Greensboro Daily Photo

Blue House and Redbud Tree at the Corner of Scott and Walker

This past weekend, the blue house, at the corner of Scott and Walker Avenues, was in its early spring glory with this redbud tree bursting with color. This Lindley Park house is just down the street from Lindley Elementary School and is a prime example of the beauty of a well maintained older home in a well-established neighborhood. The people of Greensboro love their yards and many take great pride in landscaping. Just the right plantings in just the right place can really add beauty to a yard. The blue paint and white trim on the house make that pink tree pop!

The native eastern redbud is one of the first trees to flower in North Carolina, and it is a hardy small tree that can thrive in full sun or light shade. Once the tree is done blooming, heart-shaped leaves will be a vibrant green through the summer and take on beautiful color for fall. Redbud trees stay small and like to volunteer to grow, which means they are hardy and FREE! Let's hope the threat of ice today doesn't damage these glorious blossoms!

King Cake from the French Artisan Bread Bakery!

King cake is something that is eaten between Epiphany on January 6th and Fat Tuesday which, this year, is March 5th. King cake is one of those iconic foods served during Carnival season. You can get king cake at the Corner Market in Lindley Park. As seen in the above photo, the cake is made by the French Artisan Bread Bakery. The made-from-scratch cake is more like a sweet bread with icing and colorful sugar granules on top. If you don't want the giant cake, smaller cinnamon-roll-sized cakes are also available. It is really fun to eat local while honoring traditions celebrated in several countries. Here's to some pre-Lenten, culinary fun!

Twilight on Old Battleground at Site of Harris Teeter Fuel Center

The above photo features Battleground Avenue at the intersection with Old Battleground at twilight on Saturday evening. With the 840 bypass crossing over it and with new construction, Old Battleground is changing. On the southeast corner with Battleground Avenue, Old Battleground is getting a Harris Teeter Fuel Center. Since Harris Teeter has been a subsidiary of Kroger since 2013, HT is adding a gas points program and the gas station will be here. The old Citgo has already been torn down. Greensboro's first HT Fuel Center opened summer 2017 at 5706 W. Gate City Blvd. in the Adams Farm area. There are 11 total in North Carolina. Likely, Greensboro will see several more.

There is a brief point in the evening when the sky is an intense blue and just about anything, including cell towers, glaring lights, and an intersection near a future gas station,  are beautiful during this brief time. 

First Christian Church at the Corner Market

The First Christian Church, also known as Disciples of Christ, sets up at the Corner Market in Lindley Park. They sell baked goods with proceeds going to help those in need. They support the Green for Greens Program. The church, located at 1900 West Market Street, believes in community involvement. Some of the initiatives they are involved in include: the Glenn Haven Community Center; One Step Further Food Pantry; Cone Elementary School; Salvage Garden; and more. One of their mottos is Serve. Help. Reach. Feed. Connect. 

Today's successful churches do so much to stay relevant and involved. Some of the best ministering happens beyond the sanctuary. Saturday, the First Christian Church members at the farmer's market were hard at work. Hopefully, the day was a good one for them- in spite of the bone-chilling rain.

View of Downtown: Lincoln Financial Group

This view of downtown Greensboro was taken from inside a building on West Gate City Boulevard. The sky was beautiful, and bright. Lights inside the store reflected off of the front of the store window. The top of the Lincoln Financial Group was peeking through the window, situating the photo in Greensboro. On a clear day, the time and temperature can be seen from several blocks away. Have a great weekend. We hope you have a chance to explore Greensboro, finding new vistas and different perspectives, making something old look new.

It's Blossom Time in Greensboro

Readers have been alerting us to sightings of blossoms around Greensboro. You can usually count on these trees, located on Green Valley Road, on the east end of Friendly Center, to be some of the first to bloom around Greensboro.With so many in a row, they look spectacular, especially if you catch them on a sunny day. Yesterday was overcast, not the best for photos. However, this time of year, Greensboro is at risk of getting a late-season ice storm, or a hard rain that tears down the blossoms. 

Redbud trees have also started to bloom around town. This should be a good weekend for seeing some early signs of spring in Greensboro. We'll be on the lookout, too. Happy Friday!

Bike Patrol in #DGSO

It is becoming increasingly popular to see police patrolling on bicycles in Downtown Greensboro, or #DGSO. In the above photo, two policemen are heading east on McGee Street, about to cross over Elm Street. This part of town is known as Hamburger Square and, while Elm/Market is technically the point where the city spits north/south, east/west, Hamburger Square is equally famous for being a point of much activity downtown, especially during festivals.

The bikes are a convenient way to get from Point A to Point B, or around Point C, quickly, especially during times of high foot and vehicle traffic. Another great benefit of the bike patrol is that it gives officers a chance to stop and interact, positively, with community. Unless they are in pursuit of something urgent, they are encouraged to take time to build community with people along the way. According to the city's website, the Greensboro Police Department has 673 sworn law enforcement officers. According to a 2014 article in the News & Record, 70 officers have been trained to ride bicycles on patrol.

Stoop Scape in Southside

The above stoop leads to an apartment in Southside, on Martin Luther King Drive. It is so personalized with the planter shaped like a head. When plants are in bloom, it looks like a mane of green locks. In the winter, it looks like a head of long, brown hair. Regardless of the season, it is a fine example of someone in Greensboro adding character to the entrance to their home. Giving directions to this place would be quite easy. 

The entrance between Dame's Chicken and Waffles and Manny's Universal Cafe. If you are out for a smoothie or waiting for a table at Dame's, explore Southside. You will be surprised at all of the creative things you will discover. Southside has quite a bit of personality and feels a little bit like a trendy neighborhood in Washington, D.C.