Greensboro Daily Photo

Embur Fire Fusion

The above photo features the scene in the front window of the restaurant, Embur Fire Fusion, located 107 Smyres Place. The food is cooked Peruvian style with a brick oven for making Italian style pizza. Their specialty is chaufa, a Peruvian chicken dish with vegetables and rice. The green and yellow sauces they serve with their food are tasty and unique for the Greensboro area. The purple wall above defines the bar area at the center of the room.

Smyres Place is located just off Friendly Avenue, between where Southern Lights and Hams were located years ago. This is the time of year where friends meet up for the holidays. Arriving at Embur and seeing that wall of purple light somehow balances the darkness of Greensboro winter. The taste of warm, arroz chaufa with chicken or steak goes well with a "chicha morada" a Peruvian purple corn beverage. 

With First Friday tonight downtown Greensboro, the holiday parade tomorrow, and so many other events on this December weekend, we hope you get downtown and also have a chance to try out a new place or two... Embur, perhaps.

Homes Along Lawndale

There is one block on Lawndale, around Rosecrest and between the Target plaza and the shops at Cornwallis that is all residential. The homes are about the same size but vary in age and style. At one time, the area seemed far from town and rather rural. Now, the homes are still charming, but appear to be a holdover from an earlier era. 

The above brick home used to have a giant oak tree in the front yard. The stump is about 6 feet in diameter. It may have been damaged from a recent storm. Hopefully, the owners will plant something in its place so the community can watch it mature over the upcoming decades. In the meantime, we sure have a good view of this charming home.

Happy Thursday! Tomorrow is First Friday and the Festival of Lights in downtown Greensboro. Hope to see you there!

Sky Over Patterson Street & Holden Road

We've featured the Patterson Street/Holden Road area more than once. However, as you can see in the above photo, the sky in that area is just so dramatic on sunny afternoons. This was the view on Monday. Perhaps it is the open space that makes the view seem so expansive. Or, the fact that the sun is still visible as it starts getting low to the horizon, a time when the color can be so intense. If you notice the photographer's shadow in the red splotch to the right, shadows were long on that sunny afternoon.

This area is quite the destination if you are interested in recycling, making art, up cycling, and thrifting for bargains. From disposing of hazardous waste to purchasing antiques or buying used materials for art, explore this area, just down the block from the Coliseum. You also have great meal options at Stamey's Barbecue, Arigato Japanese, and Bangkok Cafe Restaurant in this same part of town. The yellow strip on the left of the photo is part of a carwash, another thing you can do, here, on the northeast corner. Happy Wednesday! May the sun shine in your heart, even on days it isn't shining overhead.

House on the Corner of Oak & McCormick

This single-family house in the heart of the Glenwood neighborhood of Greensboro is charming and represents the old south. The large front porch looks so cozy and must be a real refuge for the residents on warm days. The red tin roof really makes the house stand out against the white exterior and the bright blue sky. The natural, scruffiness of the yard is actually much healthier for the environment than a manicured lawn.

The Glenwood neighborhood came into being at the beginning of the 20th century and actually had trolley service. Glenwood was one of Greensboro's early planned residential neighborhoods. The above house, built in 1945, at the end of World War II, is a bit younger than many of the properties. With those mature oaks behind it, this home is just begging for an artist to paint it!

Körner's Folly

If you are local to Greensboro and celebrate Christmas, you will want to visit Körner's Folly at 413 S. Main Street in Kernersville. The intriguingly quirky brick house is full of surprises in every room. Plus, local decorators have been called in to compete for "best of show" since a different design team has decorated each room.

Julie Gilmer Körner built the house in 1880 and some rooms in Körner's Folly look more typical of Victorian homes. Other rooms are long and narrow with 5 1/2 ft. ceilings. Many paths to the next level in this 3 1/2-story home consist of two and a half ft. wide stairways. The grand finale is an in-home theatre on the top level, believed to have been the first in America. While you are there, don't forget to vote for the room with the best decorations. And remember, the foyer and the theatre are breathing, but there are other spectacular views, like the one above, sandwiched in between the first and last rooms. Even children have a good time as they look down in the stairwell, participate in the scavenger hunt, and take a spin on the stage! 

Glenwood United Methodist Church

Tis December 1st and today's photo is of Christ United Methodist Church in the Glenwood neighborhood. This is the front view of Glenwood UMC, the sibling church of Christ United Methodist Church on Holden Road. To the side is the educational building that has a cornerstone dating it to 1950.

This church also hosts the Servant Center, offering services for housing the homeless and helping with disability assistance. There is also an AmeriCorps Partnership based out of the church. Twenty-first century churches need to work hard to serve those in need and Glenwood UMC is doing just that. To that end, they hosted the Really, Really Free Market on Friday. 

Kathy Clark and the Really, Really Free Market

Today, we are featuring Kathy Clark (in red above) and the Really, Really Free Market. Local artist and teacher, Kathy Clark has been organizing and hosting the event for several years now. Kathy's event is always held on Black Friday, with the idea that there alternatives to spending the day competing with each other for door buster specials. At the Really, Really Free Market, people bring items to give away and may take what they want for free. There is no obligation to bring something to take things. The only rule is that no money changes hand, well, and that everyone treat everyone with dignity and kindness. Nobody has to qualify to participate. Everyone is invited.

Yesterday, the event was held at 1417 Glenwood Avenue at the Christ United Methodist Church. Participants were treated to food by Brigett through the non-profit Blessing Box Ministry, based out of the Sharpe Road Church of Christ.

The first Really, Really Free Market took place in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2003. The event is an effort to counteract capitalism and excessive consumerism. The local event attracted people from all walks of life. Some of the items were really, really nice, like beautiful picture frames never taken out of the box, nearly-new purses, and silk blouses. Other items were a little quirkier, like dog shoes that the dog wore "all of 30 seconds", a lone sweet potato, and books on anarchy. Most items found a home quickly. Those that remained were left for Kathy to gather and drop off at a nearby thrift store. A heartfelt thanks to Kathy and all who were involved in the event, including Bridgett, the Blessing Box Ministry, and the Christ United Methodist Church. Mark your calendar for Black Friday next year. And, start saving items to share.

Thanksgiving Sky... and The Really, Really Free Market

The Thanksgiving sunrise in Greensboro was so beautiful yesterday. It was a perfect fall day with the temperature reaching 57 degrees. Evening was also a special treat with the waxing crescent moon visible in the wester sky just after the sun dipped below the horizon. This first phase of the new moon appears as a crescent sliver to the right and the whole form of the moon is visible. Those who braved Round 1 of Thanksgiving weekend shopping surely noticed this beautiful moon.

As for today, a very special event is happening in the Glenwood neighborhood of Greensboro. Kathy Clark has yet again organized the "Really, Really Free Market." Today, from 10am - 2pm, at 1417 Glenwood Avenue, in the Christ United Methodist Church lot, people will be bringing and taking items and no money will exchange hands. This is such an environmentally friendly way to spend the day. Besides, giving used items it trending; so, you can help the environment and be right in style. Hope to see you there. If you see Kathy, be sure to thank her and, if you have some time on your hands, ask her if she needs any help! Here is an old photo of the event.