Greensboro Daily Photo

Placing Stones.......Greensboro Hebrew Cemetery

Taf, nun, tsadi, bet, hey.......may his soul be bound up in the bounds of eternal life.

Today's Sunday post for pause and reflection takes us to the Greensboro Hebrew Cemetery, located at the corner of Vanstory and High Point Road. Temple Emanuel owns and manages the cemetery which originated in the 1920's. Many prominent members of Greensboro's Jewish community are buried here...Sternbergers, Schiffmans, and Isaacsons-- to name a few.

Bereavement in Judiasm combines minhag (traditional custom) and mitzvah (religious obligation). Flowers are not traditionally part of a Jewish funeral. When visiting a grave site, it is a custom to place a stone on the grave. Rocks are much more enduring than flowers and, to the Jewish community, they have great historical significance. The gesture is one of love and memory. The practice of placing a stone acknowledges that someone has visited the grave and, if there is no headstone, serves to mark the location of the grave. There is symbolism in the word pebble itself and God is referred to as the Rock. The tradition has so many facets, all leading to a connection between the departed, the visitor, and God.  Some of the stones are brought great distances; some are local; others are pottery stars of David or little glass hearts. If you stop by and place one, be sure to use your left hand. Read more about the symbolism here. 

We hope you enjoy your Sunday. See our other religious posts here.

PHOTO BIZ + Center for Visual Artists = Wow Wall

In May, PhotoBiz enlisted the non-profit Center for Visual Artists  (CVA) to decorate the wall of their parking lot.  Houston Patton, teacher, tattoo & graffiti artist, designed the mural for PhotoBiz. Mr. Patton has dedicated his life to perfecting his vibrant, comic-book, graffiti-style art. His canvas ranges from the biceps of clients to retaining walls; his medium from tattoo ink to cans of spray paint. Once he had the design mapped out, PhotoBiz employees and CVA members and friends got together to paint the mural. Spring Street at Friendly is now a riot of color and images-- meaningful to Greensboro and to PhotoBiz as well. Kudos to PhotoBiz for having the foresight to partner with a local non-profit.

Today, we feature only a few feet of the approximately 50 feet of artwork. We will share another portion next week. For now, we chose the segment that has the line drawing of the Jefferson Standard/ Lincoln Financial Group building.  Adding our own little creative twist, reflecting from our car's side mirror, you can see the top of the actual JS/LFG building. We did this so that we could give one more nod to the Bryan family AND post the photo on James'  Weekend Reflections meme.

Irving Park- First Citizens Bank

Today's photo takes us to the corner of West Northwood Street and Huntington Road. (This photo was actually taken at the edge of Edward McCay's parking lot). Here we see the early stages of construction of First Citizens Bank in Irving Park. First Citizens Bank was established in 1898. The four-story, 30,900 square-foot office of the Raleigh-based bank is under construction behind Anton's Restaurant.  In addition to administrative offices, it will be a full-service bank.  Being over 100 years old, one would like to think that they have a clear cut recipe for success that will carry them into the twenty-second century. 

The building will change the landscape of the southern end of Irving Park. It just may be the tallest building in Irving Park. Let's hope they are making an effort to be environmentally responsible and that they will feature local art. Greensboro artist William Mangum is just down the street and Irving Park Elementary School has a mighty fine art program (hint, hint).

Can you find the two American flags billowing in the breeze? By the way, readership has been up this week. Thank you to our new readers as well as our longtime readers. Readers, like YOU, make this mom and pop volunteer-effort all worthwhile. Please spread the word that we're here.

We're sharing this photo with viewers around the world through Skywatch Friday. Have a great weekend!

Lincoln Financial Group

Since Mr. Joseph Bryan was featured yesterday on GDP, we thought a photo of Lincoln Financial Group would be a nice follow up post. Lincoln Financial is housed in the complex that was built as the Jefferson Standard Building in 1923 by Mr. Bryan's father-in-law, Julian Price. The design of the building was modeled after early-20th-century NYC skyscrapers. Its U shape enhanced light and airflow back in the days before air conditioning. The architectural style is known as Beaux-Arts with Romanesque flourishes (reference). The building's façade contains white granite from the Mt. Airy, North Carolina quarry. In the above photo, we see people enjoying the Fourth of July parade on the southwest corner of the building.

