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Greensboro, North Carolina
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Greensboro ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city, by population, in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. As of the 2000 census, Greensboro was home to 223,891 residents. Its estimated 2007 population was 248,111. On June 30, 2008, Greensboro annexed more than 10,000 residents over an area of slightly more than , bringing its population to 258,671.
The city is located at the intersection of two major interstate highways (I-85 and I-40) in the Piedmont ("foot of the mountains") region of central North Carolina.
In 2003, the previous Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was re-defined by the U.S.
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Greensboro ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city, by population, in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. As of the 2000 census, Greensboro was home to 223,891 residents. Its estimated 2007 population was 248,111. On June 30, 2008, Greensboro annexed more than 10,000 residents over an area of slightly more than , bringing its population to 258,671.
The city is located at the intersection of two major interstate highways (I-85 and I-40) in the Piedmont ("foot of the mountains") region of central North Carolina.
In 2003, the previous Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was re-defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, resulting in the formation of the Greensboro-High Point MSA and the Winston-Salem MSA. The 2008 population estimate for the Greensboro-High Point MSA was 709,751. The Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point combined statistical area (CSA), popularly referred to as the Piedmont Triad, had an estimated population of 1,786,976 in 2007 making it the 30th largest metropolitan area in the USA. Source: US Bureau of the Census, Annual Estimates of the Population Table CBSA-EST2007-02
In 1808, Greensborough (as was the spelling prior to 1895) was planned around a central courthouse square to succeed the nearby town of Guilford Court House as the county seat. This act moved the county courts closer to the geographical center of the county, a location more easily reached by the majority of the county's citizens.
Much has changed since then. Greensboro has grown to be part of a thriving metropolitan area called the Triad, which encompasses three major cities (Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem) and more than a million people. Greensboro evolved from a small center of government to an early 1900s textile and transportation hub, and today is emerging as one of the South's upand-coming centers for relocating businesses. Two centuries later Greensboro is still collecting accolades for its beauty and livability. In 2004 the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Greensboro with entry into the Clean Cities Hall of Fame.
History
Early history
The city was named for Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781. Although the Americans lost the battle, Greene's forces inflicted such heavy casualties on the British Army of Lord Cornwallis that Cornwallis chose to pull his battered army out of North Carolina and into Virginia. This decision allowed a combined force of American and French troops to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, where the British were forced to surrender on October 19, 1781, after a 20-day siege, thus ending the American Revolution. As such, Greene's successful efforts at weakening the British Army played a key role in securing America's victory over the British.
Greensboro was established near the geographic center of Guilford County, on land that was "an unbroken forest with thick undergrowth of huckleberry bushes, that bore a finely flavored fruit." Property for the future village was purchased for $98, and three north-south streets (Greene, Elm, Davie) were laid out intersecting with three east-west streets (Gaston, Market, Sycamore). The courthouse stood at the center of the intersection of Elm and Market streets. By 1821, the town was home to 369 residents.
In the early 1840s, Greensboro was selected by the state government at the request of then Governor Morehead (whose estate, Blandwood, is located in Greensboro) for inclusion on a new railroad line. The city grew substantially in size and soon became known as the "Gate City" due to its role as a transportation hub for the state. The railroads transported goods to and from textile mills, which grew up with their own mill villages around the city. Many of these businesses remained in the city until the 21st century, when most of them went bankrupt, reorganized, and/or merged with other companies. Greensboro remains as a major textile headquarters city with the main offices of International Textile Group (Cone, Burlington Industries), Galey & Lord, Unifi, and VF Corporation (Wrangler, Lee, North Face, Nautica). The importance of rail traffic continues for the city, as Greensboro serves as a major regional freight hub, and four Amtrak passenger trains stop in Greensboro daily on the main Norfolk Southern line between Washington and New Orleans by way of Atlanta.
Though the city developed slowly, early wealth generated from cotton trade and merchandising led to the construction of several notable buildings. The earliest building, later named Blandwood Mansion and Gardens, was built in 1795. Additions to this residence in 1846 designed by Alexander Jackson Davis of New York City made the house an influential landmark in the nation as America's earliest Tuscan Villa. Other significant estates followed, including "Dunleith" designed by Samuel Sloan, Bellemeade, and the Bumpass-Troy House (now operating as an inn).
