Greensboro Daily Photo

Sunday Drive into Old Greensboro

Sunday drives are so wonderful. Last Sunday, we were driving around Kirkwood and stumbled on this scene that looks like it could have been Greensboro from the 1950's. The old car (Bel-Air?), the house with a picket fence, a single car garage with a door that you have to open by hand, and, of course, a dog in the yard. This gentle giant, in true Great Dane style, watched our every move when we were on his turf. Of course he could have jumped over that fence in a heartbeat; but, we didn't bother him and he didn't bother us. 

The setting sun was so beautiful that day. We hope you have a chance to get out this weekend and enjoy the beauty of our city. The people of Greensboro love their pets. If you want to make friends quickly, admire a pet and meet the owner. See if you can take a picture with no signs of the 21st century in it.

Z for Zaytoon

Zaytoon is a Mediterranean café, located in the building at 301 North Elm Street. You access Zaytoon by walking to the back of the office building at 301 N. Elm, past the plaza with the O. Henry statues. From the door of Zaytoon, you can see the JP/Lincoln Financial building and the parking deck on Bellemeade. Zaytoon is open for a late breakfast and early lunch, catering to the business community. They also cater private events. People really like the food and say great things about the service. On a warm, breezy, summer day, eating at the courtyard in front of Zaytoon is enjoyable.

If you haven't been before, it can be a little hard to find the entrance; the office building camouflages it. We're betting the name Zaytoon is a play on the word for olive, which is aceituna , in Spanish. Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our A-Z local series, Z is for Zaytoon. That closes out another round of ABC Wednesday. We love this meme; however, at GDP, we try to add a theme to the series, which adds another level of challenge for us. Stop back next week for a new round. See what A-Z theme we will pick next!

Y is for Yum Yum

Yesterday, during Greensboro's torrential downpour, we had the pleasure of waiting out the deluge at Yum-Yum Better Ice Cream and Hot Dogs at 1219 Spring Garden Street. Clint was there to wait on us. He is a member of the Aydelette family that started Yum-Yum in 1906. How incredible to have a family business that is 109 years old! Generations of Aydelettes have been serving ice cream to generations of Greensboro residents. Not only do people who live in Greensboro love Yum-Yum, but when people move away, this little ice cream shop, on the western edge of UNCG's campus, becomes a must-visit destination. Yesterday, we were also lucky enough to get a scoop of watermelon ice cream. If you like watermelon ice cream, hurry, they will only have it for about three weeks.

Today is a double theme day for Greensboro Daily Photo. First, we're participating in ABC Wednesday. Today's letter for our ABC Local Series is "Y" and "Y" is for Yum-Yum! Also, for the City Daily Photo community, the July 1st theme is "upside down."  Clint very graciously agreed to our seemingly-silly request to be served a watermelon ice cream cone upside down. So, we've got both themes covered, and we had the pleasure of spending a little time at very special business that works so hard to serve Greensboro with a smile. By the way, if you order an ice cream cone, it will be served to you right side up (see below)!  By the way, that giant portion is only one scoop! Follow Yum Yum on Facebook to keep up with news, like what seasonal flavors are being featured.

W is for Wrangler

Featured in the above photo is the headquarters for Wrangler Jeans, a brand owned by VF Corporation. The office is located at 400 North Elm Street. Wrangler jeans were launched in 1947 by the Blue Bell Company, thirty nine years before it merged with VF Corp.* Wrangler's hallmark has always been rugged, outdoor clothing, especially jeans, that can hold up even with the rugged work of cowboys. Wrangler is the opposite of  the currently-trending "fast fashion."

How fitting that in the above parking lot, we see cyclists taking to the street after work on a Tuesday afternoon. The bi-weekly meet up, spearheaded by Mark G., leaves from the Wrangler parking lot. This group understands that part of being tough and rugged is by being in great physical shape. Riding bicycles is a great way to stay fit. Wonder if Wrangler, or another VF Corp. label, makes rugged clothing for the avid cyclist? 