As the USA enters this difficult time of deciding how best to manage national debt and spending, may the situation be resolved in a way that is in the best interest of our country. From individual citizens to businesses and financial groups to municipalities on up, we all could benefit from a refresher course in the meaning of fiscal responsibility. Now THAT would make Mr. Bryan proud!

B is for Bryan, Joseph M. Bryan

Joseph M. Bryan was one of Greensboro's "larger than life" citizens of the 20th century. To outline his contributions to Greensboro- and beyond- leaves one at risk of omitting aspects of his multi-faceted life. He was a family man, businessman, civic minded person, and philanthropist.

Born in Ohio in 1896, Mr. Bryan came to Greensboro in 1931 a few years after marrying Kathleen M. Price whose father founded the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company. Mr. Bryan worked through the ranks of his father-in-law's company to become senior vice president. He was a charter member of the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame; served as Chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Elections; was a recipient of the North Carolina Award in Public Service; and was Honorary General Chairman of the Greensboro Open PGA Tour. 

Although he died in 1995, sitting in the boardroom of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation looking at the above portrait of Mr. Bryan, one can sense his philanthropy hard at work. Driving on Bryan Boulevard; stopping by the Bryan School of Business; playing golf at Bryan Park; walking past the Jefferson-Standard building; watching the Wyndam Golf Championship; exercising at the Bryan Family YMCA; attending a Bryan Series lecture; or sorting through the Bryan papers, Mr. Bryan's contributions to Greensboro are tangibly and ubiquitiously evident.

Today is ABC Wednesday and B is for Bryan. For Round 9, we are featuring people, past & present, who have contributed significantly to Greensboro. For Round 8, we featured A-Z streets. View the archives here.

Brightwood Inn Family Style Restaurant

Brightwood Inn Family Style Restaurant is located at 6501 Burlington Road, east of Greensboro. While still a rural restaurant and lounge, it is an oasis of the past, the way Burlington Road used to be. New construction is all around. There is the Brightwood Farm Subdivision, the Brightwood Eye Center, Brightwood Self Storage, Brightwood Crossing Apartments; however, Brightwood Restaurant with its awnings and neon signs has been lighting up Whitsett since before many of the new residents were born.

This mom and pop establishment is where Elvis Presley once dined. The original booth is still in use. Stop in to this time-warp establishment and order up a plate of nostalgia with your sizzling steak and fries. (Read the one review we were able to find here). And don't get the wrong impression about the little dose of southern humor, a sign on the "couples only" side that reads, "no entrance, no shirt, if locked, knock hard." In searching the internet, it seems that this fabulous place needs a little more publicity. Then again, maybe the owners are happy just the way things are now. We'll have to head back out and ask.

This past week, we've posted Bestway, Bellemeade, and now Brightwood and Burlington Road. What "B's" will be left for tomorrow on ABC Wednesday when "B" is the letter of the day? Please Be Back to find out!

Step Right Up!

Step right up and take advantage of all Greensboro has to offer! The Bellemeade Parking Deck, managed by the City of Greensboro, is located on the corners of Bellemeade, Elm and N. Greene Streets. The location is convenient to Center City Park, the ballpark, and just about anything in the northern end of downtown. Parking is free there if you are summoned to jury duty! Donald O. Tice was the architect of the the open-air, concrete and granite structure. The 8-floor deck was built on part of the property that was part of the original O.Henry Hotel. There are 1,276 spaces in the deck (reference). 

We call this photo "step right up" in honor of the endless stairs in the center of the photo and the carnival-like atmosphere of the Fun Fourth event. One day a year, we have our own little Coney Island with the parking deck as a backdrop. We are in funnel cake and hot dog heaven. Brides are frequently seen having bridal photo shoots here. Also, the structure's geometry and muted cement-color put all focus on the beaming brides.

Twin Oaks Ministry

Twin Oaks Ministry, located at 5935 Burlington Road, has a Greensboro water tower in yard; however, technically, the address is McLeansville-- home of American Idol musician Chris Daughtry. Twin Oaks is a Christian-based church, but their denomination isn't immediately clear from their website. They place emphasis on missions for people of all ages and have a Wycliffe Mission. Wycliffe is a group founded in 1942 for the purpose of translating the Bible and making it accessible to speakers of languages that don't yet have translations.