The American Civil War and Final Days of the Confederacy
Although Guilford County did not vote for secession, once North Carolina joined the Confederacy the men of the county joined the Confederate cause, forming such infantry units as the Guilford Grays. From 1861 through March 1865 the city was relatively untouched by the American Civil War, with the exception of dealing with shortages of clothing, medicines, and other items caused by the U.S. naval blockade of the South. However, in the final weeks of the war Greensboro played a significant role. In April 1865 General P.G.T. Beauregard was instructed by the commanding officer of the Army of Tennessee, General Joseph E. Johnston, to prepare for a defense of the city. During this time, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and the remaining members of the Confederate cabinet had evacuated the Confederate Capital in Richmond, Virginia, and moved south to Danville, Virginia. When Union cavalry threatened Danville, Davis and his cabinet managed to escape by train and reassembled in Greensboro on April 11, 1865. Thus, Greensboro was the temporary capital city of the Confederacy. While in Greensboro, Davis and his cabinet decided to try and escape overseas to avoid capture by the victorious Union forces; they left Greensboro and separated. As such, Greensboro is notable as the last time the entire Confederate government met as a group, and Greensboro is thus the "final" capital city of the Confederacy. At nearly the same time, Governor Zebulon B. Vance fled the capital of North Carolina in anticipation of the arrival of Union General William T. Sherman. For a brief period beginning April 16, 1865, the capital of North Carolina was maintained in Greensboro.
After the negotiations were completed at Bennett Place, now in present day Durham, North Carolina, between General Johnston and General Sherman on April 26, 1865, Confederate soldiers stacked their arms and received their paroles in Greensboro, and then headed for home.
Industrialization and growth
In the 1890s, the city continued to attract attention from northern industrialists, including Moses and Ceasar Cone of Baltimore. The Cone brothers established large-scale textile plants, changing Greensboro from a village to a city within a decade. By 1900, Greensboro was considered a center of the Southern textile industry, with large scale factories producing denim, flannel, and overalls. Prosperity brought to the city through textiles resulted in the construction of notable twentieth century civic architecture, including the Guilford County Courthouse, West Market Street Methodist Church by S. W. Faulk, several buildings designed by Frank A. Weston, and UNCG's Main Building designed by Orlo Epps.
During the twentieth century, Greensboro continued to expand in wealth and population. Rapid growth led to construction of grand commercial and civic buildings, many of which remain standing today, designed by hometown architects Charles Hartmann and Harry Barton. Other notable industries became established in the city, including Vicks Chemical Co. (famous for over-the counter cold remedies such as VapoRub and NyQuil), Carolina Steel Corporation, and Pomona Terra Cotta Works. During this period of growth, Greensboro experienced an acute housing shortage. Builders sought to maintain a construction goal of 80 to 100 affordable housing units per year in order to provide homes for workers. Greensboro's real estate was considered "the wonder of the state" during the 1920s. Growth continued through the Great Depression, as Greensboro added an estimated 200 new families per year to its population. The city earned a reputation as a well-planned community, with a strong emphasis on education, parks, and a profitable employment base.
As Greensboro evolved into one of North Carolina's primary cities, changes began to occur within its traditional social structure. On February 1, 1960, four black college students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College sat down at an all-white Woolworth's lunch counter, and refused to leave after they were denied service. Hundreds of others soon joined in this sit-in, which lasted several months. Such protests quickly spread across the South, ultimately leading to the desegregation of Woolworth's and other chains. The original lunch counter and stools now sit in the Smithsonian, but a museum is under development in the original building where the event took place. (As of May 2007, efforts to finally open the International Civil Rights Museum were postponed due to budget constraints.)
Prosperity brought new levels of development involving nationally and internationally known architects. Walter Gropius designed a factory building in the city in 1944. Greensboro-based Ed Loewenstein contributed designs for projects throughout the region. Eduardo Catalano, and George Matsumoto both brought designs to the city that challenged North Carolinians with modernist architectural concepts and forms.
In spite of this period of progress, old wounds had yet to heal. On November 3, 1979, members of the Communist Workers Party (CWP) were holding an anti-Ku Klux Klan rally, when a group of KKK and neo-Nazis caravaned into the Morningside Heights neighborhood where the rally was being held and ambushed the protest. Four local TV news stations filmed the event as it happened. Although a pistol likely was fired by a CWP organizer (allegedly into the air) and the Klan caravan was beaten with sticks prior to stopping, only the anti-Klan protesters were injured and killed. Five CWP members died and seven were wounded. Television footage of the event was shown nationwide and around the world, and the event became known as the Greensboro Massacre. The accused Klansman and neo-Nazis all were acquitted by an all-white jury in two separate criminal trials. In 1985, a civil suit found five police officers and two other individuals liable for $350,000 in damages to be paid to the Greensboro Justice Fund.
