Greensboro Daily Photo

Volvo 122S.... Just Might Be Spotted on I-40......

Beep, beep; move over (please). This weekend is summer's last hurrah and many Greensboroians will be heading to the beach. I-40 will be busy, busy, busy. Perhaps one local family will be lucky enough to travel in the above vintage Volvo. What a beauty! This four-door, Volvo 122 S model is a station wagon from the 1960's; a classic, Amazon estate. Right now, this Volvo wagon is parked in front of Import Specialty of Summerfield on Highway 220, just north of Greensboro in Guilford County. The opposite of this vintage Volvo is the very 21st century Volvo Technology Group, also located in Greensboro. 

Those who are headed to the mountains this weekend might be going to the North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville. The Labor Day Flea Market and Gun Show at Hillsville, VA will be another day trip for many. People not leaving town will want to check out the John Coltrane Jazz Festival. For those who want to hit the trail and prefer to travel by horse, Purgason's Leather Products is right next door to Import Specialty. Have a great weekend and HONK, if you see this 122S on the road!

Table 16

In the foreground of this photo, you see the chalk advertisement, "You are steps away from Table 16." This slogan was one of many seen near Table 16,at the corner of South Elm and Lewis Streets earlier in the month. If you look straight ahead, across the street, you can see the restaurant. Here is a closer view of Table 16, with artist, Kathleen Kennedy working on one of her giant paintings.

In the City Daily Photo community, the technique used in this photo is known as the Tenin technique after Eric Tenin (Paris Daily Photo)  who inspired the rest of us to take on a city daily photo site. Eric was the first! We love him not only for his fabulous website but also for his creative approach to taking photos. It seems like sometimes he actually places the camera on the sidewalk.

Hats off to Table 16 for their creative advertising. Eric would love it as he is such an advocate of seeing beyond that which is at eye level!

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!

End Polio Worldwide

The above sign, "End polio worldwide," is sponsored by Rotary District 7690 (Piedmont area, Rotary Zone 33). If you read their website, District 7690 seems really involved in fostering world peace and in helping young people become more globally minded. The polio campaign is particularly poignant in Greensboro as we had a polio hospital in the late 1940's (featured on GDP here & here). While there are vaccines against polio, once contacted, there is no cure for this crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. The World Health Organization spearheads the Global Eradication Initative; however, organizations, like our local Rotary chapter, are also involved. While polio is much less of an issue worldwide than it was at the height of the epidemic in 1952, it still occurs in other parts of the world. In 2012, there were 1,352 reported cases. We're getting there......

We have a closeup of the above sign that is easier to read; however, we love the way you can see its location along West Market Street, heading toward town. West Market Street is so built up and commercial, it is easy to forget that Greensboro still has a lot of "green" and probably looks fairly lush to those who live in areas of drought. If you stay on Market Street for the several miles to town, then continue on it through town, and then drive a few miles down East Market Street, you will find yourself very close to Greensboro's old polio hospital.

 

First Day of School

All was quiet at Jefferson Elementary yesterday afternoon. Classrooms were crisp and fresh with the newness of the beginning of the school year. By the time you read this, teachers and students will be filling the building with great anticipation about the new school year. Students will be greeted with open arms by smiling teachers. The smell of fresh crayons and new books will will fill the air, and the quiet hum of computers and white boards is a prelude to a new year of learning. A new curriculum is being rolled out and we think you will like it.

To all the parents of Kindergarteners who are having their first day of school. Be happy for your child as s/he begins the school adventure. Volunteer every chance you get. The more you give the more you will feel connected. And please DO NOT SPEED in the school zone. First and foremost, you want to keep the students safe. And......the fine is $438; not exactly pocket change. Equally important.... stop for those stopped school busses. Welcome back everyone!

United House of Prayer for All People

Earlier in the summer, when we were at a gas station on East Market Street, we noticed this view of the United House of Prayer for All People. From this hilly vantage point, the church appears to be in a suburban or rural setting, as opposed to close to downtown nestled between two institutions of higher education. The church is located at the corner of South Dudley and East Market Streets. It seems like just yesterday that we featured United House of Prayer for All People; however, it was actually over three years ago (here).