Twin Oaks looks like so many of the white, metal peaked-roof churches along the country roads. This building is across the street from a tobacco field which looks like it is getting ready to be harvested. Every Sunday, we make an effort to post something spiritual and we are always excited when the billowy white clouds float along to be used as a backdrop for our photographs.

Bestway Grocery Store

Bestway, located near the corner of Walker and Elam Avenues, is the longest continuously-running grocery store in Greensboro. The location has been a grocery store since 1947. In 2008, Roger and Nancy Kimbrough purchased Bestway and have been renovating and sprucing it up ever since. They have kept the touch of nostalgia by doing things like leaving the old-font lettering and old-school shelving as well as carrying nostalgic food items (like boar and castle sauce) that can be hard to find elsewhere. However, new to Bestway is the expanded drink cooler as well as the commitment to keeping the store looking clean, well-organized, and local, when possible. Here we see an employee pulling cans and boxes forward so that the shelves will look orderly and full. If the buzz in the neighborhood is correct, the Kimbrough's major investment on renovation is paying off! You know you have a good thing when customers range from high school students to retired professors!

This little slice of updated nostalgia at 2113 Walker has a Facebook page. How 21st century is that?? We're sharing this photo with our friends at Weekend Reflections. Wouldn't it be great to feature it in a 60's or 70's movie?!

Breathing Fire and Feeling the Heat!

With temperatures close to 100 degrees in Greensboro, it feels like we are all breathing fire! July tends to be our hottest month; however, for July 2011, Greensboro is about 10 degrees above average! The above photo was taken during the grande finale, fire act portion of the summer solstice event last month. Flames emerging from the man's mouth illustrate how much of the nation has felt this month!

In our effort to find the hottest day on record for Greensboro, we only saw the hottest day on record for North Carolina-- 110 degrees; on August 21, 1983 in Fayetteville. In the meantime, we found other numbers that we decided were "must knows" for Greensboro. The city is 131.75 square miles. The elevation is 897 feet. The population as of 2009 was 260,083 (reference). Our thought for the day, or thought for the photo: "Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." Roy L. Smith

In the above photo the flame of the "human BIC lighter" shines in the night sky and we are sharing the scene with Skywatch Friday.

 

Jake's Diner

Jake's Diners in Greensboro are restaurants that provide, among other things, a homecooked breakfast 24/7.  Waiters and waitresses know your name if you are a regular-- especially if you arrive at the same time every day and sit at the counter. During our last visit to Jake's Diner on West Wendover, a man came in and sat beside us at the counter. Without prompting, the waitress brought him three glasses of tea-- each glass 1/2 sweet and 1/2 unsweet. 

Allen Blythe and his wife Mary have owned Jake's for a good while but the Blythe family has been in the diner business since about as long as Allen can remember. He grew up helping his parents who owned Jan's House in the Guilford College area. Jake's is a place where bologna omelets, fried flounder, hamburgers, onion rings, salads, and blue plate specials are affordable and tasty comfort foods! Since we at GDP don't seem to be getting out of town for a vacation this summer, we go to Jake's and imagine we're at the beach (our stay-cation).

The above photo is a picture of the Jake's on West Wendover, at the corner of Big Tree Way. As you can see from the man trimming the grass at the curb, Jake's pays attention to detail; from the way you like your eggs and whether your water glass is full to how the property looks when you arrive. There is also a Jake's diner on the corner of South Holden/High Point Road and at New Garden Road. If you stop by, ask one of the guys, "Are you Jake?"  It seems to be an inside joke.........

A is for Alexander, Judge Elreta Alexander-Ralston

Today's photo is the Guilford County Courthouse. We wanted to feature Judge Elreta Alexander-Ralston and Courtroom 2A is named for her and her portrait hangs there (reference). However, one does not simply march into a courtroom and start taking pictures! We'll tell you about Greensboro's Judge Alexander and promise to post a better photo should we ever get one.

Greensboro's Judge Elreta Narcissus Melton Alexander-Ralston (1919-1998) was the first African-American woman to graduate from Columbia University Law School (1945). She practiced law in Greensboro from 1947 to 1968, becoming part of the first integrated law firm in the south.  In 1968, she was the first African American woman in the nation elected as a state district court judge. As a judge, she pioneered legal reform, particularly in the way children were held accountable for their crimes. She was known for compassion, fairness, and assigning much community service.  Also, she is remembered for her flamboyant attire and words (read Schlosser's article here). Judge Alexander retired from the bench in 1981 and became a senior partner in a local law firm (reference here). See a great portrait here. Greensboro is an important city in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and Judge Alexander was a trailblazer! We think it is an oversight that, to date, no Wikipedia entry on Judge Alexander exists! 

