back when the Thrill of the Hunt was still on Battleground Avenue.* It is amazing what one can accrue over the course of a year. As college students move home for the summer, household items and tchotchkes can grow exponentially. With Craigs list, community sales, and personal yard sales, one person's trash becomes another's treasure.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our Go GREEN Greensboro series, we're featuring "Q" for quantity and quality. Websites abound with suggestions for decluttering and paring down to owning things that really matter for us. If you spent a week considering the items that brought more quality to your life, what would you get rid of? Quality over quantity is a good first step in going green. If you don't mind quibbling over price and you need to get out from under the quagmire of stuff, consider organizing a sale in your neighborhood...... or ours!

*The Thrill of the Hunt is now located downtown across from the Mellow Mushroom on South Elm Street.

Bill Black Chevrolet Cadillac

If you are longtime readers of our blog, you know that we love family-owned businesses, especially ones that value history. Bill Black 's Chevrolet Cadillac dealership  is one such business. It first opened in 1955 on East Market Street in downtown Greensboro (also selling Oldsmobiles). Since 1966, they have been at their current location at 601 East Bessemer Avenue. In 2004, they purchased North State Chevrolet and, according to their website, kept many of the North State employees.   Their website has a paragraph on the dealership's history. We'd really be happy if they would also feature photos of the "good old days."  They are located on the edge of the Aycock Historic District, where homes look like they did decades ago. 

We're not sure if the dealership's flag was flying half mast on the day we drove by. We do know that Old Glory looked majestic as she rippled in the air, high above Bessemer and Yanceyville Avenues.

K is for Kids

The above photo was taken at the tennis courts in Sunset Hills; last year, when it was warm at the end of March. The children look so unencumbered with their absence of shoes and winter garmets.  It is heartwarming to see children enjoying the out of doors. At first glance, you will see a trio of children. Look closer and find the fourth.

Yellow, blooming forsythia in the forground frame the photo and distance the children from the street. Forsythia are flowering plants in the Oleaceae or olive family. Befitting to photograph children with this plant, given the olive branch is a symbol of peace- dating back to the 5th century BC.  As Jews enjoy Passover and Christians prepare to celebrate Easter, let us hope that the world can become more harmonious and peaceful and that children and nature alike can be nurtured. Today is ABC Wednesday;  for this A-Z round, our theme is GO GREEN GREENSBORO and K is for KIDS, happy, healthy kids, playing outside and enjoying nature in all its glory. Peace...

Blue Oasis at Greenway at Fisher Park

The Greenway Apartments at Fisher Park have been built and people are already living in them. Here we see a photo of the swimming pool on the Smith Street side. On a hot summer day, we can't imagine anything finer than going for a swim before heading over to a baseball game. Poolside, without leaving home, residents will be able to enjoy the stadium's Friday night fireworks.

These 4.2 residential acres, that used to be part of North State Chevrolet, are less than a year old but already seem as if they have been part of the Greensboro landscape forever.  The apartments are a stone's throw from the downtown Greenwary and a mere block away from the new Deep Roots Coop. We've been thinking about purchasing a hybrid car this week. Even better, we could just live close to everything and walk. Soon, in Greensboro, it is going to start seeming like spring- and we're ready. Maybe we can rent a night on one of these lounge chairs and pretend like we are on a blue oasis...

This Old House

This house is located in the 500 block of North College Road, across from Cheryl David's law office. It is amazing how rural this property looks, a main house with two outbuildings, considering it is so near Quaker Village and all of the professional offices in the neighborhood. This photo was taken in an asphalt parking lot of an office building looking onto the property. It is just down the road from Guilford College and, as the crow flies is not much more than a mile from Coble Farm on West Friendly.  We imagine the neighborhood looked a lot more like the scene above as recently as thirty years ago. Now, the road from Friendly to West Market street is slowly becoming lot to lot retail and professional buildings. It would be nice to keep a homestead or two like this preserved in the area so that children could know the way their ancestors lived in rural America. Next time you drive down North College road, look for this place. It is perched on a hill, beyond a cement wall. It has a lovely front porch and nice gingerbread detailing. It is so cozy...... and within walking distance to practically everything!

Man and Dog II en Route to Southside

Today we are on Greensboro's Southside neighborhood, walking down Martin Luther King Drive near South Elm Street. We are behind a responsible pet owner who not only has his dog on a leash, he also has a plastic bag, just in case..... As the man talks on the phone, the dog is obediently heeling and walking in step with his owner. If all the dogs were this obedient and all of the owners this responsible, Greensboro would be darn near perfect! 

The duo are headed in the direction of the horseshoe-shaped building that used to house the Vintage 301 Restaurant. The new restaurant in this spot is Dame's Chicken and Waffles. The parent location is in Durham, NC.  Read a little about their history, here. Their tag line is "almost famous." It might be nice to try the dish now. Who knows what will happen if Dame's becomes FAMOUS. As for Southside, with a new restaurant and a park in-process, this part of town seems to be generating interest again. Hopefully, they will have some venues for First Friday, on March the 1st.

Z is for Zero, Ground Zero (27401)

The Fisher Park neighborhood was built at the beginning of the 20th century with most of the homes erected before 1940. The actual park, in which the above Genesis Marker is situated, consists of approximately 14 acres and is billed as Greensboro's "premiere civic open space" (reference).Today's photo of the Genesis Marker in Fisher Park was selected because genesis means "beginning."  The Genesis Marker is the "Ground Zero" for Greensboro; the beginning of the city, the geographic center of the county. From the Genesis Marker, the city radiates equally in all directions. We could actually describe our Greensboro neighborhoods in terms of their distance from the Genesis Marker. The marker is so unassuming, tucked in its little spot between North and South Park Drives and Elm Street to the west and Church Street to the east. Historian Jim McLamroch erected the Genesis Marker to honor and document the city's early history.