In 2007, Greensboro voters elected the first African-American mayor of the city, Yvonne J. Johnson.
Neighborhoods
Greensboro's earliest neighborhood is College Hill, located between West Market Street and Spring Garden Street, in and around Greensboro College.
Southside is among the oldest neighborhoods in the city and has experienced major redevelopment.
The Aycock and Fisher Park neighborhoods were established in 1895 and 1901, respectively. The Aycock neighborhood features large Queen Anne residences of the turn-of-the-twentieth century, as well as Foursquare, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival styles.
Irving Park, developed in 1911 around the golf course of the Greensboro Country Club, was modelled on nearby Pinehurst by designer John Nolan. The prestigious neighborhood includes large homes on ample lots, and remains popular today.
The Warnersville neighborhood was a once thriving area in south Greensboro. When Urban Renewal was initiated in the mid-1900s, most of the business and homes were destroyed and replaced with new roads and development. However, this area has not recovered still. Remnants of the once booming Ashe St. can be seen behind the Greensboro Urban Ministry on Eugene St.
The urbanization of Greensboro during the early twentieth century was influenced greatly by the popularity of the automobile, which enabled citizens to live farther from the city center in more suburban surroundings. A series of "streetcar suburbs" were established, including Glenwood, Hamilton Lakes, Lake Daniel, Latham Park, Lindley Park, O. Henry Oaks, Rankin, Starmount, Sunset Hills and Westerwood. Many of these neighborhoods include some of the city's finest public parks. Recent neighborhood additions include sprawling large-scale planned unit developments such as Adams Farm, Lake Jeanette, The Cardinal, New Irving Park, and Reedy Fork Ranch.
Sister cities
Greensboro maintains a "sister city" relationship with two cities in order to foster international friendship and cooperation.
Montbeliard, Franche-Comte, France
Buiucani sector of Chisinau, Moldova
Geography and climate
Greensboro is located at (36.079868, -79.819416).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 109.2 square miles (283.0 km²), of which, 104.7 square miles (271.2 km²) of it is land and 4.5 square miles (11.8 km²) of it (4.16%) is water.
Greensboro is situated among the gently rolling hills of North Carolina's Piedmont and is situated midway between the state's Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains to the west and the Atlantic beaches and Outer Banks to the east. The view of the city from its highest building—the Lincoln Financial tower—reveals that the town is populated with large numbers of green trees, lending perhaps another dimension of significance to its name. The city is at the nexus of several major freeways, with Interstates 40, 85, and the planned I-73 passing through its borders.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Avg high temp °F (°C) | 48 (9) | 51 (11) | 60 (16) | 70 (21) | 78 (26) | 84 (29) | 88 (31) | 86 (30) | 80 (27) | 70 (21) | 60 (16) | 50 (10) | 69 (21) |
|---|
| Avg low temp °F (°C) | 28 (-2) | 30 (-1) | 37 (3) | 46 (8) | 55 (13) | 63 (17) | 67 (19) | 66 (19) | 59 (15) | 47 (8) | 37 (3) | 30 (-1) | 47 (8) |
|---|
| Rainfall mm (in.) | 84 (3.3) | 84 (3.3) | 97 (3.8) | 81 (3.2) | 91 (3.6) | 97 (3.8) | 112 (4.4) | 104 (4.1) | 84 (3.3) | 86 (3.4) | 74 (2.9) | 81 (3.2) | 1074 (42.3) |
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| Snowfall mm (in.) | 79 (3.1) | 64 (2.5) | 43 (1.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (0.1) | 30 (1.2) | 218 (8.6) |
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| Source: |
Crime
In a pattern usually seen within urban areas within the Southern United States, Greensboro tends to have crime levels considerably higher than the national average. For the year of 2006, the city experienced 6,931 overall crimes committed per 100,000 residents; the national average was 4479.3 per 100,000 residents. For that year Greensboro ranked above the national average on every category of violent crime as well as all forms of property crime. For the year of 2008, Greensboro ranked above the national average for all forms of violent crime and property crime. The city also ranked higher on crimes than the North Carolina state averages. There was a total of 15,901 crimes committed for the year of 2008, this is a decrease when compared to the previous year of 2007, that year Greensboro experienced 16,676 total crimes citywide.