Round 9 has begun for ABC Wednesday which means it is time for "A" words around the world. Last round, we featured A-Z streets of Greensboro. This round, we're hoping to feature people significant to Greensboro. May B-Z people be easier! We'd love to know Judge Alexander would have answered yesterday's question "What does it mean to be southern?"

Judge Alexander

What Does It Mean to Be Southern?

Need a summer conversation starter? Consider.... What does it mean to be southern? Some people joke that it means you are from a place in the US where kudzu grows; where "ya'll" and "might could" are used; where "sweet tea" is about half syrup and is the drink of choice (if not always, at least)  with fried chicken and BBQ. To some, the south is the Bible Belt. ..... the land of religious television and Baptists. To others, the south is a place where you pledge allegiance to a college sports team before you can walk. The south is so much more than these stereotypes.

Above, we see a cut glass pitcher of ice water with mint and lemon. This pitcher of infused water is a gesture, indicating the importance of friendship and making your guests feel special. Fresh mint and lemon add a crisp flavor to the water and imply extra effort. The pitcher is probably an heirloom--  in your family for a few generations. Southern means taking time to sit and enjoy fellowship with colleagues, friends and love ones. Southern means caring and paying attention to details and giving your guests your best-- materially, socially, and spiritually. Southern means taking time to smell the roses in concert with others. To you, what does it mean to be southern? To ponder the question, why don't you make some icy lemon-mint infused, water to sip? Let us know if you get it figured out!

 

Fishing on Lake Higgins

This Great Blue Heron was spotted fishing on Lake Higgins. Success! Look closely and you will see a small fish in his beak. Lake Higgins is a 226- acre municipal reservoir just north of Greensboro in Summerfield. You can access it from Hamburg Mill Road.

The manmade lake was constructed in 1956. It was named after Vic Higgins who was a Greensboro city councilman in the mid-1950's. Lake Higgins even has a hatchery pond for catfish and trout, accommodating up to 6,000 at a time (reference)!  Thanks to the hatchery, is not only good fishing for birds but also for people! Boat, kayak, canoe rentals range from $10- 17 a day and are a great way to have some summer fun! Right now, the lake level is full, fishing is rated as "good" and the water temperature is about 88 degrees. 

Lake Higgins is closed on Mondays though so don't try scooting out there today! Here's to another great week in Greensboro.

Z is for Zion-- Mt. Zion Baptist Church

En route to Zorbrook Drive last Monday, we spotted Mt. Zion Baptist Church (MZBC) on Alamance Church Road; so, "Z" is for "Mt. Zion" too. Zion in Hebrew means landmark or fortress. This church campus is both. When you round the bend and see the above church, you have found a landmark. Made with the salt of our local earth-- clay-- the brick church takes on a fortress-like quality. Historically, the original Mt. Zion refers to an area around Jerusalem. Our Mt. Zion refers to an area southeast of Greensboro.

According to MZBC's website, its Greensboro ministry is over 100 years old. It has grown from a little, white, wooden church to the brick mega-church above with over 5,400 members. It has acquired over 43 acres (read the church history, archived online, here). If you cannot get out to church, you can watch MZBC streamed live through HolyConnection.TV on the internet (here). If you are able to get out, this dynamic and active worship center has many events for its friends and congregants. For example, this Friday, they'll have drive-in movie night. They are really gearing up for their No Greater Love Festival that will be held on August 19th and 20th and it is free and open to the public.

Elm Street's Muggle Express

Since we're muggles and not wizards, we're depending on the Elsewhere Living Museum's Muggle Express to get us from Point A to Point B on Elm Street. We caught the bicycle at Elsewhere Collaborative at 606 3/4 South Elm Street and pedaled (collaboratively) to Center City Park. Along the way, we captured some fun snaps of our beautiful city. Here we see the blue-gray Jefferson Standard/Pilot/Lincoln Financial building on the horizon, situating the photo in downtown Greensboro.