Since this round of ABC Wednesday, we focused on the neighborhoods of Greensboro and Greensboro doesn't have a Z neighborhood, we thought it would be nice to feature the Genesis Marker as Z is for Ground ZERO.

In case you are interested, here are the A-Z neighborhoods we have featured on the wonderful ABC Wednesday meme over the last 26 weeks: Adams Farm, Brown Town, The Cardinal, Dudley Heights, Eastern Shores, Forest Oaks, Guilford Hills, Hamilton Lakes, Irving Park, Jefferson Gardens, Kings Forest, Longview Hills, McAdoo Heights, NEW Irving Park, O. Henry Oaks, Pleasant Garden, Reedy Fork, Starmount, Tammanary Forest, (the end of the alphabet is nearly neighborhood-less) University Neighborhoods, (Green) Valley, Westerwood, Xtra Xtra News and Record for all the neighborhoods, Year 5 of GDP and our featuring your neighborhoods, and today's Z for Ground Zero! We hope you enjoyed these posts. We have thououghly enjoyed driving through so many of  Greensboro's neighborhoods over the last six months. 

Centenary United Methodist Church

        Centenary United Methodist Church on Friendly Avenue is located on the northern edge of the Sunset Hills neighborhood, where the light balls are hoisted into the trees for all to enjoy. In the foreground, you see members of Centenary Church out caroling last Sunday evening. The voices were lovely and the carolers were as pleasant as could be. They thanked us for taking their photo and invited us to come to church. Tonight will be very different from the quiet streets with just the carolers and cars as thousands of people will descend on this part of town for the 5K run under the lighted Christmas balls. The streets will be closed to vehicles and the run is sold out. Fun will be had by all. The neighborhood's Christmas balls even have their own website.

        With Duke Energy's recent trimming of the trees in nearby Westerwood, Sunset Hills residents are running a little bit scared. The power company says that they need to trim trees to keep neighborhoods safe during inclement weather; however, we can't imagine Sunset Hills without their giant trees, with or without decorations. Let's hope that the trees of Sunset Hills don't suffer the same fate as the ones in Westerwood.

        Oh and to the youth group at Centenary Methodist, we bet that if you sell hot chocolate tonight, you will make LOTS of money to fill all of those empty stockings of the people you work so tirelessly to help. Here's to a great evening for the church AND for a great evening for Sunset Hills' giant, family-friendly fundraiser. Also, since Sunday is the day we reserve for something spiritual, we'd like to send condolences out to Billy Jones and his family. Billy Jones, East Greensboro's most vocal advocate on the blogosphere and frequent commenter on GDP, lost his son last week. Losing a child is never easy. Billy, our heart goes out to you and your family. Let's all pause for a few minutes of silent meditation and run a few steps for Jason Alan Jones....

                                                                          

Sunset HIlls at Christmas

Sunset Hills is THE drive-through neighborhood for Christmas in Greensboro. In the above photo, you see a house on Ridgeway Drive. As seen in the photo, this house alone has more than a dozen of the light-wrapped, chicken wire balls suspended from the trees. These ubiquitious decorations are the hallmark of the neighborhood. Can you imagine driving through a house where almost everyone participates in the elaborate ritual of hoisting these decorations into the trees? Well, tomorrow, about 1,500 people are going to run through Sunset Hills, enjoying the decorations and raising money for charity at the same time. If you are local, you have to see this event, as well as the decorations that brought fame to the neighborhood just southeast of Friendly Center.

Pamplona, Spain may have the Running of the Bulls; however, Greensboro, North Carolina will have an event called The Running of the Balls. The event will be a 5K run through Sunset Hills, with people playing and singing live music along the way, which is being billed as one of the most decorated neighborhood in Greensboro.

V is for Valley, Greensboro's Green Valley

This house on Hobbs Road is located in the Green Valley neighborhood. As we struggled to find a "V" neighborhood for our ABC Wednesday series, we realized that it would be nice to feature Green Valley. It is such a nice neighborhood with a great location; it has a wonderful swim and tennis club (The Swamp) and a great sense of community. Green Valley is a diamond shaped neighborhood extending from Westridge in the northwest corner to Green Valley in the southeast. It covers a little over a square mile and encompasses the Bog Garden and Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden. Green Valley backs up to Friendly Center and the majority of the homes were built in the 1960's and 1970's, after Friendly Center opened.

Driving around the Green Valley neighborhood, you do notice Greensboro's hills and valleys . From the top of Cascade to where it becomes Cornwalis, to Hobbs Road, you reach a low elevation near the Bog Garden.

The above brick cape home- 1410 Hobbs Road-  at the corner of Alderman Drive, was built in 1966. The home has an understated simplicity, from its rectangular shape and dormerless roof to the unadorned holiday greenery. The home evokes the concept of discernment, something that is important in our Quaker community. Discernment is the ability to judge well, to get at that which really matters. To the builders of this home, it was important to be efficient with space (5 bedrooms 2.5 baths) while providing a good roof over a family's head and without unnecessary embellishments. 1410 Hobbs represents the neighborhood well.

Today is ABC Wednesday and V is for Valley, Green Valley. See Greensboro A-U neighborhoods, here.