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our ABC Local Round, W is for WRANGLER! Think positive thoughts as we struggle with our dreaded end-of-the-alphabet X-Y-Z local ideas!

*see a company timeline, here.

 

V is for Volunteers

The Volunteer Center of Greensboro, located at 1500 Yanceyville Street, has been serving Guilford County since 1963. They do so much for the community. For example, in a couple of weeks, they are offering a Service Learning Leadership Camp for rising 9th-12th graders. The camp provides high school students with a way to engage in service learning projects that impact the local community. What a fabulous way for students to spend the summer. 

In the above photo, on the left is Carley Swaim, Executive Director. Hope Tyler, on the right is the director of volunteers and community engagement. You can visit the organization's website to learn more about opportunities to serve our community. Or, you can contact Hope directly.*  While we were on site, Hope and Carley explained about the beautiful, vibrant, giant works of art. They were made at the 2015 Martin Luther King, Jr. "Day of Service" event, hosted by the Volunteer Center.

For the project, local artist Denise Landi designed paint-by-number giant boards that children could turn in to works of art. The masterpieces in the above photo were made from adhering paint strips to the giant paint-by-number board. The collaborative works of art are still open for bid. Both would look great in a public or private collection, especially in a place frequented by children and teens. If you know Denise and her art, it is amazing how her sense of style and color come through on these giant canvases, ultimately executed by children. The bids we saw were less than $200; so, it appears they can be had for a very reasonable price and it is for a good cause.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z local round, V is for Volunteers! Hats off to the Volunteer Center of Greensboro for doing so much for our community.

*volunteergso.org   or    [email protected]  

U for Unicorn Press

Unicorn Press is tucked away inside the Glenwood Coffee and Books Co-op at 1310 Glenwood Avenue. As stated on their website, Unicorn Press was founded in 1966 in Santa Barbara, CA and was relocated to Greensboro in 1972. Al Brilliant, one of the three founders, continues to run the press, today. (Reference, here).

Unicorn is especially known for the poetry it publishes as well as its contest to publish a book of poetry for poets who have not previously published one. Greensboro poet Mark Smith-Soto served as the final judge for last year's contest. The submission period for 2015 has just ended and we will know on December 1st who won for this year.

We wish Al had been around the day we were in Glenwood. With fifty years of experience in publishing, Al is known as a preeminent small press publisher and known for publishing high quality works of poetry. By 2004, Al had published the work of six Nobel Prize winning poets* Greensboro is lucky to have such a talented and unassuming publisher in our midst.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Local series, U is for Unicorn Press!

* reference and Al's fascinating background.

T is for Triad Homebrew Supply

Triad Homebrew Supply, located on 105 Guilford College Road, is one stop shopping for wine, cheese, and beer equipment and supplies. From the different grains that go in to making beer to high capacity stills, fermenters, and everything in between, they have it all. Triad Homebrew Supply has over 50 varieties of hops alone. Additionally, you can take classes for making wine, cheese, and beer.

Home brewing has taking North Carolina by storm. Appalachian State University even offers a Bachelor of Science degree program in fermentation sciences. This degree reflects the growing importance for institutions of higher education to bring "real world" experiences into the classroom. Colleges are providing a more direct link to vocational training and the art of fermentation is one such example.

Greensboro has Red Oak, Natty Greene's, Gibb's Hundred, Pig Pounder, and Preyer's breweries. Red Oak has been brewing in Greensboro since 1991- and  has has a very interesting history, here. The other pubs came along since, with Preyer's being the new kid on the block- opening in 2015. Wonder if the local breweries get supplies from Triad Homebrew! Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our ABC LOCAL Series, T is for Triad. A lot of businesses in Greensboro use the term "triad" in their title and Triad Homebrew reflects a niche market that is trending! Behind that unassuming storefront is the complex world of crafts that have been passed down for generation after generation.