People worldwide are busy seeing the the movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. Even though we're not wizards, we can imagine where we could find horcruxes* while strolling along Elm Street. See, even if you can't get away for a vacation, you can do great things with your imagination/stay-cation in Greensboro! Next chance you get, stop by Elsewhere and ask conductor Stephanie about the next departure of the Muggle Express! It would be great if Greensboro had an Elm Street trolley to shuttle us around town, especially during special events! Beep, beep!  Next stop..... Hogwarts!

*horcruxes: objects in which Valdemort (antagonist in Harry Potter) stashes pieces of his soul.

Cornhole-- "It's your turn to toss!"

The lawn game Cornhole is all the rage in Greensboro! In the above photo, we see some young adults who brought their Cornhole game to the Coliseum to pass time until the fireworks started on July 4th. For those of you who haven't played before, the white raised board in the middle of the photo is one of two plywood, cornhole targets. The opponent's sloped target is in the spot where we were standing to take the photo.  Little corn-filled bags are tossed back and forth. The goal is to get the bag in the hole and to reach 21 points. If you really want to learn to play, read here.

Nobody is sure of the exact origin of cornhole. Native Americans played a similar game and there are tossing games in many early cultures. In modern times, Ohio and Michigan have played a significant role in popularizing the game. Word has it that in Greensboro teams and competitions are cropping up even with county employees to boost collegiality and to alleviate on the job stress. The game costs from $75 up depending on the elaborateness of the façade and whether they are made at home or purchased pre-made. We'd love to own one if you know of an affordable source.

We're tossing this post up on Skywatch Friday.  If we're lucky, we'll get comments from around the world. Wonder if they play cornhole in Siberia, in Rio de Janeiro........... in Jerusalem?

EMF/MUSEP 2011- Concert at Guilford College

In Greensboro, Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park (MUSEP) is soooooooooo much fun and FREE! Many people arrange a group picnic with family and friends-- bringing a cooler, blanket, and food. The music begins and you are transported into a land of heavenly music. The above photo was taken at the Guilford College/Eastern Music Festival event last Sunday. This will give you a sense of how many people take advantage of these concerts. Also, in the photo, you see the conductor giving a little boy from the audience the opportunity to "guest conduct" the group. The concert concluded with "Little Will" conducting and the EMF Young Artists Orchestra playing Stars and Stripes.

Sunday, July 17th, the Philharmonia of Greensboro will play at 6:00 at Lindley Park. The whole MUSEP schedule for the remainder of the summer can be found here. There are seven more concerts. Some people have "perfect attendance." If you are local, head out and support these musicians and this event. 

Z is for Zornbrook Drive

Today is ABC Wednesday (Round 8) and we're at the END of the alphabet. For 26 weeks, our theme has been A-Z streets in Greensboro and we've made it through the alphabet (here). As for Z, Greensboro has two streets that start with Z, Zola and Zornbrook Drives. We decided to feature Zornbrook, because it is not only a street but also a neighborhood. Zornbrook is located in southeast Greensboro, off of Highway 421 and Alamance Church Road, just South of Sharpe Road. Zornbrook Drive has 17 homes, is in a limited access neighborhood and dead ends into a cul-de-sac. During the day, it is not uncommon to see people out walking children and pets-- hopefully not in the 100 degree weather we're experiencing! If you're reading, Zornbrook, we'd love to see you get a new Z on that entrance sign.

Next week starts a new round of ABC Wednesday and we hope to feature people of Greensboro (past and present). We encourage our readers to contact us and help with ideas. Please do not be shy in sharing your ideas. Greensboro Daily Photo works best when readers interact with us! In the meantime, Saturday's Coffeeology post has received 12 comments (last count) and the peach photo from yesterday was one of the most-viewed photos this summer. Ornamental cabbage remains one of the most popular searches to bring people to GDP. Regardless of how or why you land on our website, we're really grateful you are here and will try to provide features that bring you back! Have a great rest of the week.

Peach Time in North Carolina

As seen in this photo taken two weeks ago, local peaches are ripening at this very moment! Many peach orchards can be found in North Carolina, especially the Sandhills region (southeast of Greensboro). Peach trees love the well-draining soil of the Sandhills and many varieties are grown there; Greensboro is the Piedmont region and our soil contains more clay. If you live in Greensboro, you can purchase peaches at the farmers' markets or make a day trip to Montgomery, Richmond, or Moore County to get peaches directly from the source. Peach Day at the Farmers' Market in Colfax was last week; however, if you are interested, learn about other July peach events throughout the state here. 