Silent Meditation and Repose at St. Paul's

The Advent season is upon us. Neighborhoods are aglow with Christmas lights, inflatables, music, and garland. Traffic in Greensboro was bumper to bumper on Ridgeway and Madison Avenues in Sunset Hills last night as people drove around looking at the chicken wire light balls hanging from the trees. The fundraising run through Sunset Hills next Sunday is sold out with about 1,500 runners. People are busy. Busy. Busy. 'Tis the season.

Battleground and Wendover Avenues are choked with traffic. Greensboro has entered the period of manic holiday shopping. Wagoner's Christmas tree lots seem to be selling North Carolina Christmas trees at breakneck pace. Christmas pagents, Secret Santas, deep discounts at department stores, holiday gift exchanges and office parties keep those who celebrate Christmas scheduled from morning to night. Perhaps we should all look for a quiet, sacred space to sit, meditate, and catch our breath as we enter the last two weeks before Christmas.

This triangular ceiling at St. Paul's Catholic Church on Horse Pen Creek Road seems to be a place for great repose.

1009 West McGee

Today, we're spending one more day on West McGee Street and sharing this little diamond in the rough. The above bungalow was built in 1917, five years earlier than yesterday's home. We love the color and the December greenery and even the scruffy yard. It looks as if we have stepped back in time in this historic district home. The College Hill neighborhood became a historic district in 1980. This is three bedrooms of sheer coziness will turn 100 in a few years. Hopefully, it will get a coat of fresh trim paint and a little sprucing up to celebrate its centennial. The exterior pillars, made of locally quarried rock, are a fabulous detail. The front yard steps are a reminder that Greensboro is not completely flat and College Hill comes by its name honestly. The home is located by two colleges and up on a hill! Can't you imagine sharing a mug of hot chocolate or a cup of coffee on that front porch?.........

U is for University Neighborhoods

Well, it took us until "U" to hit a snag with our A,B,C Neighborhoods of Greensboro theme for ABC Wednesday. That we can think of, Greensboro has no "U" neighborhood. As a matter of fact, Greensboro only has 8 streets that start with the letter "U" (Ulster, Underwood, Union, United, University, Upland, Urban, and Utah). However, between Greensboro and High Point, we do have three universities, three community college campuses, and four colleges. So, with ten institutions of higher education, and a law school, not to mention satellite campuses from as far away as the University of Phoenix, we hereby dub today "university neighborhood" day. Colleges and universities are a vital part of our Greensboro community and their surrounding neighborhoods give students and faculty a place to work, live, and study that minimizes commuting time.

 

    The above photo, taken in the College Hill neighborhood at 1004 West McGee Street. Looking closely, you will notice that a building on the Greensboro College campus sits in the back yard of this 1922 house. When the college was established in 1838 on nearly 80 acres just west of downtown, the surrounding neighborhood was rural. UNCG was established in 1891 and by the time the house in the photo was built, College Hill was a true college neighborhood. The above home reflects that craftsman, bungalow style so ever-popular in the 1920's. So, dear readers, today is ABC Wednesday and "U" is for university neighborhoods, representing all of our many neighborhoods near our multiple campuses. 

 

    From here to the end of the alphabet on the A-Z neighborhood round, we're going to have to get pretty creative. A-T were a little more straightforward. See the houses and read about those neighborhoods featured here.

T is for Tamannary Forest

Tamannary Forest is a neighborhood that is almost a peninsula, with Lakes Townsend and Jeanette wrapping around it. Tamannary Forest is located directly across the street from Air Harbor Airport off of Air Harbor Road. One could land a plane and walk home in no time if living on the above property. This view characterizes the neighborhood.  Homes, built from the mid 1980's to mid 1990's, are graciously large.  Lots are nearly an acre in size and wooded, making the houses difficult to see from the road when leaves are on the trees. This time of year, however, views are memorable. Tree trunks and limbs cast long, reaching shadows over the forest floor- a place where fairytales look as if they could come to life.

Technically, Tamannary Forest is not within the city limits so residents escape paying city taxes on these homes, which cost upwards of half a million dollars. Tamannary must fly under the radar, literally (airport) and figuratively, as virtually nothing is published about the neighborhood and not even the origin of the word Tamannary is not clear and there doesn't appear to be a neighborhood website. Regardless, it is lovely; today is ABC Wednesday and T is for Tamannary Forest. (Quickly scroll through A-S Greensboro here).

Duane at Chartreuse

Duane is a freelance artist who turns old factory carts into coffee tables. He takes parts of farm and mill equipment, mostly wooden, and transforms them into lighting. In short, he restores and preserves iconic pieces of Greensboro's history. Above, we see him working away in back of cHARTreUSE, an artist/antique center on Merritt Drive. Duane's whole family is artistically gifted. He and his son have performed in CTG's Wizzard of Oz together. His wife is creative, too. How wonderful when family members have so much in common.

With the building of the nearby Spring Place, a community of student housing, on land that once held Pomona Cotton Mill, Duane's creations are coming full circle- without leaving the neighborhood- from mill, to Duane's hands, back to the nearby apartments. 

This scene is right around the corner from our favorite little red mill house and Deep Roots Market; a little neighborhood that is developing tremendous character. It would be great if Deep Roots Westside would not have to close when Deep Roots Eastside opens! For now, stop by and marvel at Duane's woodworking skills and then head to Deep Roots for a giant tahini cookie! Better yet, treat Duane to one!