According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Greensboro, North Carolina ranks as the 57th most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants. The city crime rankings released by CQ Press assign Greensboro the highest crime rate among North Carolina cities.
Demographics
details more information about Greensboro's ethnic and cultural diversity.
| Historical populations |
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Census
year | Population |
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| | 1870 | 497 | | 1880 | 2,105 | | 1890 | 3,317 | | 1900 | 10,035 | | 1910 | 15,895 | | 1920 | 19,861 | | 1930 | 53,569 | | 1940 | 59,319 | | 1950 | 74,389 | | 1960 | 119,574 | | 1970 | 144,076 | | 1980 | 155,642 | | 1990 | 183,894 | | 2000 | 223,891 | | 2008 | 258,671 |
As of the census of 2000, there were 223,891 people; 92,394 households; and 53,958 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,138.3 people per square mile (825.6/km²). There were 99,305 housing units at an average density of 948.4/sq mi (366.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.49% White, 37.40% Black or African American, 4.35% Hispanic or Latino. 2.84% Asian, 0.44% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.08% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races.
Of the estimated 92,394 households in the city in 2000, 27.5% included children under the age of 18, 39.8% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were classified as nonfamily. Of the total households, 32.6% were composed of individuals, while 8.7% reported someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 persons, and the average family size was 2.94 persons.
The age distribution in 2000 was 22.3% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males---for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city in 2000 was $39,661, and the median income for a family was $50,192. Males had a median income of $34,681 versus $26,797 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,986. About 8.6% of families and 12.3% of the population in 2000 were living below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
Asian community
About 4,000 Vietnamese have resettled in the Greensboro area since 1979 as refugees or secondary migrants. They are a diverse population culturally, ethnically, and religiously, and not organized through any broad based structure. The Montagnards (French for "mountain people") are immigrants from a number of different tribes from the Highlands of Vietnam. They had been isolated mountain farmers and hunter-gatherers until the Vietnam War, when the U.S. government recruited them as front-line soldiers for the U.S. Army Special Forces. About 5,000 of the Motagnards have settled in Guilford County making it the largest Montagnard community in the world outside Vietnam. A few hundred Nung, a tribal group from northern Vietnam, also have resettled in the city and are often grouped with the Montagnard tribes.
In the early 1980s, the first Cambodian refugees resettled in Greensboro. The stable community of about 60 large families, representing about 500 people, are closely affiliated with the Greensboro Buddhist Center. An additional 800 former Cambodians live around the Triad including a large population in nearby Davidson County.
Greensboro was not an initial resettlement area for Laotians. However, since the mid 1980s, many families have come as secondary migrants from other states, and now the Laotian population is stabilized at about 1000 people. A few families of hill tribe refugees from Laos, mostly Hmong, live in Guilford County, plus more than 50 college students attending the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Other Laotian hill tribe populations that have relocated to th Greensboro area include approximately 200 Khmu refugees as well as smaller groups representing other tribes. About 2,000 Korean immigrants, many well established, are represented in Guilford County. The local Chinese Association, comprised primarily of mainland Chinese, has a few hundred members. Ethnic Chinese living in Greesboro number in the thousands.
The Indian immigrant population, estimated to be more than 2,000, is well established in the Greensboro area and has a long history there. Many Indian immigrants are associated with the city's university and medical communities and have formed multiple community organizations. There are an estimated 600 Pakistanis living in the area, as well as an estimated 1,000 Palestinians, with additional thousands in the greater Piedmont Triad region. (Many Palestinians relocated to the area following the war in 1967.) A few hundred Israeli nationals also have relocated to the Triad, particularly for international business purposes.
African community
There are close to 15,000 people from many of the 54 African nations living in and around Greensboro. About 10% of Guilford County's African population immigrated as refugees. The African Services Coalition, a nonprofit organization composed of representatives from different African communities, seeks to foster cooperation between the various communities. Some communities have roots at N.C. A&T State University that date from the 1960s, when the university first was recognized as a valuable educational resource by developing countries. The Nigerian and Nigerien population are older, well-established community believed to be the largest African community in the area, numbering about 3,500 to 6,500 persons, including second and third generations and reflecting a variety of religious and tribal traditions.