This Christian denomination was founded by Marcelino Manuel da Graça from the Cape Verde Islands, which are located off the coast of West Africa- the part that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. The church was first incorporated in the USA in Washington, D.C. in 1927. It has a really interesting history and some interesting practices. If you are interested in church history, you will enjoy reading this. In the meantime, we've heard that the church serves some amazing lunches. We hope they live up to their name "all people" as we really want to see that triangular church from the inside and enjoy a little fellowship over one of those tasty meals. Nurturing the soul with fellowship and good food. It doesn't get better than that....regardless of denomination or location.

GTCC on East Wendover at Burlington Road

If you haven't been out East Wendover Avenue lately, you won't believe how it has changed. Gone is that rural feel of being way beyond the outskirts of Greensboro, and the area continues to get more built up. In the above photo, you can see the East Wendover campus of Greensboro Technical Community College (GTCC) in all its glory. The campus is comprised of four buildings on 69 acres. This campus provides many useful trade programs: architectural technology, machining technology, manufacturing technology, industrial systems technology, turfgrass technology (just about "technology" everything); plus, paralegal studies, plumbing, residential carpentry, and so much more.

The main building, featured in this photo, is GTCC's first LEED-certified, "green" building. It is 45,000 square feet of total energy efficiency.  Watch this short little video clip if you want to take a peek inside. Greensboro is very proud of GTCC as it provides such an important community service. It is a way for people to continue their postsecondary education affordably and without having to leave home. If you peek at the street signs at the top of the photo, you can see that this campus of GTCC is located at the precise point where Wendover Avenue "changes" to Burlington Road.

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.

Hibiscus in North Carolina

The beautiful hibiscus flower is loved around the world. Several species of hibiscus grow well in North Carolina as the hardy hibiscus thrives in zones 6-8 and, unlike their tropical cousins, require little winter care. Greensboro is zone 7 on the USDA hardiness zone scale.  Hibiscus flowers are edible and many cultures boil the flowers to make hot and cold beverages. The drink is a mild diuretic with some health benefits. So, if you've made a commitment to planting edibles, this is a plant that would add beauty in your yard and make a nice beverage to serve. While dried hibiscus is a delicacy in Mexico, we think we'll stick with growing its relative in the mallow family, okra* for our dinner table.

The above specimen was found growing next to the mailbox in the Forest Oaks home we featured yesterday. The flowers on their plant are 6-8" in diameter and make a showy display in the front yard of this golf course community. Sometimes you hear them called saucer or flying saucer hibiscus.

A reader asked us to identify the large-leafed plant next to the porch in yesterday's photo. It is an elephant ear leaf, a member of the taro family and, in some cultures, parts of it are eaten. As always, before you start eating out of your yard, research the culinary aspects carefully to avoid any parts of a plant that may be toxic. We're fairly confident that the Forest Oaks family in yesterday's home are growing all of these plants for their beauty. If you get a moment, photograph your summer yard. In Greensboro, fall is nipping at our heels.

*see our okra patch 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.

Remembering Calvin Wiley

As the historical marker states, Calvin Wiley was the first superintendent of North Carolina Common Schools in the mid 1800's, at the time of the Civil War. Wiley was born in the Alamance region of Guilford County, in the vicinity of Liberty and Alamance Church Roads. Mr. Wiley worked tirelessly to bring quality public education to North Carolina. He was instrumental in prescribing and distributing uniform textbooks in North Carolina. He worked on decreasing illiteracy. He established standards and examination boards for teachers. He saw education as the means for people to overcome poverty and to become less provincial. Under Wiley's tenure and through his transformative practices, North Carolina became known for having the best public school system in the South.