S is for Starmount

Today's photo takes us to Madison Avenue in the heart of Starmount Forest. The scene evokes the feeling that.... all paths lead to home. Every house should have a proper entrance making it clear to the visitor where one enters and exits. There is no question about this charming cottage. Walk between the split in the stone fence, between the rose bushes, along the slate path, through the hinged, white picket fence, up to the wreathed door. Welcome! This house is so inviting and characterizes the charm of Sreensboro's Starmount Forest neighborhood. 

The Starmount Forest neighborhood bordered by West Friendly Avenue to the North and West Market Street to the South. It flows from West Wendover Avenue to Hamilton Lakes. One of its key features is the 150 acre Starmount Forest Country Club, located in the southwest quadrant of the neighborhood. The acerage is nearly 2 square miles, with a population of approximately 3,500 people. While some homes were built pre-1930's and and post-1950's; however, the bulk of the homes were constructed in the 1950's.

Starmount is the Americanization of the name Stern (star) berger (mountain). The Sternbergers were early citizens of Greensboro and responsible for many of Greensboros fine properties. While our lovely home today is in Starmount Forest, and not in Starmount Farms, this article provides some interesting insight into the philanthropy of the Sternberger family. Today is ABC Wednesday. This round, we're featuring neighborhoods of Greensboro and S is for Starmount Forest.

Reedy Fork Elementary

Reedy Fork Elementary is located in the heart of the Reedy Fork Ranch neighborhood, off of the Reedy Fork Parkway exit of Highway 29- just north of Hicone Road. The above photo of of the school was taken on Veterans Day, just as the rains transitioned from a drizzle to a downpour. The school is not only new and modern, it has many environmentally friendly and useful features.  Here are some examples of green solutions that are innovative and educational:

* a daylight lighting design system unique to Guilford County;

* rainwater used for toilet flushing;

* energy efficient exterior and solar reflective roofs;

* underfloor air distribution system;

* 3D experimental learning centers.

With the completion of this project as well as several other new schools, the Guilford County School system has established itself as a leader in green design They encourage architects and engineers to incorporate not only eco-sensible, but also curriculum-relevant features into the design.

Our favorite feature is a giant sundial located on the outside of the school (see below). Everywhere you look in this school, you are surrounded by somthing of interest; from bio-swales to wetlands, every minute outside is potentially a teachable moment. Read here for more details about this fabulous structure.

  

Q is for Quaker Run

The above home, located at 3326 Quaker Run Road is a representative view of fall in Greensboro- porch lights on at dusk; a pile of leaves waiting to be jumped in and hauled away; hardwood trees without leaves; clusters of mums; a seasonal wreath; pumpkins on the porch; and gourds scattered all around. We can almost smell the mulled cider and cinnamon candles in the kitchen. The above home was built in 1990 during Greensboro's housing boom and during the time when construction in the Quaker Run neighborhood was well under way.

Quaker Run is a neighborhood filled with street names relevant to religions getting their start in the 1600-1700's : Friendsview Drive, Meeting House Drive, Shaker Drive, and Puritan Drive. The neighborhood, located between Horse Pen Creek and Battleground at the point where it dips to about its lowest elevation. It is a cozy neighborhood of largely college-educated folks who work hard to keep the neighborhood nice. On the average, homes in this neighborhood are about the size of this gray-green beauty with colonial red shutters.

Today is ABC Wednesday and Q is for Quaker Run. Most people playing Scrabble or alphabet games dread the letter Q; in Greensboro, we love it. We've got the largest enclave of Quakers outside of New England.  Quakers were some of the first settlers in North Carolina as our state had established religious freedom in the late 1600's (reference). We also have the only Quaker-founded college in the Southeast United States. We also have the Quaker Acres neighborhood off of Friendly Avenue not too far from the Friends' Meeting House at New Garden and Friendly. Quaker history abounds in our area. The neigborhoods don't have a religious affiliation, but they do remind us of our Quaker heritage. And they do start with Q! Have a quiet, quality, post-election day.

See A-P in our neighborhood series here.

P for Pleasant Garden

Today is ABC Wednesday and Pleasant Garden was chosen for the letter P. It is a 15-square mile town just southeast of Greensboro, located off of Highway 421 and just north of Hagan Stone Park. What is known as Pleasant Garden today got its start in 1786 when northerners established a Methodist Episcopal church there. This original church remains and, today, is known as Pleasant Garden United Methodist Church. Pleasant Garden is a town that thrives because of its many volunteers, one of whom has posted an informative history on the town's website.

The above farm, land and outbuildings, is located on Pleasant Garden Road, at the intersection of Davis Mill Road- a little north of Pleasant Garden's town limits. While Pleasant Garden has plenty of modern homes, this farm evokes the feel of the traditional way of life the community saught to protect when incorporating in 1997. If you want to experience this sense of community, you have two opportunities this week. On Saturday, November 3rd, they are having a holiday craft fair at the Town Hall Picnic Pavilion, located at 4920 Alliance Church Road. A Veterans Appreciation Day Event will be held on Sunday, November 11th at 2pm, at the Pleasant Garden Fire Department. With a population of just under 5,000, you can bet that you will see a majority at these upcoming events. And, if you visit in spring, you will have the opportunity to see some pretty serious community baseball events.

If you are following Greensboro neighborhoods series, see A-O here.