Many of those of Nigerian and Nigerien descent in Guilford County initially immigrated to New York, New Jersey or Washington D.C, then settled in the Greensboro area after obtaining official immigration status. Guilford County has a multi-generational Ghanaian-heritage population consisting of approximately 450 people. The few new arrivals are mostly international students at area universities, or friends and family members of longer-term residents. A well established community of about 800 people of Sierra Leonese ancestry has made Guilford County its home. This population has not increased significantly in recent years because the temporary protective status that was at one time available to immigrants from their homeland has ended.
Greensboro's Sudanese population is a diverse population, with most individuals having come to Guilford County within the last five years, currently numbering more than 2,700. Many of these immigrants are fleeing the long-standing Sudanese civil war. A group of young Sudanese from the south, commonly referred to as the "Lost Boys", have resettled recently in Greensboro as refugees. The majority of the areas Sudanese, however, are from the Muslim northern region of that country. In the last year, many of the Sudanese have become U.S. citizens, which has enabled them to relocate additional family members from the Sudan, yielding a population increase of several hundred in the community within the last year.
There are approximately 400 refugees from Somalia who have arrived in Greensboro within the last six years, including the Arab Benadiri from the city of Mogadishu and newly arrived refugees from the non-Somali Bantu tribe.
There are an estimated 1,200 Liberians settled in Guilford County. This population includes some refugees who are recent arrivals, and others who have lived in Guilford County for many years. In the last couple of years, a few hundred Liberian refugees who had been living in refugee camps in the Ivory Coast and Ghana have resettled in Guilford County.
Eastern European community
New residents also have arrived from Eastern Europe, from the former Yugoslavia (including Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia), and others from former Yugoslavia that have immigrated since 1994 as refugees, about 2,000 people. Greensboro has become a resettlement site in the past few years for approximately 250 Russian and Ukrainian Jewish refugees.
Latino community
According to the 2002 and 2003 estimates of the Latino population in Guilford County (published by Faith Action Inc.), there was a 4% increase in Latino population between those years, and in 2003 the population was estimated to be 26,981. Although there were not follow up studies using this method, we can estimate that, if the population has continued to increase by 4% annually, the current Latino community would number approximately 29,182. Other studies indicate the rate of increase may be even greater. More than two thirds of the area's Latino immigrants are from Mexico, though it is thought that all 26 Latin American countries are represented in the region. Most Latino residents have arrived since 1990, and their arrival is expected to continue and increase as long as economic opportunities prevail.
Economic development
Greensboro is the location of the corporate headquarters of the Honda Aircraft Company, Lorillard Tobacco Company, VF Corporation, AIG United Guaranty, Volvo Trucks of North America, RF Micro Devices, the International Textile Group, Market America, NewBridge Bank and Carolina Bank and Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Greensboro is a "center of operations" for the insurance company Lincoln Financial Group. Although traditionally associated with the textile and tobacco industries, Greensboro leaders are working to attract new businesses in the nanotech, high-tech and transportation/logistics sectors. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University just opened a joint research park called Gateway University Research Park. The first building is complete and it houses the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The next building in the south campus will be for UNCG and NC A&T's joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. A regional chain of fast-food restaurants known as Cook Out maintains its corporate headquarters in Greensboro. Biscuitville, another regional fast-food restaurant chain, has its corporate headquarters in Greensboro; Biscuitville specializes in breakfast food and operates 50 locations throughout North Carolina and Virginia.
Downtown area
Downtown Greensboro has experienced construction investment in recent years with developments such as NewBridge Bank Park, and residential developments and office construction. The Southside neighborhood downtown exemplifies central-city reinvestment as a formerly economically depressed neighborhood that has been redeveloped into an award-winning neotraditional-style neighborhood. Downtown Greensboro also has experienced a dramatic increase in nightlife with the opening of numerous nightclubs, bars and restaurants. In 2006, Elon University opened a law school in the center city. Downtown attractions include: the Carolina Theater, Triad Stage (Pyrle Gibson Theater), Blandwood Mansion, Center City Park, NewBridge Bank Park, Greensboro Historical Museum, Greensboro Cultural Center, the J. Douglas Galyon Transportation Depot, and the Greensboro Children's Museum.