Also a journalist and lawyer, Wiley wrote about the politics of education and, on a more homespun level, on the notion of "awakening readers to their state and culture through his writing."* Here is our favorite quotes about Wiley, a man for whom we have tremendous admiration and respect: "Using his communication skills as a writer and speaker, he devoted himself to finding ways to awaken a spirit of pride in the people."* As the school year is about to begin in Guilford County, let us all take a minute to be inspired by a man whose relevance, to the history of public education in North Carolina, will never wane (see reference below).

The man in the photo, who just happened to run by as we were on a photo shoot, told us he was on a five mile run. Likely, he ran right past Wiley's old homestead. 

* reference.

Mushrooms & Mosquitoes

Well, we start the week in Greensboro a little wet from the weekend....

With the rain came mushrooms and mosquitoes. The above white mushrooms snuck their way into our compost bed, which, at the moment, is a little heavy on coffee grounds and scraps from garden produce- not to mention soggy. Our compost pile is the perfect host for mushrooms that like a dark, warm, moist, nutrient-rich environment.

We are the first generation in our family incapable of conclusively determining whether or not mushrooms are edible. Those relatives from the "old country" would be mighty disappointed with the offspring of their offspring for not having mushroom identification skills. We do know that we have always been told to STAY AWAY from solid white mushrooms.

North Carolina has several biology and agricultural programs with mushroom experts, mycologists. To name a few, in North Carolina there is a lot of research and classification being conducted at Duke University (see here & here); NC State (see here) and, at Greensboro's very own NCA&T University (see here) do research and have active extension services. At NCA&T, Dr. Ormon S. Isikhuemhen specializes in mushroom biology and fungal biotechnology. NCA&T's School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences maintains a "how to get started" website for edible and medicinal mushroom farming in North Carolina. They work closely with farmers setting up mushrooms as a cash crop. How wonderful that a university works closely with the community to develop sustainable agriculture. See their great website here. Maybe we'll head back out and pick a mess and get them identified; that is, if we can brave the mosquitoes! We may get lucky and find some truffles!

Leak Chapel with its Beautiful Tapestry

The above photo was taken in Leak Chapel at West Market Street United Methodist Church. This comforting chapel is accessed most easily from the side street off of Market- John Wesley Way. The centerpiece of the chapel is the round tapestry, A Sacred Story.  The design was created by Catherine Kapikian and was funded by Olivia Burwell. The piece was fabricated by members and friends of West Market Street United Street Church and dedicated six years ago on April 9, 2006. 

The square, symmetrical crosses, along the side of each wall, lead the eye right to the beautiful circle of cloth. Each time you look at it, you will find a bit more symbolism and more complex patterns. At first, the eye is drawn to the color, the crescent moon, and the contrast between the light and dark colors. Soon, the eye sees the negative space, the white, that also holds crosses, circles (of life) and crescent moons. The day we were at the chapel for a funeral, the tapestry formed the perfect backdrop for bringing closure to our friend's long, full life.

Happy Sunday everyone. 

 

Bon Voyage

Those of you who follow Greensboro Daily Photo know that, recently, we rescued a pigeon, who landed at a friend's garage to roost. Since they realized the bird was extremely friendly and their neighborhood is full of cats, they called us. We brought the bird home and spent several days reading information published by the National Pigeon Association- trying to learn how to find the owner. We learned  to read the numbers on the bands on his feet. We sent e-mails. None of the leads panned out.

In the end, we did what was suggested by the pigeon hobbyists: Make sure the bird is healthy, feed it well, and give it plenty of water. Pigeons drink by suction and so you need to make sure you have a deep enough water source. Also, sometimes birds they don't even realize they have water in front of them as they are used to their own water dishes. If you splash the water, they recognize the sound right away.

Resigning ourselves to an eventual release, we let the pigeon try out his wings on our enclosed back porch (above photo). He proved that he was still a strong flyer. Next, we watched him eat and drink water for several days. Finally, on a sunny morning, we took him to our patio, opened his cage and put food on a picnic table. He took a big drink of water, got out of the cage, ate a big bowl of pigeon food, and hopped on the ground for a while. Finally, he flew up on our roof, looked around, as if to say goodbye. He circled the house and then flew away.