Halloween on Hillside Drive

Last weekend, as we were traipsing the Westerwood Neighborhood for the "Art and Sole" Walking Art Tour, we stumbled upon 312 Hillside Drive. The simplicity of this Halloween-themed door impressed us. A little duct tape, paper plates, plastic fringe and, taaa daaaaa, you've got a festive door. The yellow tabby who owns this house was non-plussed about the fact that his fur was not exactly what the black fur that Halloween holiday expects.

Shotgun House

We're back in McAdoo Heights today to show you a little piece of history. The above home, located at 1918 Golden Gate Drive is significant because, it is said to be the last remaining shotgun house in all of Greensboro that is still used as a house (reference).  This red shingled shotgun, with the white addition in the front, perched above a cement retaining wall, is easily unnoticed as one drives down Golden Gate Drive. 

Shotgun houses were the most popular type of house in the southern states of the USA from the time of the Civil War until the 1920's. Shotgun houses are houses that are usually 12' or less wide and the rooms are built one behind the other without and hallway. Typically, you go from the front porch to the living room to a bedroom (or two) to a back room/kitchen to the back porch.*  They were called shotgun houses because if you fired a gun through the front door, the bullet would go all the way out the back door without hitting anything. This once prevalent model of housing fell out of favor in the 1940's, and, after WWII, was considered substandard. In Greensboro, many houses of this style were torn down during the redevelopment of east Greensboro in the 1960's (reference). 

With that addition in front, it looks like the above home has changed its orientation from front to back to side to side. Shotgun houses are efficient because no space is wasted on hallways; however, they are pretty inconvenient when someone has to walk through your bedroom in the middle of the night to get to the bathroom. Being the last of something, we think the neighborhood (or the city..... or HGTV..) should treat this 644 square foot,  two-bedroom, 1935 home to a restoration-makeover..... landscape and all. It is part of our mill town's history.

 

*reference.... Perhaps the most famous person to have been born in one was Elvis Presley.

 

Battleground Brewer's Guild

The Battleground Brewer's Guild is located on Ballinger Road at Longview Hills. It is one of those rare, hold-out farms in the once bucolic area. Both the Brewer's Guild and  Coble Farm- a stone's throw away on the next hill- are close to being choked out by development. For now, however, the Battleground Brewer's Guild, founded in 2000, looks like it is there to stay.

The brewer's guild is centered around learning to brew and enjoy good beer.  A lot of learning, teaching and enjoying goes on during their monthly meetings. The organization's next big event is a members-only Octoberfest celebration this Saturday. Shortly thereafter, they will hold Skirmish in the Triad (November 3rd), their fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

The serendipitious uncovering of Battleground Brewer's Guild had us giddy with excitement this weekend. As we were exploring the Longview Hills neighborhood, we first noticed the cows, then the sign, then the grill, then the hops growing up the string. If you are over 21 and interested in this organization, read more here. Who knows, you may even be able to join soon enough to get in on these events. As for us, we are just thrilled to see cows and farmland so close to town.

L is for Longview Hills

Today is ABC Wednesday and for this round, we're featuring neighborhoods of Greensboro. For "L," we have Lake Jeanette, Latham Park, and Lindley Park, and likely a few others. We selected Longview Hills because we knew very little about the area and wanted to learn more. Longview Hills is a tiny neighborhood, less than a quarter of a square mile in size with a population of almost 350 residents. The neighborhood, extensively developed between 1970-1990, is built on what seems to have been farmland in a part of town that was a large Quaker settlement. The neighborhood has residents with above-average (for Greensboro) rates of bachelor's and master's degree. The neighborhood is close to Guilford College. 

Longview Hills is located just off Ballinger Road between I-73 and New Garden Road. It is a stone's throw from Friends Home and Arcadia Drive.  Buckhorn Road, Gretchen Lane, King George Drive, and Wakefield Place are also part of this neighborhood.  We are actually cheating a little bit as the above property is located at 1100 Rustic Road and Rustic is one street beyond the perimeter of Longview Hills. However, the property, built in 1955, is such a beauty and has probably the best view in the city of Longview Hills. Rustic Road actually becomes Arcadia at the bend in the road, just after this house. Also part of Arcadia runs through Longview Hills. 

We are intrigued by how these neighborhoods of Greensboro got their names and the extent to which the residents see the neighborhood a cohesive entity. The bridge is being rebuild at the Lenord Recreation Center end of the neighborhood; so don't plan on using it as a cut-through!

K is for Kings Forest

Today's neighborhood visit takes us deep in the heart of Kings Forest of northeast Greensboro. Lord Foxley Drive, featured above, is located off of Phillips Avenue near the juncture where it becomes Huffine Mill Road. Sandwiched between Woodbriar Estates and Nealtown Farms, the boundaries of Kings Forest extend from Phillips Avenue in the south to just beyond Old Hickory Drive in the west and Sir Galahad Road to the east. Close to 3,000 people live in this .373 square miles of neighborhood. Kings Forest was developed primarily in the 1960's and 1970's with almost no houses older than 1950 or newer than the late 1990's. While the above homes may be on the newer side for the area, they are indicative of the great care that homeowners take in this neighborhood's houses and lawns.

The street signs in Kings Forest read like the nooks and crannies of a Renaissance festival: King Arthur Place, Sir Galahad Road, Prince Charles Drive, Larchmont Drive and Lord Foxley Drive. Foxley is a village in the county of Norfolk, England, known for having an ancient woodland believed to be over 6,000 years old and dating to the end of the last ice age.* One can only imagine the trees that were in Kings Forest before the area was developed.