An estimated 11 million pounds of peaches are grown each year in NC on about 2,500- 3,000 acres of bearing-age peach trees.  Dedicated peach farmers grow many different varieties of peaches so that they have peaches ripening all summer long. We leave you with a list of twenty seven varieties of peaches found in North Carolina: Derby, Candor, Dixired, Surecrop, Pekin, Reliance, Redhaven, Clayton, Norman, Carolina Belle, Raritan Rose, Topaz, Sunglo, Nectar, Winblo, Redglo, Ellerbe, Contender, Summer Pearl, Biscoe, Belle of Georgia, Elberta, Encore, Monroe, Emery, Legend, and Parade. If you want to brush up on "peachology," knowing if one of the above varieties is freestone or clingstone, its size and attributes, when it ripens, and more, read here. Add a peach question to your poolside summer trivia (Name ten varieties of peaches-- and the beloved freestone is a cultivated characteristic, not a variety!).

City Meet 2011 at Lindley Pool

Since the community swim season concluded with this past weekend's trans-city meet, Greensboro's dedicated swim families can finally dive into their summer vacations. Lindley Pool at Lindley Park has hosted the Community Swim Association's event since 1959. The park and pool are named for John Van Lindley who donated the 40 acres for the park in 1917.*  Lindley (1838- 1918), a local Quaker landowner, was very involved in developing Greensboro neighborhoods and recreation areas around the turn of the 20th century. 

In the above photo, we see one of the Friendly Frog coaches, Coach Ed, positioned behind young swimmers at the finals on Saturday. His pink hair is left over from the wildly fun parade of swim teams earlier that afternoon. Little did Coach Ed and his colleagues know at that point in the afternoon, Friendly would go on to win the event, reclaiming the title from The Greensboro Country Club. If you follow swimming in Greensboro, you will be interested in seeing the list of winning teams across the decades (here).

After 52 great years at Lindley Pool, Greensboro's City Meet will move inside to the Greensboro Aquatic Center at the Coliseum Complex.  Friendly Swim Team has the great distinction of winning the first and last meet held at Lindley. Stop back next year to see which team will win the FIRST meet at the aquatic center!

*reference & photo in Gayle Hicks Fripp's book Greensboro Neighborhoods Volume II, p. 76.

Labyrinth Walking in Center City

The children walking the labyrinth were just precious. The little child in the forecround was as diligent and determined as the older children. The young boy in the orange shirt, near the center, walked the labyrinth many times and ran through it a few. Previously, we featured the labyrinth at Holy Trinity Church (here). Labyrinth facilitator, Vicki Longhofer Copeland was instrumental in getting the above temporary labyrinth installed in Center City Park. The paper stars were completed by children and were tied to the labyrinth, vesting more people in the project.

A labyrinth has a single, non-branching path to the center. Enter. Walk. Pause. Stop. Reflect. Walk. Arrive at the center. Turn around. Repeat the process. Return to the beginning. A labyrinth is a microcosm of life's path, reminding walkers that some facets of walking through life are shared with others although, ultimately, each life is a unique journey. Labyrinths are starting to be more common in the Greensboro area. The cancer centers at High Point Regional Hospital and the one at Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro have labyrinths on their outdoor grounds. In addition to Holy Trinity Episcopal in Greensboro and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem have a labyrinth. If you have never seen/walked a labyrinth before, the one at Holy Trinity, located at 607 North Greene Street, on the street-side of the church and pretty much always available. Or, as we see from Vicki's example, you could make one yourself!

Coffeology

Coffeeology, open since 2009 and located at 423-A Tate Street, is a great place to visit especially if you are in the College Hill neighborhood. The coffee-panini-gelato shop is conveniently located between UNCG and Greensboro College. Since we at GDP only drink black coffee, to us, coffee is like sushi, every minute makes a difference. We stopped in the other day at 4:30 pm which is a tough time slot to find fresh coffee anywhere, ESPECIALLY on a hot summer day. The coffee was absolutely perfect-- fresh with a sweet and clean aroma, buttery, and medium-bodied (approaching full-bodied). Mouthwatering....