Oh how we wish we'd found the owners so that we could know if he ever makes it home. At any rate, we are sure we did the right thing by letting the bird go. Bon voyage friendly, beautiful, little bird. It was a pleasure.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

The weekend is upon us and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (GCNMP) would be a fabulous place to spend time relaxing. The park, located at 2332 New Garden Road, is a good starting point for learning some of Greensboro's history. The park commemorates a Revolutionary War battle fought on March 15, 1781- The Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

The military park was established in 1917 (during World War I and the Russian Revolution) and remained a part of the War Department until it was transferred to the National Park Service in 1933. GCNMP is small, but that is part of its appeal. It is fun to bike on the established trails and fun to visit with a wagon full of children in tow. The park is especially enjoyable on the bustling days of reenactments and concerts when it is teeming with people; the way George Catlin intended parks to be and the way Georges Seurat painted them.

In the above photo, people are gathered around the statue of Nathanael Greene, a major general in the Continental Army for the Revolutionary War and the man for whom Greensboro is named. Did you know that the two North Carolinians who signed the Declaration of Independence (William Hooper and John Penn) are buried here? Did you know that GCNMP has a website to help teachers plan lessons centered around visiting the park? They also have materials to LOAN to teachers. Visit now and, teachers, book early.... school is about to start.

 

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.

Pergola (and Cheesecake) by Alex

Pergolas have been around for a long time. "Pergola" originated in Late Latin, meaning projecting eave. Traditionally, pergolas are covered with woody, twisting vines. The word first appeared in Italian in 1645. The above wooden pergola is located just outside Cheesecakes by Alex at 315 South Elm Street. Owner/baker Alex Amoroso is usually on-site making cheesecakes or consulting with clients. You can be pretty sure that if he is sitting under this pergola, he is working- possibly helping someone choose from the approximately twenty flavors. And when you created the recipes, even eating the finished product is working!

There is a good chance that Alex and his loyal customers will have to sacrifce this location and pergola as the Weaver Investment Company will likely build an office building on the vacant lot they own, beside the pergola. Cheesecakes by Alex has been around since 2002. Let's hope they are they remain downtown for another decade or two- at least. In the meantime, you'll have plenty of nice days this summer and fall to eat a slice of cheesecake and check out the view from the pergola.

View from East Greensboro

Sometimes you can find beauty and visual interest where you least expect it. Here we are at an Exxon station captivated by the geometric, clean lines of the red, white, and blue scene. The station is located in East Greensboro, on East Market Street, near NC A&T. As you can see, it is still possible to make a pay phone call here. Pay phones and university campuses just seem to go together. The only other one we've located in Greensboro is beside UNCG (here). Do you know of others? 

This photo also documents the price of regular gas on July 28th (the day the photo was taken). Already, the price is higher. We plan to return to this same spot next year to compare the price of gas from one year to the next. Do you think it will be higher or lower?

On another note, if you notice, the Jefferson Standard/Jefferson Pilot/Lincoln Financial Building is peeking out above the red roof of the Exxon outbuilding. When the "JP Building" is in a photo, you know it was taken in Greensboro.

An Earthly View of Heaven

Sunday is the day we try to post something spiritual or religious on Greensboro Daily Photo. Some Sundays, we share houses of worship. Today, we offer a little piece of the sky- a stark contrast from yesterday's photo of peaceful blue skies. The above photo was taken yesterday at dusk as the clouds were rolling in. A little sliver of blue lingered above our house in Greensboro and was just enough to cast an intense golden glow over the yard. That thin slice of warm light reminded us of euphemisms for death like slipping into heaven, passing on over to the other side, and crossing over. For a brief moment, it was as if the sky were winking at us. 

Well, it is supposed to be nice in Greensboro today and tomorrow. If you are looking for a little fellowship with Greensboroians, consider Preservation Greensboro's  Waffle Cone Frolic at Blandwood Mansion from 2-4 pm or the 6 pm MUSEP concert at Hester Park. Our city is pretty good about offering events free to the public.