Airport area
In 1998, FedEx chose to build and operate a $300 million mid-Atlantic air-cargo and sorting hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport, following an intensive competition for the hub among other regions of the state, as well as locations in South Carolina. After the hub announcement, the project faced court battles concerning potential noise and pollution abatements from neighborhoods located near the planned hub site. Nonetheless, the hub is planned to open by 2009 and build on the city's effort to strengthen its position as a transportation, distribution and logistics hub in the Southeast and middle Atlantic regions.
In February 2007, Honda Aircraft Company announced it will develop a multi-million dollar jet airplane facility and world headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport. The company will build the new Honda Jet at the site, and the first planes are planned to roll off the assembly line in 2010. In 2001, the test flight for the jet took place at the airport.
Education
Institutes of higher education
For-profit universities
Boarding schools
Private education
Public education
High Schools and Middle Colleges
Attractions
- The Bog Garden is accessed by an elevated boardwalk that comprises a half-mile of the of trails that wind through a garden of plants and wildlife that thrive in a wetland ecosystem.
- Bicentennial Garden was developed in 1976 to commemorate the U.S. bicentennial. The garden contains of paved trails, along with outdoor sculptures and a pavilion.
- occupies half a city block adjacent to the Greensboro Cultural Center. Sponsored by Action Greensboro, the park features a fountain as well as works by several North Carolina artists.
- Greensboro Arboretum was completed as a partnership between Greensboro Beautiful and the City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department. It offers an extensive selection of fora for study and enjoyment. The 17 acre site features 12 permanent plant collections as well as special display gardens with a fountain, overlook, arbor, gazebo, bridges, and viewing benches.
- Blandwood Mansion and Gardens is the historic home of former North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead. Today the site serves as a museum of national architectural and historical significance. It is the earliest example of Tuscan Italianate architecture in the nation, designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis.
- World War Memorial Stadium was one of the oldest continuously used professional baseball facilities in the nation before it was replaced by the city's First Horizon Stadium in 2005. The memorial stadium was constructed in 1926 to honor the memory of lives lost during the first World War. It anchors the Aycock Historic District and remains in use by collegiate baseball teams, amateur leagues, and other special events throughout the year. The stadium was home to the Greensboro Bats professional minor-league club until the new First Horizon Park opened and the team became the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
- Hagan Stone Park is a scenic 409-acre (1.66 km2) wildlife refuge and family campground owned and operated by the city of Greensboro, North Carolina located on Hagan Stone Park Road off U.S. Highway 421. It is open daily 8 am to sunset, weather permitting. The park has several lakes, camp shelters with charcoal grills, and playgrounds. The park is the home of the Greensboro Invitational Cross Country Meet hosted annually in September by the Greensboro Pacesetters for high school and college athletes.
- Greensboro Coliseum Complex The Greensboro Coliseum Complex was conceived as, and continues to operate as, a multibuilding facility to serve the citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding region by hosting a broad range of activities including athletic and cultural events; concerts, theater and other entertainment; educational activities, fairs and exhibits; and various other public and private events such as conventions, convocations and trade/consumer shows. The coliseum complex has hosted prestigious events such as the collegiate Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball tournament, East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) professional hockey, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and Starrcade (1983). Additionally, the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League called the Greensboro Coliseum its temporary home while its permenanent venue was being constructed in Raleigh. Since 1959, the coliseum has featured superstars ranging from Elvis to the contemporary rap star Usher. The facility is scheduled to again host ACC Basketball Tournaments (men's and women's) in 2010. The complex has undergone several major renovations, most recently in 1994, enlarging the maximum arena capacity to its current 23,500 seats. There is a proposal under consideration to build the ACC Hall of Champions and Museum adjacent to the coliseum complex, as the ACC was founded in Greensboro in 1953 and currently is headquartered at the Grandover Office Park in south Greensboro.
 - Guilford Courthouse National Military Park commemorates the Battle of Guilford Court House, which occurred at the location on March 15, 1781. The battle opened the campaign that led to the America's victory in the Revolutionary War. The British lost a substantial number of troops in the battle, which factored in their surrender at Yorktown (Virginia) seven months later. The battle site remains largely undeveloped with large stone memorials erected early in the twentieth century to memorialize the nationally significant event.
- The is a family oriented, hands-on science museum and planetarium. The zoo reopened in summer 2007 after undergoing extensive renovations.