Kings Forest is an example of a neighborhood we wish had more written about it. "Whosoever dubbed the neighborhood Kings Forest?" beseech the keepers of Greensboro Daily Photo. We're sharing this post with our dear friends at ABC Wednesday as part of our ABC Neighborhoods of Greensboro series. Today's letter is "K" for "Kings Forest." Enjoy our featured A-J neighborhoods here. And the quest for L-Z begins now!

 

*reference.

Mr. Crow of Ainsworth Drive

Yesterday's Mr. Turkey of Jefferson Gardens loves to run the neighborhood; however, crows are in stiff competition for being the lead birds. They heckle Mr. Turkey every chance they get. At the time of this photo, several crows were foraging on the ground and the crow on the sign was enjoying his elevated vantage point. While up there, he used the sign as an implement to clean off his beak. He raked his beak across the top of the sign several times. Birds hate having anything on their beaks. There is some evidence that crows have extremely high IQ's and, they not only use tools, they can make them. 

Since Ainsworth Drive is the street with all of the decorations at Christmas, perhaps Mr. Crow was plotting to assemble something on his own. He has the smarts and he sure was being vocal about something. It is so much fun to follow the hapenings in our Greensboro neighhborhoods. The longer we look, the more we appreciate. The more we appreciate, the longer we look.....

J is for Jefferson Gardens

    Jefferson Gardens is a neighborhood located off of Jefferson Road, between Friendly Avenue and Hobbs Road. The above house is located on Hayfield Lane; perhaps there was a hayfield here before the house was built in 1972. This neighborhood backs up to Price Park and to 240-acres owned by Guilford College. The natural area behind the houses of Jefferson Gardens attracts plenty of wildlife. As you can see, on the day we were photographing the neighborhood, a wild turkey walked out of the woods and was hanging out on Hayfield Lane. Residents say the turkey thinks it is their pet. 

    Jefferson Gardens is only made up of six main streets (Hayfield Lane, Broadmoor Place, Thorncliff Drive, Elderwood Place, Ainsworth Drive, and Bennington Drive- the main artery) and a few cul-de-sacs. The small neighborhood, with one way in and out, is fairly quiet eleven months a year. Come December, Ainsworth Drive is ablaze with a multiple-home display of Christmas lights and decorations. People from miles around make an annual tradition of driving by and enjoying the festive street.

    Today is ABC Wednesday and J is for Jefferson Gardens. View our A-H neighborhoods here.

Could 911 Find Your Home?

On many homes in Greensboro, it is really hard to figure out the street address. We learned this fact when touring neighborhoods to find homes to feature in Greensboro Daily Photo posts. As a matter of fact, for the house we featured yesterday, the street adress was not readily apparent. However, the above house, just down the street on Country Club Drive, features their street address prominently. It is painted into the walkway- visitible even from the air! Notice,also, the small, brass 710 plaque on the brick column on the right. If you were 911, which number do you think you would see first?

Years ago, teenagers would come around and stencil your house number on your steps or curb so that it would be readily availabe from the street. Usually, homeoners would provide a dollar or two for this service. Perhaps it is time to bring back these roving entrepreneurs. They could save lives! Walk around your street; look to the left; look to the right; look across the street; look at your own house; and help get everyone "emergency" ready.... Finding your house for a dinner party would be gravy!

I is for Irving Park

    The Irving Park neighborhood, located just north of Downtown Greensboro, was a 350-acre project created by the Southern Real Estate Company  at the beginning of the 20th century.* From Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Bryan and Alfred M. Scales in the past, to entrepreneurs and business owners today, Irving Park has been home to some of Greensboro's most influential residents.  At the center of this prestigious neighborhood is the Greensboro Country Club. The above Irving Park house, located near the country club on Country Club Drive, overlooks the club's immaculate and spacious golf course. It has plenty of acerage, square footage and impeccable design. It exudes Irving Park charm. The residents of this home must feel like they are living in the Pantheon or some other ancient, magnificent structure.

    

    Today is ABC Wednesday and for this round, we're featuring the neighborhoods of Greensboro. I is for Irving Park, Old Irving Park. See A-H neighborhoods, here. Country Club Drive is the street featured with yesterday's walkers; exempifying the fact that even in Greensboro's neighborhoods with giant homes, people find a way to build a sense of community.

* Fripp, G.(1998)  Greensboro Neighborhoods, Volume II, p. 68.

Out for Late Afternoon Walk

Well, yesterday we boasted that we've featured just about every mode of transportation. Perhaps we missed one: getting from Point A to Point B on foot! Walking is a GREAT mode of transportation. Above, a group of 5 women are out for a late-afternoon stroll along Country Club Drive. It has been beautiful walking weather over the last few days and Greensboro loves to walk. We especially enjoy walking with friends and with our dogs. 

Today is September 11.**  This past weekend, hundreds of people walked up and down the steps of Bellemeade Parking Deck to raise money in honor of September 11 victims*  While the above women aren't out fundraising for 9/11, they do remind us that feeling safe enough to walk along our streets with friends is one of the best examples of freedom.  As you walk today- even if it is just to and from the coffee pot at work,  reflect on something that makes you thankful. Post it in our comments, if you have time.

*see News & Record article and photos.

**  Last year for 9/11, we featured a commemorative plaque.

4308 Starmount Drive

While you have Hamilton Lakes fresh on your mind, allow us to share another property in the same neighborhood. The above home, built in 1984, is located on 4308 Starmount Drive, not too far from yesterday's featured home. This glossy, dark-gray house, with the Lily Pulitzer green grass and pink door, had a non-descript, red-brick façade when it sold two years ago. For sure, the current owners have brought the look into the 21st century. The door just pops into view as you approach the intersection with Nut Bush Road. How relaxing it would be to sit on that porch and watch the neighbors pass by.