 

Saigon Nails and Skincare School

Today's ABC Wednesday photo takes us to the Saigon Nails and Skincare School. The school is located in the DP Business Center on High Point Road. It is tucked in the back of the business center on property near the putt putt golf courses of yesteryear. Greensboro's Vietnamese community has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade and the nail school is one of many options for our city's Vietnamese-Americans to learn a trade. 

We don't know a lot about the Saigon Nail and Skincare School and they don't appear to have a website. However, we did want to take this opportunity to write a blog entry featuring High Point Road, which has tremendous ethnic diversity. That part of town is a great place for commerce and for celebrating the ethnic diversity of Greensboro. In the photo below, you see the inside entrance to the salon. We're planning to return when they're open to see if they offer services to the public!

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Local Series, S is for Saigon Nails and Skincare Store.

First, First Presbyterian

The construction equipment in the above photo provides an indication of the construction taking place in Downtown Greensboro. On North Elm Street, near Lindsay, Davie, and Summit Avenue, the Greensboro Inn has long been torn down and soon, construction will be underway for the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. The Greensboro City Council bought the land, and, to date, more than 35 million dollars has been pledged for the center.* 

We're featuring this photo because it shows the Greensboro Historical Museum, which was originally the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro. This Romanesque Revival brick structure, featured above, was the First Presbyterian church from 1824- 1927, when the Gothic Revival cathedral in Fisher Park was built. 

We're hoping this post will encourage someone to do a photo shoot of the original First Presbyterian Church, before new construction again blocks the view. Downtown Greensboro, especially from North Elm to North Eugene, is changing before our eyes.

Happy Sunday!

* Read more about the history of the project, here.

R is for Replacements

Replacements, Ltd. and founder Bob Page, are featured in an exhibit at the Greensboro Historical Museum in the "Voices of a City" exhibit. Replacements was founded by Mr. Page in 1981 when he left his job as an auditor for the State of North Carolina to follow his passion- finding china and stemware patterns. In the early years, he kept a recipe box of index cards with his friends' requests to help them find pieces. He would keep an eye out for their requests when at flea markets and yard sales. 

The company has grown from that little recipe box to over 500 employees from over 30 countries. Replacements has a reputation for being a great place work two of many reasons are their embracing diversity and their allowing employees to bring their dogs to work. Replacements is truly a local startup with clients from all over the world. If you are local, it is well worth a visit to their showroom on Knox Road in the eastern end of the county, visible from I-40/85. If you get a chance, head to the historical museum and see the "Voices of a City" exhibit. Congratulations to Mr. Page for earning a spot on Greensboro's wall of fame!

Today is ABC Wednesday and R is for Replacements. See our A-Q local series, here.

Q is for Quaker Village

If you have been out to West Friendly Avenue lately, you've likely noticed some big changes at Quaker Village. A major addition is the Wal-Mart neighborhood store is now open, bringing a grocery store back to the plaza. There hasn't been one since Fresh Market left in 2007. While initially met with resistance, the mini Wal-Mart seems to be gaining in popularity with the locals. The general consensus  is that the mini Wal-Mart is easier to navigate than a big one.

Quaker Village is a nice combination of chain stores and independent ones. The owner, Aston Properties of Charlotte, is making a concerted effort to help the stores feel connected as one big, accessible unit. Quaker Village was built over 50 years ago, in 1964.* In 2010, it was sold in a bankruptcy auction and, now, it appears to be gaining momentum as a shopping destination. How nice to see new energy brought to the historic Guilford College area. Today is ABC Wednesday and Q is for Quaker Village. See A-P in our ABC Local series, here.

 

*reference.

P is for Pirtek and Phil

Pirtek began in Sydney Australia in 1980. The Greensboro franchise, Pirtek Piedmont Triad, opened at the corner of Meadowood and West Market Street on April 23, 2007. Pirtek provides fluid transfer solutions with an on-site hydraulic hose replacement service . If a hose malfunctions on a piece of equipment, Pirtek goes to the job site and makes a new one on the spot. One company needed a very high pressure hose and was losing $1,000 an hour by not having that hose. Pirtek was able to meet their needs.