As always, marveling at the sky above is not only free, but priceless. Happy skywatching!

Schoolhouse Rock

In North Carolina, it is almost time for school to start. Some alternative schools have started already. Soon, these schoolyard rocks- harboring memories of students who have already graduated- will be repainted with symbols and slogans from a fresh batch of seniors. The above rock belongs to the students at Northern Guilford High School, The Nighthawks. Very often, these rock paintings represent rival causes. In the case above, the rock seems to simply document a senior event last spring.

In this era of tattoos, tagging, and graffiti, students have become quite talented at decorating their rocks. The above rock, with its rainbow side and black background, is too pretty not to record on film. We wonder if schools archive the painting on their rocks. That would be a great project for an art student. Have you ever been involved in rock painting? One of the earliest examples appears to be The Rock on the campus of Northwestern University, there since 1902.

Shaw Residence Hall

After a little over a year of chain link fences and non-stop construction, The Quad Residence Hall is nearing completion on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The above photo is of Shaw Residence Hall, gateway to The Quad on the campus. The quad has been a part of UNCG since the 1920's, and, the institution had to decide whether they would raze the buildings or rebuild the outdated facilities. In the end, it was decided to honor history and rebuild.* At least a million dollars of the renovation is funded by gifts from alumi.

If you have a chance to get by to see these residence halls and learning communities before the students return next weekend, you will not be disappointed. Hats off to UNCG for finding a way to honor tradition while honoring 21st century technology and innovation.

*read more about construction here.

National Pigeon Association

This week, the west coast has been experiencing earthquakes and the weather on the east coast has been unpredictable, too. We've had strong winds and thunderstorms. During some recent winds, this white pigeon, with a band of purple feathers around his neck, lost his way. On Monday night, an animal lover, friend, and faithful GDP reader called us to help. She knows we are animal lovers and that we have a pet bird.

This tame pigeon was roosting in her neighbors' garage and their neighborhood, Sunset Hills, is full of cats. She wanted to know if we would help. She did not want to wake up to ruffled feathers and a dead carcass. Well, we drove to her house with a bird cage and it took less than a minute to get this beauty caged. Already night, we took him home and gave him food and water and a good night's rest.

The next day, we took him to Stephie's birds and she helped us read the band number. We have contacted the National Pigeon Association and are in the process of finding the owner. According to the association's website, if you get them fed and hydrated, you can let them go in an open field and they will find their way home-- even if it is hundreds of miles away. We will probably do that if our leads are dead ends. In the meantime, we'll keep trying to find the rightful owner. The bird is so beautiful, tame, and well cared for that we're pretty sure the owners are missing him. 

As a child, Mrs. GDP had a pet homing pigeon who just showed up at her house one day. When she went to town on Saturday afternoons, she would see her pigeon on the court house square. He always came home to roost at night. One day he never returned. Mrs. GDP's mom made up a little story about how Homer married and went with his new family. So, finding the rightful owner would touch a nostalgic chord in Mrs. GDP's heart. If you have any ideas, please let us know. We feel like we're in the middle of P.D. Eastman's tale, Are You My Mother?. Let's hope our ending is as happy as the one in the children's book.

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.

University of Phoenix Greensboro

While we were out driving on High Point Road, recently, we were struck by the billboard above:

"University of Phoenix® Committed to educating Greensboro."

Imagine, just yesterday, the front page photo of the Greensboro NEWS & RECORD featured the local colleges that will be starting soon: N.C. A&T, UNCG, Guilford College, Bennett College, Elon University School of Law, GTCC, High Point University, Greensboro College, Elon University. They did not mention University of Phoenix. However, this Maricopa County, Arizona-based university, known for its online coursework, does, indeed, have a learning center in Greensboro. It is located at 1500 Pinecroft Road, Suite 110- not too far from the Four Seasons Mall.

Interesting that the brick and mortar facility is a learning center and the online facility is known as a campus. Preference for brick and mortar vs. an online learning environment tends to be generational. How would you feel about getting a degree online? Regardless, as the sign alerts us, the above nine institutions of higher education need to make room.