Coffeology is a nice place to stop and use the Internet or, in our case, drink coffee and review photos. As we were exiting the back door, we couldn't resist taking a picture of this man, lost in reading. He looked so comfortable, as if sitting in this window seat were part of his routine. (We'll have to stop back and see). Through the glass, you can capture a soft-focus glimpse of Tate Street.

We're sharing this one with Weekend Reflections.

White Oak Amphitheater

Here we see a view of Greensboro's recently-opened (June 5th) White Oak Amphitheater on High Point Road. It was mostly empty on the Fourth of July when the pops concert got rained out; however, people were still free to enter and see the beautiful facility. It adds so much to our city. The amphitheater is named for the white oak, the official tree of the City of Greensboro. As you will learn if you watch this video clip about the amphitheater, Nathanael Greene's men slept under a white oak on the eve of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse at the time of the Revolutionary War. Greensboro also had a mill, The Cones' indigo dyeing operation, named White Oak; so named for a 200 year old white oak tree on the property. The white oak is one of the largest trees in the eastern U.S.

The White Oak Amphitheater is located at the corner of the Coliseum complex, on what was formerly property of the old Canada Dry plant. It seats 7,666 people. The amphitheater will feature concerts and community events. Refreshing as a crisp ginger ale on a warm summer evening is the fact that White Oak is named for something significant to the history of Greensboro-- a tree-- and is not yet named for a benefactor or corporate sponsor. We leave you with the above night view which includes a giant slice of the dusk sky over Greensboro. We are featuring this view for the world to see on Skywatch Friday. If you get a chance, attend an event at the amphitheater. It will feel like being on vacation in your hometown!

JP Food Mart

Situated at the point where Yanceyville switches from street to road and between a collapsed outbuilding and new construction, JP Food Mart is literally at the crossroads of old and new. The store has been around since, well, as long as anyone working there can remember. For the last decade, a husband and wife team from Nepal have owned the store, naming it JP after his and her first initial.

JP Food Mart sells typical convenience store goods with a better stock of staple foods than many corner stores. It is not uncommon for locals to walk there-- down Yanceville-- using JP Food Mart as their community grocery store. Inside you will find the original wooden floors and storage shelves from bygone years among modern conveniences like lottery tickets and an ATM machine. The rectangular brick façade in reminiscent of country stores from the mid-20th century and before, often giving the front a larger and sturdier appearance than the rest of the building.

Y is for Yanceyville Road/Street

Today is ABC Wednesday and "Y" is for Yanceyville Street. Yanceyville Street starts in southeast Greensboro at the intersection of Lindsay Street, between the Yanceyville Curb Market and War Memorial Stadium. The street heads north towards the Caswell County  town of Yanceyville. When Yanceyville crosses Pisgah Church Road, it becomes Yanceyville Road, crosses Lake Townsend, and eventually makes a 90 degree turn towards its end point at Highway 150 between Summerfield and Brown Summit. 

The house in the above photo is on the northern end of Yanceville where houses are newer, larger, and more reflective of the economic prosperity of the late 1990's and the early years of 2000. This home is estate-like, complete with a tile roof, a stucco exterior & well-maintained grapevines. While there are 16 streets in Greensboro starting with the letter "Y," Yanceyville was an easy choice for today. The street is 12 miles long from Highway 150 to Lindsay Street-- PLENTY to choose from. It passes not only the farmer's market and the stadium mentioned above, but also the Aycock Historic District, textile mills, White Oak community, Buffalo Presbyterian Church, Biscuitville's corporate headquarters, the Billy "Crash" Craddock bridge, and so much more. Keep checking back over the summer as we have many more photos from Yanceyville Street to feature. Lots of surprises on this road!

See our previous ABC Wednesday posts here! Also, stop back next week for the final installment of Round 8 of ABC Wednesday concluding with the letter "Z."

July 4th in Kirkwood

Every event needs a focal point and The Kirkwood July Fourth Parade has the larger-than-life flag in the middle of a road named Independence! This scene on Independence Road in Greensboro's Kirkwood neighborhood has been reenacted for sixty three years. Anyone can don a red, white, & blue outfit and participate. Yesterday, children on vehicles of all sorts--bicycles, wagons, trucks, tricycles, and even stilts-- rode along passing under the giant FLAG. 