Of course, with every small business, there are people filling those work orders and providing good and services for their clients. The evening we stopped by, Phil was manning the front counter and his ever faithful dog, Shadow, was waiting patiently for him close up for the day. Today is ABC Wednesday and P is for Pirtek and Phil. By the way, Pirtek had a birthday a few days ago. 

Check here for the A-O entries of our A-Z Local Series.

O for Open Space Café Theatre

Now in their 8th season, the Open Space Cafe Theatre has left their West Market Street location and is in residence at the Crown Stage at the Carolina Theatre. Open Space provides quality, live theatre with themes ranging from family-friendly to more-adult humor. Currently, until April 26th, they are performing Nunsense- A Men. In this production, the ever-talented director, Stephen A. Hale also has a leading role in the play.  The motto for Open Space is "Engage/Enlighten/Entertain," and that they do!

As seen in the above photo, all is quiet in Open Space. Open Space has had vacate their space for a few days because the Carolina Theatre is about to host one of their biggest events ever. Paula Poundstone is performing tomorrow night. The space, featured above, will be transformed into a venue for a pre-show dinner. However, by Friday night, Open Space will be back for yet another great performance of Nunsense. If you like church humor and a good play on words, Nunsense will be perfect. It has been well received and the actors are getting great reviews. Please consider supporting the Carolina Theatre, downstairs, and/or the Open Theatre, upstairs. Buy tickets or simply donate financially. You can do so right on their websites!

Today is ABC Wednesday (where you can see many O-themed posts from around the world) and look HERE for GDP's A-N posts for our A-Z local theme. O is for Open Space; and, O those tables look like upper case O's!

N is for Natural Dog

The Natural Dog is a pet food market located on Lawndale Drive. It opened in December, 2013. If the façade looks familiar, it is because the store is located in what used to be the old Fresh Market Grocery Store. Believe it or not, the space is filled to the brim with pet food and supplies. The Natural Dog is committed to serving only nutritious pet food and offers holistic and organic foods. They also sell cat and wild bird supplies and groom dogs. At least once a month, they sponsor pet adoptions.

Natural Dog is a local company with sister stores in Burlington and Winston-Salem. Unfortunately, the company's website hasn't published anything about the owners or the company's history. Fortunately, the store monitors what they sell to ensure that the pet food is good for your critters. On sunny days, it is not uncommon to see people with their pets hanging out in at the tables in front of the store. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z local series, N is for Natural Dog!

M is for Mack & Mack

Local fashion designer Robin Mack brings decades of experience to her business, Mack and Mack. Greensboro native and Page High School graduate (Class of 1968), Robin learned to sew from her mom and began making clothing and developing her sense of style in middle school. Robin's formal training came after high school when she studied at a small design school in New York City.  After fashion school, she worked at the NYC boutique of High Point native James T. Clarke. Mr. Clarke would design and cut and Robin would do most of the sewing. Robin returned to Greensboro and from 1995- 2000, developed her business at the incubator space at Revolution Mill. March 2000, Mack and Mack became a stand-alone business in its current location at 220 South Elm Street.

Mack and Mack's clothing is elegantly designed and can take you from office to evening. The hallmark of her travel-friendly, figure-flattering pieces is comfortable, high quality fabric. Robin loves interesting fabric: from sheer, fine, and silky to thick, opaque, and highly-textured fabrics, but insists that her pieces be as comfortable as sportswear- even PJ's. As seen in the above photo, color ranges from solids to florals to marbled and everything in between. These interchangeable pieces become a system of dressing that makes looking elegant seemingly effortless. How exciting to have an accomplished fashion designer right here on Elm Street. The Mack & Mack original pieces are available for less than the price of a Coach or Tori Burch handbag! If you get a chance, stop in and see for yourself. Consider attending one of the many concerts and events hosted by Robin at the shop. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our ABC Local series, M is for Mack & Mack!