Starmount Road is one of the longest, most twisted roads in town and it extends way beyond Hamilton Lakes. If you really want to get to know the character of Greensboro living, consider starting at the Lindley Park end of Starmount (@Green Valley) where it almost crosses Market Street twice. Then, follow Starmount as it winds across Holden and along Starmount Forest Country Club where it ends at Madison Avenue. Starmount homes have such character and personality and, to be sure, there is something for everybody!

 

Fishing on Labor Day

Yesterday, this father and son duo were enjoying some late afternoon fishing in Lake Hamilton. They didn't seem to be having a lot of luck, but, then again, fishing isn't always about the luck. It is about the fellowship, the fun, and the hopefulness that comes when waiting.. with bait on a hook and a line in water. The lake, located in the heart of the Hamilton Lakes neighborhood, was so peaceful yesterday and fairly clear, considering it has been raining in Greensboro. There is a large swan is quite at home on Lake Hamilton, and is oblivious to what his human guests are up to.

While we were walking the trails around the lake, we saw at least six different kinds of mushrooms; some with interesting shapes and colors. If you like to hunt mushrooms, locally, weather conditions have been perfect these last few days. All the mature hardwood trees in Hamilton Lakes, along with the leaf mulch, seemed to invite the fleshy, spore-bearing fungus.

Today, routines are back to normal, the boy in the above photo is back in school, maybe even talking about the "one they caught" or the "one that got away." Likely, dad is back at work taking about the good time he had with his son. Even without this photo, the memory is one the little boy will have in his heart- for a very long time. 

G is for Guilford Hills.....

    Today is ABC Wednesday. This round, we're featuring A-Z neighborhoods of Greensboro  and "G" is for Guilford Hills. Guilford Hills is the area just west of Battleground Avenue and north of Green Valley Road. Women's Hospital, Earthfare and the Elks Club are a few of the many well-known places in Guilford Hills. The northern border is David Caldwell Drive and the westernmost street is Benjamin Parkway/Bryan Boulevard. (Remember, neighborhoods have, in most cases relatively-arbitrary borders, or "logical borders" like that grand of highway known as Bryan Blvd.). Guilford Hills is actually less than one square mile and has less than 2,000 people living in it. Many of the homes in this neighborhood were built in the 1950's and 1960's. Built in 1954, the Fortune Lane home above, is no exception. It is a good example of the sensible coziness of the homes in this neighborhood.

    

    Guilford Hills is a quiet neighborhood. The houses make great starter homes as well as great "downsize" homes, as evidenced by the demographics being highest at the near-30 and near- 70-year-olds populating this neighborhood.  An older, GDP reader once told us that he used to ride horses on his friend's farm in Guilford Hills. Can you imagine that less than 70 years ago this area was farmland? What will it look like in another 70 years? A younger reader told us her family relocated there to be closer to General Greene Elementary School and because it is one of the most affordable neighborhoods districted for Grimsley High School. Cross Battleground Avenue and you are in Pirate Country (Page High School).

       

    Here is an apartment complex, a Sunday/religious photo, and a side-of-the-road garden we featured previously in Guilford Hills. A Guilford Hills home was long overdue!

Entrance to Forest Oaks

We're closing out the week with one more photo from the southeastern end of the county. Above, we see the main entrance to Forest Oaks on Forest Oaks Drive. We're not sure who the statue is. It could be Ellis Maples, the man who designed and opened the golf course in 1962. In 2002, the course was redesigned by Davis Love III and so the statue could be in recognition of his work. Golfers love the Forest Oaks course and Golf World Magazine rates it a 4.7 out of 5.0. We're betting some of the regulars can tell us more about the statue. There is a statue at the other end of Forest Oaks Drive, too. In 1989, the Forest Oaks Country Club was purchased by a Japanese company, Nisshin Real Estate Company, Ltd. of Tokyo.

Whe whole community of Forest Oaks is about 5 square miles. And as you can see from the last few days, residents take a great deal of pride in their landscaping. We wanted to feature Forest Oaks today because a few homes on this weekend's Tour of Remodeled Homes are in this part of the county. The tour is sponsored by the Greensboro Builders Association and is going on today through Sunday.*  Happy weekend, dear readers!

 

*get more online information here.

F is for Forest Oaks

The above home on Belvoir Drive in Forest Oaks is an inviting beauty with meticulous landscaping. The private residence is located across from the Forest Oaks Country Club 7 miles southeast of downtown Greensboro.   With its white columns, large front porch, and second-floor faux balcony, the house exudes southern charm. There are many attractive houses near the golf course, however, this one is exceptionally inviting.

Today is ABC Wednesday and, this round we're featuring A-Z neighborhoods in the Greensboro area. F is for Forest Oaks. In the 2,000 census, Forest Oaks had a population of a little over 3,000 people and 1,200 households. However, with the current construction in the area, Forest Oaks seems is growing. From 1977-2007, Forest Oaks hosted the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship. This house and its residents have probably seen a lot of exciting golf over the years. Heck, they've probably even hosted some sweet tea and lemonade breaks on that inviting lawn.

On Denim Pond

Yesterday, we featured Eastern Shores, one of the neighborhoods of the Lake Jeanette community. Today, we offer this view of the nature trail at Turnstone Village on the eastern shores of Lake Jeanette. The water appears to be denim blue, harkening back to its roots as a Cone family property. who made They made lake on property they owned to have more water to use in their textile mills.