- (GCM) offers hands-on and interactive exhibits, educational programming and special events all year long for children newborn through age ten.
- The revitalized downtown Elm Street area is known for its collection of antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants and clubs. Many people attend the First Friday events held each month at the various participating merchants.
- Wet 'n Wild Emerald PointeHas 36 rides including Daredevil Drop, one of the nation's tallest water slides, and family rides such as Tropical Drop. The park also features two heavily themed family sections known as Splash Island, and Happy Harbor. Emerald Pointe is also the largest water park in both of the Carolinas. According to Amusement Business magazine, Emerald Pointe boasts the tenth highest annual attendance among American water parks at nearly 500,000 visitors.
Shopping
Greensboro is home to a large variety of retail shopping from well-known national chains to local boutiques and galleries. Four Seasons Town Centre, located on the city's southwest side off I-40, is a three-level regional mall with anchors Belk, Dillard's, and JCPenney. Friendly Center, located off Friendly Avenue is an open-air shopping complex featuring Belk, Macy's, Sears, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, the nation's largest Harris Teeter supermarket, Old Navy, and a multiplex cinema. The Shops at Friendly Center, adjacent to Friendly Center, is home to many specialty retailers and restaurants, many of which that are exclusive to the Triad area, including Anthropologie, the Apple Store, White House Black Market, Sur La Table, REI, Brooks Brothers, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, P. F. Chang's China Bistro, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.
Additional shopping centers are located primarily on the West Wendover corridor near I-40 and on Battleground Avenue on the city's northwest side. Recently, "big-box" retailers have clustered at the site of the former Carolina Circle Mall on the city's northeast side and on the city's far south along the newly completed Painter Boulevard (I-85).
Sports
Arts
Greensboro is home to an active and diverse arts community. Events and venues range from the nationally acclaimed annual Eastern Music Festival to Weatherspoon Art Museum to the cutting edge performances of the Triad Stage theater company.
- is a performing arts facility that has been a part of downtown Greensboro since 1927. Since the facility's renovation in the 1990s, the theater has served as the home of the Greensboro Ballet, the Community Theatre of Greensboro, the Livestock Players Musical Theatre, Greensboro Youth Symphony and a variety of other local performing arts groups.
- showcases a variety of musical and theatrical productions by The Livestock Players, Greensboro Children's Theatre, the Music Center, Greensboro Concert Band, Philharmonia of Greensboro, Choral Society of Greensboro, and the Greensboro Youth Chorus. Most of these groups participate in the city's annual OPUS Concert Series and the summer "Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park" series.
- has presented Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals for more than 45 years. The CTG's Studio Theatre is housed in the Greensboro Cultural Center.
- Eastern Music Festival brings more than 100 summer performances, from symphonic works to chamber music to recitals by professional and talented students from around the world. The event also hosts the Fringe Festival, showcasing avant-garde and nontraditional music and performances.
- : A traditional December production of "The Nutcracker" is just one of the many artistic and educational activities offered by the ballet company. The School of Greensboro Ballet is one of a relative few nonprofit ballet schools in the nation.
- The Greensboro Cultural Center houses more than 25 visual and performing arts organizations, five art galleries, rehearsal halls, a sculpture garden, privately operated restaurant with outdoor cafe-style seating, and an outdoor amphitheater. Art galleries include the African American Atelier, the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, the Greensboro Artists' League Gallery and Gift Shop, the Guilford Native American Art Gallery and the Mattye Reed African Heritage Center Satellite Gallery.
- is a highly-regarded regional opera company founded in October 1981 that has experienced much growth and expansion. Beginning with the production of Verdi's La Traviata featuring June Anderson (then a rising young New York City Opera soprano), the company expanded from a single fall production of a major opera in the years 1981-89 to the addition of Sunday matinee performances in the 1990-99 season when, in response to successive sold out productions of Madame Butterfly and Carmen in 1997 and 1998, a second spring opera with two performances was added, beginning in 1999-2000. The company has successfully blended outside and local singers with a full orchestra, manned by members of the Greensboro Symphony, in the pit at their home at Greensboro's War Memorial Auditorium.
- , led by conductor Dmitri Sitkovetsky, has developed a strong reputation among national musical organizations, including continued exposure on National Public Radio's Performance Today. Sitkovetsky began his career as a violin soloist. He focused on the chamber orchestra repertoire when starting out with the European String Orchestra, a superb group of musicians pulled together by Sitkovetsky. The orchestra performs classical and pops concerts and holds educational programs for young listeners throughout the year.