L is for Lamps; Hyalyn Lamps

Hyalyn Lamps is an outgrowth of Hyalyn Pottery that began in Hickory, North Carolina in 1947. As North Carolina's furniture industry  grew, evolved, and shrank, HyalynPottery in Hickory closed. However, an offshoot,  Hyalyn Lamps, opened in Greensboro in 1985 in Cotton Mill Square, on Spring Garden Street at Merritt Drive. Cotton Mill Square was demolished; however, Hyalyn Lamps survived and is located at 2921 Battleground Avenue. Above, you see just a fraction of their inventory in the Battleground location.

For the above photo, we didn't take a picture of the people shopping at Hyalyn, because a customer was sharing her family problems with one of the long-time employees. The employee was showing great empathy as she was finishing the transaction. Local businesses are like that. People know your name, care about what is going on in your life, and know you well enough to know what you might like to purchase and what is not your style- or price point. Hyalyn Lamps sells lamps, bulbs, finials, and shades. Additionally, they repair and rewire lamps. Recently, they have started featuring art by local artists; paintings that look great with your lamps, and jewelry that looks great when you turn on  the lights! 

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Local series, L is for Lamps, Hyalyn Lamps!

K is for Kriegsman

The Kriegsmans have been furriers since the 1870's when the family was living in Austria. About a century ago, family members immigrated to the United States. In 1928, Max and A.M. Kriegsman founded the Greensboro store. In addition to storing furs, they repair and custom design products. The fur industry has changed significantly from back in the day when it was harder to find warmth on a cold winter day and when wearing fur was a sign of financial status. Even middle class women wanted a touch of fur on a coat. The Kriegsman's work hard to keep their business contemporary and use materials like cashmere that appeal to people who might not wear fur. As businesses change over the decades and centuries, it is harder to find people truly connected to their craft; where, a product is taken from concept to completion through the craftsmanship of a single person or store.  Kriegsmans is that kind of store. It is located on Cornwallis Drive at Cornwallis Court. 

We think their family and their family's story would be a good one to be featured in a local magazine or newspaper. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our ABC local series, K is for Kriegsman. (Notice in the sign above that K is for Kaplan D.D.S., too)!

J is for Jewelry... (Fentress Jewelry)

Fentress Jewelry, on Spring Garden Street, has been in Greensboro since 1974. For over forty years, Delbert Fentress has served Greensboro as a bench jeweler. He not only repairs and sells jewelry, he also designs and makes one-of-a-kind pieces. He gets stones from all over the world and turns them into family heirlooms. 

We were there a few weeks to get the clasp on a brooch unbent and Mr. Fentress repaired it on the spot. They even offer to size rings within the hour. We were so thrilled to get the piece repaired, while we waited, and to talk to Mr. Fentress about some of the pieces that he designed, we forgot to ask for a photo. With the trend in retail for people to shop locally and to buy directly from the proprietor, Fentress Jewelry fits that bill. Today is ABC Wednesday. For this round, we're featuring local businesses end entrepreneurs and "J" is for "jewelry" as well as for "jeweler." (See A-I Local, here).

I is for Indigo the Salon & Indigenous Spa

Indigo the Salon has been in Greensboro, in the Lake Jeanette area, for 18 years now. They are a full service salon with a spa component called Indigenous Spa. The salon was founded in 1997. Hillary Wallace and Cheryl Whalen are co-owners. The business offers customers a relaxing, retreat-like experience. Most clients become very loyal to their hairdressers, including the ones who come here. They've been around almost as long as Lake Jeanette has been a community; back when North Elm Street still felt more rural than suburban.

Indigo is a deep and bright color between blue and purple on the cool side of the light spectrum. It seems like a great name for a salon with experts in color. Indigenous indicates that something is native to a particular place; a spa for locals/by locals. Indigo and Indigenous are a perfect word pairing for the ABC Wednesday meme when the letter is "I" and GDP's theme for this round is "local." Head on over to ABC Wednesday to see what the rest of the world is posting for the letter "I". Head on over to Indigo/Indigenous to see what it looks like inside. Alternatively, maybe we'll take you there the next time we need an "I" word. We had to chuckle when we noticed that there were four white cars and one indigo one in the parking lot yesterday!