There's a new kid in town. 

High Point Road

Were you out shopping on tax-free weekend? High Point Road was busy with people coming and going from the mall to take advantage of sales without sales tax. North Carolina is one of only 21 states planning tax-free events in the USA. As a State, we are committed to seeing that children return to school as ready as possible.

Another big event to help students get what they need for school is the Bright Beginnings Program through the local YMCA's. They will issue backpacks, school supplies, and fund clothes-shopping trips for children in need so that they can start their school. With many individuals and businesses on board helping with the Bright Beginnings Program, the Y plans to help 500 children this year. Hats off to all involved. It won't be long until children will be needing coats.... oh, and we have a program for that (the Give a Kid a Coat Campaign). 

St. Pius X, Inside

After last Sunday's post, an outside view of St. Pius X, we had a few requests to show the inside of the church. Here is the sanctuary with the 100+ year-old stained glass windows that are so fabulous. The church has done an amazing job of matching not only the exterior and interorior, but also the school on the property. Stone, wood, glass, lighting with some drywall (or, perhaps, plaster), and ecclesiastical items fill the sanctuary with warmth and spirituality. 

St. Pius X lived in Italy from 1835-1914. He was known for his compassion and benevolence. In 1954, he was canonized. Were he alive today, he would be proud of the volunteerism and benevolence of members of the church named in his honor.

Happy Sunday, folks. If you are looking for a good deed to do today, consider buying some school supplies to donate to a needy school or family-- on this last day of North Carolina's tax-free weekend.

Boho Salon Event

Last night, at First Friday, Boho Hair Salon on Elm Street held a fundraising event for Parkinson's disease. Team Fox, the grassroots fundraising group of Michael J. Fox, was on hand to spearhead the event. For $10, you could get a haircut at Boho and have your picture taken in the Back-to-the-Future mobile. All money was donated to their reserach eforts. Fun events like this make First Friday even more meaningful.

Nest at the Cardinal

Today, we bring you a little humor. Since we've been featuring the Cardinal neighborhood this week, we wanted to share this sign, located on Old Oak Ridge Road, just down the road from Fire Station No. 17.

"Don't be a woodpecker, nest at the Cardinal."

What does it mean to be a woodpecker? Don't you wonder who thought this slogan up? It is catchy. 

First Friday happens in downtown Greensboro this evening. If you are local, you might want to stop by the Indie Market on South Elm Street and do a little gallery hopping. We love woodpeckers and cardinals but tonight, we're hanging out downtown, with the pigeons. Actually, there aren't that many pigeons in Greensboro. Have a great weekend, dear readers. By the way, if there were a slogan for your neighborhood, what would it be?

Fire Station Number 17

While visiting the Cardinal neighborhood last weekend, we noticed Fire Station # 17, located at the corner of Old Oak Ridge Road and Murfield Drive. We thought for sure it would be called Cardinal Station. However, upon closer inspection, we noticed that it is the Guilford College Station. We learned quickly, Greensboro does not name fire stations for neighborhoods. They have numbers.* (Although we did have the old central station).  As we commenced researching this post, an interesting story followed.

From 1946- 2001, Greensboro Fire Department and Guilford College Fire Department were two separate entities**  and Guilford College was one of North Carolina's first rural fire departments. Previously, the above station was part of the Guilford College Fire Department and it was located elsewhere. In 2000, this station was relocated, for the FOURTH time to its current facility at 6405 Old Oak Ridge Road. This last move was made necessary with the construction of the Fed Ex facility. In 2001, it merged with Greensboro Fire Department. If you are interested, the facility has several plaques on the front of the station documenting names and dates. How wonderful that Station #17 has archived its history, in bronze no less.

If this firehouse forum is correct, the Greensboro Fire Department was the first to earn a class 1 rating in the US. Not many, paid or volunteer, have this designation. They say, for those who are person enough, it is a GREAT place to work! 

* see number 5 here.

** more local fire department history here and  here and State fire department history here.

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.