Jeanette Cone, for whom the lake was named, would be pleased to have such a beautiful place named for her. She was the wife of Ceasar Cone and mother of Benjamin.* Jeanette got a lake named in her memory; Ceasar got a school (Ceasar Cone Elementary) over near the mills off of Church Street. When Jeanette and Ceasar were alive, in the late 1800's/early 1900's, the property on which the school would be constructed was in the heart of the mill villages. In the day of the Cones, the above-property, that would become Lake Jeanette, must have seemed like Siberia. This lake would be a great backdrop for a movie about Greensboro. We could call it... On Denim Pond. Who could be the contemporary Fonda/Hepburn duo to play the parts of Ceasar and Jeanette.

As summer feels like it is about to come to a screeching halt, walking on a community nature trail, ever popular in neighborhoods like this one, seems more and more appealing.

 

*read about Benjamin Cone's papers here.

E is for Eastern Shores

Greensboro owes the 750-acre Lake Jeanette community to the Cone family who began constructing the lake in 1940 to help meet the water needs for their denim mills.*  The Eastern Shores community, one of many on Lake Jeanette, opened in 1994. The above house is located in the exclusive, gated estates, a high-end community on the eastern part of the lake. The giant, brick colonial house is on the top of the hill at the end of Eastern Shores Drive.

Today is ABC Wednesday and this round,** we're featuring neighborhoods of Greensboro. "E" is for Eastern Shores, a neighborhood in Lake Jeanette. Eastern Shores is located just off the northernmost part of Elm Street. The community is landscaped beautifully. Walking trails and boat docks are found throughout the neighborhoods and help contribute to the sense of community.

*If you love learning about Greensboro's history, read a little more about Lake Jeanette and the Cone Family here.

**See our previous weeks here.

D is for Dudley Heights

This house at the corner of Ross Avenue & Ross Court is fairly typical of the properties in East Greensboro's Dudley Heights- located between Lee and East Florida Streets from Highway 29 to Barber Park. It is a modest, single family dwelling, on one level, owned by a family that takes great pride in maintaining a nice lawn. Several lawns in the neighborhood, including the one in the photo above, have freshly sculpted topiaries. Most of the streets in this neighborhood are short; a natural way to control agressive driving. You cannot be in a hurry and drive through streets that twist and wind around a hilly neighborhood!

Dudley High School and the Academy at Linclon are nearby and many children walk to school and play in the neighborhood when school is not in session. The fabulous Barber Park and the 11-acre Gateway Gardens provide plenty of interactive entertainment the surrounding community members and the rest of Greensboro. With the financial investment of UNCG and NC A&T in their joint Research Park near here, we're predicting that this neighborhood will see an increase in property values. One interesting statistic for the neighborhood is that 79 % of the residents were born in North Carolina. 

Today is ABC Wednesday and, for this round, we're featuring neighborhoods of Greensboro. D is for Dudley Heights. See A-C here and suggest your neighborhood for E-Z in the comments below.

C is for Cardinal

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 11, we're featuring A-Z neighborhoods of Greensboro.*  "C" is for "Cardinal. The Cardinal neighborhood is located in Northwest Greensboro, very near the airport. Before the Cardinal neighborhood was developed in the late 1980's- 1990's, this was just a rural neighborhood in northwest Greensboro. In 1972, the first phase of construction began for the Cardinal Golf and Country Club. The 18-hole golf course became an anchor around which the Cardinal neighborhood was developed.  Today, it is member-owned and is one of North Carolina's finest courses. Driving by the golf course and through the neighborhood, you will quickly get a feel for the neighborliness of the Cardinal. Residents greet each other while out walking. They wave to cars as they drive by.

For today's photo, we chose this lovely home at the corner of Murfield Drive and Lytham Court. Murfield is the key anchor street in the Cardina,l stretching from Fleming to Old Oak Ridge Road. This teal green gem is superbly landscaped with the owners making an effort to replace grass with plantings. It looks like a cozy oasis with the back yard tucked into a cul-de-sac. It is one of many examples of how the Cardinal feels like home.

The community has a very informative community newsletter online.

 

" See previous weeks for our A-Z streets here.

St. Pius X- Catholic Church on North Elm Street

Today, we feature a photo of St Pius X.* Founded in 1960 and renovated in 2010, St. Pius is not only beautiful, it is full of art and history and the craftsmanship is fabulous. The original sanctuary seated about 350 people and this new one seats 1,100. The new sanctuary is 55 feet high and it has stained glass windows that are over 100 years old.**  

For the renovation, as feasible, local venders, materials and resources were used. Items that were brought in from elsewhere often came with great symbolism. The windows were salvaged from a midwest church that closed. Statuary from a church that closed in Pittsburgh, PA is now housed here. Outside, one of the cornerstones was brought  by a member from Riese, Italy, the hometown of St. Pius X. Another cornerstone is from their sister parrish in Mañazo, Peru. The goal of the renovation was not simply to make the church larger, but also to "create an environment for the encounter with Christ."

Featuring St. Pius this week is especially appropriate because it is located at Brown Town and Irving Park, the part of Greensboro we featured for ABC Wednesday this week. If you are Catholic, you owe it to yourself to visit this church. If you are not Catholic and interested, call the church office. 

*click here to see a photo taken during the renovation process.

** see short videoclip of sanctuary here.