Every year, the parade gets a little more elaborate while remaining consistently informal. This year The Honorable Howard Coble was in attendance, Robbie Perkins was handing out bottled water, and the floats of the Guilford County Republican Party brought a little bit of politics to the parade. The sense of family, neighborliness, and camaraderie was evident and more treats were tossed to onlookers than in most city parades. The five o'clock time slot was just perfect, allowing families to enjoy the Fun Fourth festivities downtown in the morning and fireworks at the coliseum/amphitheater in the evening. For those who were too tired to venture out at night, there was plenty of backyard sparkler twirling to bring closure to the festive day.

Mr. Fourth of July

Mr. Fourth of July was spotted at the Greensboro Arboretum at the Summer Solstice event in June. He was last seen talking to his special, fairy-winged lady. Hopefully the couple will make an appearance at the Fourth of July events in Greensboro. He is a human bumper sticker, in full Fourth-of-July regalia and displaying "USA" on his forearm. 

This year, Greensboro's fireworks have been moved from Jameison Stadium (Grimsley High School) to the White Oak Amphitheatre at the Coliseum Complex. Let's hope the move will be a good one for the community.  This is the photo we published from last year's display and are optimistic that display at the new location will be as beautiful.

What is the most patriotic you've ever dressed? Why don't you dress up today, have someone take a photo and send it to us. We'd love to feature a reader or two! 

Plainview Baptist Church

Plainview Baptist Church is located at 1820 Ms. Hope Church Road, east of Greensboro in McCleansville, south of I-40/I-85 near Replacements, LTD. Unfortunately, the church doesn't appear to have a website so we can't tell you much more than what we saw on location. Plainview is very typical of our Southern Baptist churches: simple white, wooden building; large trees on the lot; cemetery out back, and gravel parking lot on the side. Plainview has both a Sunday morning and evening service as well as a Wednesday service. 

Before I-40 was constructed, Plainview was a rural church on a curvy road serving the farming community and upon approaching the church it must have seemed like it was in "plain view." Today, it is located next to a gas station, convenience store, car wash complex as well as large offices. However, from the view above, Plainview likely looks very similar to when it was built. We bet it has a great history, just waiting to be written.

See more of our Sacred Sunday posts here.

Let the Show Begin

Laurencio Carlos Ruiz, visiting artist/puppeteer at Elsewhere Artists Collaborative, unleashed these paper balloons on the lawn at Center City Park in front of the Davie Street Cultural Arts Center. If you look above the rightmost balloon, you can see the roof of the Cultural Arts Center peeking out. Part of July's First Friday activities, the balloons were located on the very spot where many of the Fun Fourth festivities will take place over the next three days. One person commented that they looked like something out of a Roald Dahl novel. A Kindergarten teacher said they reminded her of colored pencils. At any rate, children and adults alike enjoyed running between the balloons, peeking inside them, letting their imaginations run wild around them, and having their photo taken with the festive display. Let this be another example of why one should never sit home alone on First Friday with so much happening in downtown Greensboro.

Same goes for Fun Fourth, this community celebration that has been taking place in Greensboro since 1975, is another opportunity to get out and enjoy downtown. The event schedule can be found at the previous link here.

Green is for ACTION GREENSBORO

It is the first of July which means that City Daily Photo blogs worldwide are celebrating the theme "green." Well, how could GREENsboro resist participating in the "green" theme? For our contribution, we've selected the window of Action Greensboro, a non-profit organization established in 2001 to enhance Greensboro's economy and to break new ground in addressing community needs (reference). Action Greensboro endeavors to address the following six community needs: 1) Attraction and retention of young professionals; 2) development of  the center city; 3) recruitment and retention  of business and industry; 4) enhancing Greensboro's image; 5) enhancing small business development and entrepreneurism; and 6) supporting the public schools. 

Action Greensboro is located in an historic building at 317 South Elm Street. Their funding is provided by: the CEMALA Foundation; Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro; Cone Health Foundation; Ellison Family Foundation; Bryan Foundation; Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation; and the Weaver Foundation. This list is evidence of how much Greensboro's local families give back to the community. 

The Center City effort has been especially visible.If you want something to do, head down to Elm Street or Center City Park and celebrate First Friday this evening. You will think you are on a vacation without leaving town. Finally, if you want to see more green, visit Greensboro's famous GREEN drink featured on GDP last Saturday or head on over to City Daily Photo to see green from Paris to Mumbai!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants