Greensboro Daily Photo

Snow, What are your Storm Foods?

Do you think by this time tomrrow we will have snow? Yesterday, everyone in line at the Walmart Supercenter on West Elmsley Street south of Greensboro thought so. When we went in the store about 4pm, the self-checkout line was backed up almost to the back of the store. Fortunately, the line moved rather quickly. Most people were just picking up a few items. We were behind a worker who was buying something to drink and a snack, either after work or during break. We wish we'd thought to buy it for him and thank him for being there. Workers were filling shelves about as fast as customers were emptying them. If you notice the worker's vest, above the Wal mart sun, it says "6 bottles recycled to make this vest." In front of the employee, was a woman who bought a large pack of corn tortillas and three gallons of milk. We all have our "go to" comfort storm foods. What are yours.

The Elmsley Wal mart Supercenter is one of the newest in the Greensboro area. It is large, clean and (normally) well stocked. Sometimes you can find random things there that other stores don't carry- like 25 pound bags of rabbit pellets. It is located between South Elm-Eugene Street and Randleman Road and driving out the back exit to Randleman Road, we took Florida Street to Josephine Boyd to Spring Garden and made it to Reconsidered Goods- almost at West Market Street- to drop off a donation in a little over 15 minutes. One of the perks of knowing Greensboro well it getting from Point A to Point B and avoiding the busiest streets. 

Happy Saturday! Hopefully, we won't need to hunker down!

Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company

It is the beginning of a three day weekend for many, a weekend that may end with a little snow. Today, however, it is the beginning of a beautiful Friday and we're sharing a sunny view of the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company- the Elm Street side. Do you see the name carved above the windows, the name that has changed many times over the years? We still tag the building as the "JP Building" because when we started Greensboro Daily Photo, the name of the company was Jefferson Pilot. Today, it is Lincoln Financial Group.

The building is a 374 foot skyscraper which, when built, in 1922, was the tallest building between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA!  Julian Price, president of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company had it built and hired an architect from New York City, Charles C. Hartmann to design it. Thanks to Mr. Hartmann's design and Mr. Price's willingness to fund the use of high quality materials like terra cotta and granite, the building stands today as an icon of Neo-Gothic/Neo-Classical/Art Deco style. If you are out walking around this weekend, have a look at all of the details. Take a few selfies in front of it. We'd love to see them. The "up" orientation of the photo reminds us all to look up and stay on the sunny side of life.

Happy Friday!

The Loose Cannons

It has been a minute since we took this photo. Actually, it was last fall at Golden Antiques on North Highway 220. The above group is known as the Loose Cannons and it was lovely to listen to them while shopping. Formerly, the group was known as Tuesday Tunes; this was their first performance under their new name. The group is part of The Early Music Society which is a non-profit group dedicated to playing music from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras. They use early music instruments like recorders, percussion, and string instruments. Notice these talented musicians have made special masks to be as COVID safe as possible!

According to the Facebook page of the Triad Early Music Society, they are part of the American Recorder Society, which is based in Charlotte, NC. You can see many sizes of recorders in the above photo. Members have performed at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. It was enjoyable not only to listen to this group, but also to learn about them. There are so many interesting opportunities in Greensboro and stumbling upon this group led to learning about their affiliate groups. From the Loose Cannons to the Tuesday Tunes to the Early Music Society to the American Recorder Society, that is quite a rabbit hole of musical adventure; a journey all brought about by getting out and exploring our community- something we try to do regularly. 

Happy Thursday, a great day to start planning the weekend. Don't forget Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr Day.

Publix Distribution Center

Sometimes, on weekends, we like to drive from Greensboro to Kernersville, Burlington, Reidsville, Asheboro, High Point, or Pleasant Garden to see how the roads into and out of Greensboro are changing. Last weekend's venture took us to Burlington Road,- which is also U.S. 70, and East Wendover. We were shocked to see the above change, between Mt. Hope Road and Knox Road. What was formerly a small golf course (possibly nine hole), is now being transformed into the Publix Distribution Center near McLeansville. The center is 940,000 square feet on 338.69 acres. This industrial complex is scheduled to open in 2022.* This part of Guilford County is quickly becoming a place for trucks to get consumer goods and food from Point A to Point B. The $400 million investment should bring at least 1,000 jobs - not including the other jobs created as a result of having more people and commerce in the eastern end of Guilford County. Salaries will average between &42,000 and &44,ooo.**

It is fun to watch the progress. Now is a nice time to go have a look, especially on the weekend, as traffic is not yet excessive. On Sunday, it was as if the sky was pointing to the distribution center. Look at that arc of clouds. The photo doesn't do the site justice as the facility stretches as far as the eye can see. This is a case when a drone view would be best. Next time you need to drive somewhere east of Greensboro, consider taking the "back road" and seeing how much the area has changed.

Happy Wednesday!

 

• reference.
• ** reference.

Urban View

This is a view of West McGee Street, the 100 block. Longshanks Billiards is the business these young pedestrians are about to walk past. By the way, the cute dog on the left is painted onto the wall. (These are the details you notice when urban walking and photographing). The neon sign at the top of the photo advertises Ritchey's Bar and Restaurant. The clothing of the walkers and the small tree to the right, with no sign of foliage, are proof positive that it is winter. The grayness of the photo adds to the cold weather ambience. Winter- while relatively mild in Greensboro-  has an air of beauty in its own right. The gray buildings and sidewalk also give the photo an urban,  big city feel.

The above photo was taken mid-afternoon on a Saturday when all was quiet on McGee Street in Downtown Greensboro. However, a few hours later this side street will be lively and filled with people. McCoul's Public House, Little Brother's, Longshanks, and Ritchey's will be hopping, enough so that people just may be inspired to walk across the street to Legacy Irons Tattoo Company and indulge themselves with a tattoo, that is if they can get an appointment. They seem pretty busy. Today's photo reminds us a little of an Edward Hopper painting. We would love to see this photo turned into a painting... or a short story. That little doggie looks like he could belong to Greensboro's most famous short story writer,  O.Henry.

If you are interesting in urban walking, try out the downtown parts of the greenway. Or, try this site, "GPS my city". We haven't tried it personally, we love the serendipity of seeing where we end up; however, this site is a way to be more organized about your downtown touring.

Happy Tuesday!

 

Life Along the 300 Block of South Elm Street in Greensboro

Saturday afternoon in Downtown Greensboro was not crowded busy, but it was lively and peppy. The above photo is of the 300 block of South Elm, a block that has it all. There is Cheesecakes by Alex and Scuppernong Bookstore at the upper end of the S 300 block, plus good food and libation along the way (Jerusalem Market, Little Brothers, Natty Greenes, Grey's Tavern, Hibachi Cafe, and Heavenly Buffaloes),  good coffee (Green Bean, Scuppernong), a "Selfie Spot", and some great eclectic shopping (Design Archives and Just Be)- to name a few of the businesses along the South 300 corridor. The above photo features people perusing the sidewalk sale at Design Archives. The other people are walking past Little Brother's Brewing, and in the background, on the Elm McGee corner is "Just Be" full of fair trade goodness, about the best for it in the city now that 10,000 Villages has closed its Greensboro location.

The 300 block must be the longest in downtown. It starts with that building at Washington Street, the one with the rounded corner entrance, that housed "Glitters" for years, and extends all the way to Spring Garden Street.  While this section of downtown is ripe with fun experiences, truly, it is the people that bring a community alive. We started to interview those four upbeat, energetic, stylish, young shoppers at Design Archives, but they were having so much fun "in the moment" we didn't want to interrupt them. Besides, it looked like they were about to make a purchase and we wouldn't want to hinder a retail transaction! It was so nice to see such diverse groups of people downtown on Saturday; proof positive, there is something for everyone. 

Happy Monday! What do you have planned this week?

The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer is located at 901 Friendly Avenue, just across the street from North Carolina A&T University and the new construction on the lot owned by the United House of Prayer. The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer is the only African American Episcopal Church in Greensboro. The first Church of the Redeemer building was built in 1910. The church has a very rich history and fortunately, it is well documented online.* Originally, the small congregation met on the campus of North Carolina A&T University, which, at the time was called, The Agricultural and Technical College for the Colored Race. 

The brick building with the steep, triangular roof and the iconic red doors, make the church readily identifiable from a distance. Since the Middle-Ages, red doors have signified a place of sanctuary. It is also said that, in the Episcopal Church, they once signified that the mortgage was fully paid. Regardless, if you are looking for and Episcopal church near downtown, give this one a try. 

Happy Sunday!

 

*If you want to read about it, see here.

Sunny Afternoon on Hamburger Square 2022

In spite of the cold temperatures, Hamburger Square looked beautiful in the sun, late yesterday afternoon. The brick building in the center is Natty Greene's. Nobody was eating outside, and the electric scooters were quiet; however, a few people were out walking their dogs and running errands along South Elm Street. College students return next week, so streets should get a little more lively. Temperatures will remain cold for most of next week, so it may be a while before Elm Street regains its full energy. A Greensboro merchant once told us that the "J" months are usually the slowest. So, if you don't like crowds, mark for calendars for January, June, and July to do some major shopping.

Indeed, today is a pretty quiet day in Greensboro, unless of course you planning on attending heading to the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market on Yanceyville from 7:30- 12:00 noon or the Greensboro Corner Farmers Market from 8:00- 12 noon. This evening, the Greensboro Hip Hop Festival will be held at at the Greensboro Coliseum tonight. So, there are still some things going on around town. And, as sunny as it will be today, it is a great time to take a walk. Hope to see you out and about today.

Happy Saturday!

Cast Impressions of Manhole Covers

The above art is a technique of casting impressions of manhole covers. They are made by the production manager of the Greensboro Symphony, Vito Ciccone. Originally from Washington, D.C. Mr. Ciccone has been in North Carolina since the late 1960s, early 1970s when he graduated from UNC Pembroke with a degree in fine art and printmaking.  A person of many talents, Mr. Ciccone has been making these cast impressions for almost a decade, and displays them at Tate Street Coffee House regularly in December.

The process is involved and includes cleaning off the manhole cover, making sure that pedestrians and law enforcement understand that he is making art and not vandalizing. He wears a vest with the word "artist" on the back, to help assuage people's concerns. Mr. Ciccone also makes the paper used in the process, makes the impressions, and then adds color, and finally stamps on the street address and longitude and latitude of where the impression was made. We had to do some internet sleuthing to find out the back story on the above pieces because, at Tate Street Coffee House, we couldn't find his name anywhere, only a small piece of paper with "make me an offer I can't refuse" and a phone number.*  The impressions really document a community. For example, on the left, you see that Greensboro was founded in 1808. It is easier to see the documentation around the perimeter of the one on the right. 

We don't know how much longer they'll be up, but as of yesterday, they were still on display at Tate Street.

* A big thank you to the Greensboro News & Record and the fine writing of Dawn Kane, whose article appeared (HERE) in the paper 12/7/2017. 

Duds & Suds

Perhaps we're having nostalgia for signs this week, but yesterday, the Suds & Duds laundromat and bar looked so beautiful in the late afternoon sunshine. The building, located at 2114 Walker Avenue, was built in 1935 and is 5,630 square feet. The building has some beautiful architectural details. On the upper right corner, you can see the brick behind the black marble. If you enlarge the photo, in this same spot, you can still see the outline of the letters for Elam Drug Company. Back when the drug store was there, people would sit at the soda fountain, sipping a fountain drink and catching up on issues in the neighborhood, city, and beyond. You could walk in and pick up your prescription or have it delivered.

Since at least the mid 1990s, the drug store and the soda fountain closed and a laundry mat opened in the location. And now, you can sip a beer and sit at the bar talking about the neighborhood, city and beyond. So, some things have changed and some have remained the same. One aspect of this part of town that hasn't changed is the fact that it remains community oriented and people from all walks of life come in to use the laundry mat. If you want to read more about this building and the Walker/Elam area, here is a 1995 article from the News & Record and written by Kelly Simmons.

Happy Thursday! We have several friends who have been without power for over three days. We hope power has been restored. Those winds on Sunday night were fierce!

Blumenthal's Clothing Store

Imagine our surprise when we walked into the Antique Market Place on Burnt Poplar Road and there was one of the signs from Blumenthal's Clothing Store that used to be in downtown Greensboro. There were two signs; this one, and the one that hangs in the Greensboro History Museum downtown. Blumenthal's opened on South Elm Street in 1926, left downtown for West Market Street in 2005, and closed permanently ten years ago in 2012. Blumenthal's was known for selling jeans, but had so many items like shoes, work clothes, belts, hats, and they even cashed payroll checks. The family business lasted for 86 years, but closed permanently when Bob Blumenthal had severe health issues and wanted to spend more time with his grandchildren.

Over the years, Blumenthal's  gave away a pack of cigarettes when someone's receipt matched one of the above numbers. Eventually, when the store stopped selling cigarettes, they gave a bandana to anyone whose receipt matched one of the above numbers. Blumenthal's occupied nearly the entire block between Spring Garden and McGee Streets. Their black and white facade with writing all around the picture windows was readily identifiable as you approached it. Indeed, they lived up to their name, "The Store with a Heart." The above sign has already sold, and all that is left of Blumenthal's are these two signs- and the memories that, as we age, are fading faster than than a pair of jeans. We also learned that Rhonda, who works at Antique Market Place used to work at Blumenthal's. We need to interview her and get some stories from the good old days!

Happy Wednesday!

First Snow of 2022!

If you are local, you already know that we had our first snow today and termpatures dropping to the 20s after a weekend with temperatures in the high 70s. Fortunately, yesterday was a teacher work day and children were safe at home and maybe even had a chance to get out and play in the snow. For many in Greensboro, however, there were power outages from high winds knocking down power lines. Hopefully, temperatures will warm up today and power will have already been restored. The above photo was taken in northwest Greensboro, along Carlson Dairy Road. We hope you enjoyed yesterday's wet snow, because it doesn't look like any more snow is expected over the next ten days.

On average, with a high of 48º and a low of 27º,  January is the coldest month of the year in Greensboro. So, we may need to brace for a little more inclement weather. Event wise, January tends to be a pretty quiet month in Greensboro. Still to come for January events, is the January8th Hip Hop Festival at the Coliseum; Porgy and Bess on the 21st and 23rd at Tanger Center; and the Big Hair Ball on January 22nd at the Coliseum. Of course there are smaller local happenings, too. What are some of your favorite things to do in Greensboro in January?

604 Scott Avenue

Our walking on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, we noticed this house on Scott Avenue, in the heart of the Lindley Park neighborhood, was getting work done. The two dormers and the garage on the right are being added to this house, built in 1917. At the time this home was initially built, there just weren't that many automobiles in the USA, only 49 per 1,000 people* At that time, the population of Greensboro was under 19,000, meaning there would have been under 400 cars in Greensboro. Today, the population of Greensboro is almost 300,000, and, on average, 80% of the population has cars. So, over the last 100 years, needs for maintaining and storing vehicles has increased dramatically. 604 Scott Avenue will be upgraded to the 21st center with this garage and extra room upstairs.

The houses on Scott Avenue are very diverse, and often get upgrades as they are sold. Lindley Park is a very desirable neighborhood. You can tell by the mature trees that the neighborhood was established long ago. And those sidewalks get a lot of use as the neighborhood is very walkable. Even though the profile of the house is changing, when completed, the additions will look like they have always been there. We can't wait till spring when the nearly one acre lot will be in full bloom. 

Happy Monday! Hard to believe it has been in the 70s and now, we might get snow today!

 

* reference and more cool facts about cars per 1,000, here.

And So Begins Year 14 on Greensboro Daily Photo

Happy Anniversary to Greensboro Daily Photo. Today is the start of Year 14.  

On January 2nd, we like to post a photo of the two of us in case you are a new reader; we're David (Thompson), tech support, and Janis, photographer and writer.  One of the reasons we started this all volunteer, mom-and-pop, labor-of-love, was to interact more with the people, places, and events of Greensboro. Our dream has come true. We've interviewed so many people over the years and, indeed, we've gotten to know more places in the community. Thanks to your readership, we are inspired to attend events and to continue exploring Greensboro, daily. In the past 13 years, we've posted 4,745 photos & paragraphs about the people and places of Greensboro. This year, we will hit over 5,000 posts, a number that is hard to fathom. 

As you can likely tell, this photo was taken at the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, a place already bringing the community great joy.  We so enjoy the performances. If you see us at Tanger, or wandering around taking photos or at an event, please be sure to introduce yourself. If you have suggestions for posts, we'll take those, too. You can follow us on Twitter or on the website www.greensborodailyphoto.com. If you ever have suggestions for posts, please put them in the comment section. Your readership is what sustains us!

Thank you for being part of the GDP family. Here's to a great 2022!

 

Happy New Year: 2021 In Review

On Greensboro Daily Photo (GDP), and throughout the entire "City Daily Photo" community, January 1st is the day we post one special photo from the previous year. As we looked at the year in review, as "Best of Show" for 2021, we simply had to feature a photo of the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. While the opening was delayed until 2021 due to COVID, when it did open, this performing arts center added so much to downtown. Now, Greensboro residents need only drive to 300 North Elm Street to see top quality performances. (See the original post from October 9th here).  

Now, we will present a line up of a memorable photo from each month. We tried to provide a variety of people, places, and events throughout the year. Of course, you can always go back and review the entire year, too!*  It is one of our favorite things to do on New Year's Eve. Some days are better than others; however, all in all, we're pretty proud of actually being able to maintain this daily effort and seeing the photos of Greensboro and the people we have met along the way makes us love the city more and more. So, click on the month, if you are so inclined.

January: For January, we selected the photo of Carolyn de Berry, staff photographer for, Triad City Beat. Meeting her is the beautiful, serendipitous aspect of GDP. In January, we were still in full lockdown pandemic mode. Public schools were still remote and people were not yet vaccinated. As we went to document progress on the downtown greenway, Carolyn was there, doing the same thing with her son. How fun for a photographer to capture a photographer in action. Greensboro is a city that still has a small town feel.

February: February, we feature the Barnhill statue of the Greensboro Four on the NCA&T campus. The Sit-Ins are such a giant part of Greensboro's history and contribution to the Civil Rights Movement.

March: Here, we feature the Downtown Greensboro Inc. staff. We actually went in to collect a prize we won from one of their of their initiatives to enter people in a drawing for every $25 spent downtown. We didn't win the cash, but we won a very nice package of Greensboro related items. Part of the reason we started GDP was to connect more with people who otherwise wouldn't be in our circle of influence, and this is another great example of how by giving you often get more in return- friendships and, well, a little bag of #DGSO goodness.

April: We would be remiss in not featuring the Greensboro Parks system. The April photo is the parks district behind the Greensboro Science Center. The parks have been such a great way to get out and do things and remain relatively COVID safe. May we never take our public parks for granted!

May: The Cone Health network has literally been a lifeline during the COVID year. While this photo only of Wesley Long Hospital, let is represent all of the healthcare workers who have worked tireless for us in 2021 and who are once again revving up to help those with COVID.

June: Piedmont Triad International Airport is such a great local resource and our connection to the wider world. Over the past few years, they've had renovations and added community art.

July: Schiffman's Jewelry has been a Greensboro institution since 1893. They sponsor so much locally. As examples, we have Schiffman's to thank for the Ring of Light in the Tanger Center; they installed a clock at the Rotary Carousel; they help fundraise for help find a cure for juvenile diabetes. At a time when many were questioning the future of retail, Schiffman's forged ahead with renovation and making their Friendly Center store a real destination..

August: The August feature is retired journalist, but very much active, Jim Schlosser. How could we have gone almost 13 years without featuring Jim? His family dates way back in Greensboro with one of his early Schlosser relatives being Greensboro's most famous stone mason. In the short time that we've known Jim personally, he has given us so many leads on people and places to feature. The day we interviewed him, we were at the Greensboro History Museum, another great, local treasure.

September: The North Carolina Folk Festival is a Greensboro treasure. We are so lucky to have it here. In addition to great music from around the world, the festival brings together the people of Greensboro who attend, volunteer, help visiting musicians, and more. If you like music and  haven't volunteered for the NC Folk Festival, we encourage you to do so. And, always attend and support vendors and support the businesses of sponsors and thank you for making this annual September event possible.

October: Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, The Orchestra Pit, is the October feature. We featured the exterior of the Tanger Center for the photo of the year, but this photo of the orchestra pit reminds us that a venue is only as great as the people who work there. Local musician Rusty Smith was so nice to a random child who leaned his head over to talk at intermission. He gave the pre-teen boy some quick suggestions and encouragement regarding his learning to play the trumpet. 

November: In November, Tommy Orange visited Greensboro. He wrote the book "There, There" a book that shares his first-hand insight into the urban Native American experience in Oakland, California. This visit was made possible by the Greensboro Public Library System. They have established a "One City; One Book" initiative and, with community input, they select a book for the whole city to read. So many book talks, exhibits, performances, and opportunities are made available leading up to the "One City; One Book" initiative. Especially those who read the book feel so connected to the book, the author, and all involved in the events.

December: The Festival of Lights returned this year after a year off due to COVID. People were so happy to get to be together again.  We like this photo because it shows all of the phone screens with people taking photos of the lighting of the tree. When we first started GDP in 2009, the cell phone and selfie photos weren't nearly as prevalent. By 2021, everyone wants a photo to share on social media. 

Be began 2021 wondering what on earth we would be able to share DAILY with the Greensboro still on lockdown. All in all, we are pretty proud of what we have been able to do. As we prepared this review, we were ever grateful for everything that we have been able to see, do, and document in 2021. Here's to a great 2022 for all of us! Please be sure to start back tomorrow for our annual anniversary post celebrating the beginning of Year 14. Also, we will talk a little more about the daily photo journey.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

 

* Start here if you really want to go back to January 1st, 2021.