H is for Higgins

Glendi Higgins, photographed above, was on the front end of a giant trend. He had the first bicycle shop in Greensboro. He started selling bikes in the late 50's and by the early 60's had a bicycle shop on Spring Garden Street across from Yum Yum's Ice Cream Shop. By the early 1970's, UNCG was expanding and needed his property to accommodate their growth. Undaunted, Mr. Higgins built his store in its current location on Battleground Avenue, across from what is now Cookout and Omega Sports. Mr. Higgins had owned the land since 1951. Originally, the property had a church with a parsonage beside it and there was nothing but woods across the street. Before long, an A&P grocery store went up and the woods went down. Now, the neighborhood has changed completely and, at 85 years old,  Mr. Higgins is one of the rare keepers of knowledge about Battleground Avenue in mid-20th century Greensboro. He is also one of those rare folks who is not too busy to take the time to talk to customers.

We stopped in to look for a used bicycle and were impressed with his inventory, which is very reasonably priced. You can get a good used bike for $100. It may not be the trendiest name and latest carbon-fiber technology; however, if you need something reliable to get you from Point A to Point B, you cannot beat Mr. Higgins' offerings. UNCG students still flock to him to find a bike they can use during their time in Greensboro and, upon graduation, they know where they can go to sell back their bike.  Mr. Higgins is the epitome of entrepreneurship and "keeping-it-local." Today is ABC Wednesday and for our ABC Local series, H is for Higgins Cycle Shop; Higgins Lock and Key.

G is for Gate City Transportation

Gate City Transportation provides non-emergency transportation in the Greensboro area: wheel chair, ambulatory, and respite transportation services. They have been in business for sixteen years and are staffed with EMT certified drivers. The service is perfect for people who need to get to doctors' appointments who are not in the position to drive themselves. Each passenger is allowed one person to ride with them as an escort. Having access to a door-to-door transportation makes living independently possible for people who would otherwise have to make other arrangements. Roderick Jessup started the business after transporting his grandmother and aunts and seeing a need for this service in Greensboro. The day we were walking from South Elm Street to Southside, we saw this bus parked in the westernmost lot on MLK Drive. They may have other stations.

For this round of ABC Wednesday, we're saluting local businesses and entrepreneurs of Greensboro and Gate City Transportation is one such example. G is for Gate City Transportation. Greensboro was once known as the Gate City because we were the hub of so many railroad cars. While the mode of transportation is different, the GCT fleet represents the spirit of getting from Point A to Point B, the hometown way. If the predicted snow comes, even Gate City Transportation may be parked as our city will be at a standstill. 

F is for The Forge

The Forge is a non-profit makerspace, funded by members, donations, and sponsors. It is a collaborative workshop area that provides tools for woodworking and metal fabrication. According to the sign in their window, "[t]he collaborative area can be used for everything from software development to just reading a book." They work with local entrepreneurship groups to help bridge the gap between idea and product. Thanks to The Forge, there are three new businesses, an internship, four new jobs and a patent (pending).*

Located at 115 West Lewis Street, they call themselves a Makerspace and a Hackerspace. Members have 24/7 access; so, those of you who don't sleep well, always know you have a place to go to nurture creative genius, even if it is 2:00 am! They even have a patio and a conference room. Membership is $45 a month. They have been open since July 2014. Previous events have included a build-your-own-guitar workshop; a presentation on the history of art and technology; and a 3-D printing workshop. It sort of seems like a giant playground for adults where great things happen through collaboration and trial and error!

Today is ABC Wednesday and, for our 2015 ABC local series,  F is for FORGE!

*Reference and more information, here.

 

E is for Entrepreneurship

Recently, Susan Ladd of the News and Record wrote an article on entrepreneurship in Greensboro. Above, we feature one of the entrances to the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship on South Elm-Eugene Street. This is a private, non-profit corporation, founded in 1987. The business incubator offers space and support services to entrepreneurs whose businesses are in the early stage of growth. Their Entrepreneur Assistance Support and Education (EASE) program is a partnership between the Nussbaum Center and the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

As you can see by the sign in the upper, left-hand corner, the center is located in the offices of the former Carolina Steel building. With programs like EASE to scaffold the success of start-up businesses, the time has never been better for trying to follow one's dreams and opening a business. "Local" is the new "big." Today is ABC Wednesday and E is for Entrepreneurship. See more of our ABC Local series, here.

C is for Cake

Banana pudding cake or chocolate layer cake, which would you pick? The above photo was taken at Maxie B's cake shop on Battleground Avenue. Featured are a few of the over two dozen cake-by-the-slice offerings at the store. We cropped out the customers, thinking that at the end of a busy work day people might want a little anonymity in their celebratory cake purchasing. One man was going to surprise his wife with a slice of cake and we didn't want to spoil the surprise! Maxie B's is truly a Greensboro success story, which owner, Robin Davis outlines nicely on the company website.

Maxie B's dates back to 1985 when, in the first iteration, it was a frozen yogurt shop. Robin tells of the serendipitous nature of her shop's transformation to focusing on cakes. She was in search of the perfect chocolate cake. Combing through old recipes, she found one that hit the spot. Fast forward, nearly 30 years, and she has built an award winning business by baking old-timey cakes that please the 21st-century palate- local farm eggs, pure vanilla, and fresh ingredients. From cupcakes to cake-by-the-slice to whole cakes to cakes for special occasions (especially weddings), Robin built a business that fits nicely with the current trend for owners to specialize and to provide services and products for their local community. For a future post, we'll try to interview Robin. We want to know if she has a 30-year anniversary planned and what cake she will select for the occasion! For now, today is ABC Wednesday. For our A-Z Local series, C is for Cake! 

B is for Bridal

The season of the brides, grooms, and weddings is upon us. Brides especially are gearing up for spring and summer weddings. David's Bridal is a company that started as a boutique in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1950. It is now based out of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. They have one store in Greensboro (photographed above) on West Wendover Avenue. However, today's "bridal" post celebrates all the start-up businesses and events in Greensboro.

One example is a magazine, available for free in stores around the Triad, called "Triad Weddings," based locally in Jamestown. The spring/summer 2015 issue (featured to the left) contains 170 pages of information about local services, venues, and places to purchase items for weddings. Tonight, from 5:30- 9:00 pm, the Elm Street Center, located at 203 South Elm Street, will host the"Marry Me Wedding Event."  The area's top wedding professionals will be there. Brides who make an effort to "keep it local" now have more choices than ever. From dresses to cakes to venues to photographers to wedding planners, and so much more, Greensboro has everything from A-Z for making a wedding special... and local.

Today is ABC Wednesday and "B" is for bridal in our ABC Greensboro Local round! 

A is for AZ Development

The above photo shows an exciting new venture in Downtown Greensboro on Lewis Street, an area of Greensboro dubbed, "The Railyard." While it might not look like much now, this 10,000 square ft. space, formerly a stable from 1898, will be transformed into a shared workspace for entrepreneurs. It will include offices, meeting and conference spaces, outdoor patios, cafe space, co-working space, and soft space.

HQ Greensboro's "sibling", HQ Raleigh, is collaborating on the project with Andy Zimmerman, the AZ of AZ Development.* The goal for this project is to create cross-state opportunities for economic growth. Andy Zimmerman, himself an entrepreneur, started one of the world's largest kayak and canoe companies and is owner of Greensboro's "Get Outdoors." Andy is approaching this project with a great sense of adventure and is by no mean relying on past success. He plans to remain true to his dad's advice, if  "you want something, you earn it."**

Today is ABC Wednesday and it is time for a new round. We're calling this series A-Z Local and will feature local businesses, entrepreneurs and innovative development in Greensboro. We hope we can live up to that goal! Good things are happing in Greensboro and the time has never been better for turning a dream into reality!

* informative article, here.

** informative article and reference, here.