- , located at North Carolina A&T State University, hosts one of the most acclaimed collections of African culture in the nation. The museum houses more than 3,500 art and craft pieces from more than 30 African nations, New Guinea and Haiti.
- is a not-for-profit regional theatre company based in Greensboro's downtown historic district. All productions are created in Greensboro using a combination of local and national talent. The theater company recently was recognized as ‘One of the 50 Best Regional Theatres in America!’ by New York‘s Drama League, ‘Best Live Theatre’ in Go Triad/News & Record The Rhino Times, and was voted ‘2003 Professional Theater of the Year’ by the North Carolina Theatre Conference.
- , located at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, houses one of the foremost collections of modern and contemporary art in the Southeast. Composed of six galleries, the museum is nationally recognized for its collection of 20th century American art. The permanent collection also includes lithographs and bronzes by Henri Matisse, and art by celebrated masters such as Willem de Kooning, Henry Ossawa Tanner, John Graham, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol.
Famous natives and residents
Born in Greensboro
- Patrick Barry, independent filmmaker
- Thomas Berry, international spokesman in support of ecology and care of the earth
- Hal "Skinny" Brown, former MLB pitcher.
- Joey Cheek, Olympic gold-medal speed skater
- Levi Coffin, noted Quaker educator and abolitionist
- Vince Evans, former NFL quarterback.
- O. Henry, short-story writer
- Edward R. Murrow, CBS News Anchor
- John Isner, professional tennis player
- John Anthony Lennon, composer (b. 1950)
- Caroline Lind, 2008 Olympic Women's 8 rowing gold-medal
- Dolley Madison, First Lady and wife of President James Madison
- Doug Marlette, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist.
- Jack F. Matlock, Jr. U.S. ambassador to the U.S.S.R., 1987-1991
- Robert McAdoo, former NBA All-Star and college basketball All-American.
- Fred "Curly" Neal, former Harlem Globetrotter
- Ronald Perelman, Billionaire Investor
- Eddie Pope, soccer star of Real Salt Lake and the US National Soccer Team
- George Preddy, World War II ace
- Jeff Varner, Survivor contestant (Season 2)
- Kelly Wiglesworth, Survivor contestant (Season 1)
- Shane Crump, ex Alesana`s bassist
- Jeff Bostic, NFL football player
Current residents
Associated with Greensboro
- 2004 American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino briefly lived in Greensboro and is from nearby High Point.
- American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry is from a community outside of Greensboro called Gibsonville.
- 1960s American rhythm and blues and soul duo Inez and Charlie Foxx known for their hit single "Mockingbird" are from Greensboro.
- Journalist and true crime author Jerry Bledsoe (Bitter Blood) lives in nearby Asheboro; his regular column appeared for many years in the Greensboro News & Record, and his investigative reporting is featured in the Rhino Times.
- Jeff Bostic, NFL player for the Washington Redskins, born in Greensboro, graduated from Ben L. Smith High School
- Joe Bostic, NFL player for the St. Louis (later Arizona) Cardinals, born in Greensboro, graduated from Ben L. Smith High School
- Andy Cabic of indie folk band Vetiver lived in Greensboro while a member of indie-rock band The Raymond Brake.
- Spencer Chamberlain, current lead vocalist of the band Underoath, was raised in Greensboro.
- Billy "Crash" Craddock, Country music legend, born and lives near Greensboro.
- Rock star and 2006 American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry is from nearby suburban McLeansville and is a resident of nearby Oak Ridge.
- Rick Dees, radio personality, graduated from Grimsley High School
- Marques Douglas, NFL player for San Francisco 49ers, attended Dudley High School
- Barry Farber, radio talk show host, author and language-learning enthusiast. Grew up in Greensboro.
- Brendan Haywood, NBA player for Washington Wizards, attended Dudley High School
- Torry Holt, wide receiver for NC State and the St. Louis Rams was born in nearby Gibsonville.
- Nationally acclaimed poet Randall Jarrell lived in Greensboro, where he was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro until his death in 1965. He is buried near the Guilford College campus.
- Haywood Jeffries, Retired NFL player, played for the Houston Oilers.
- Danny Manning, an All-America basketball player for the University of Kansas, attended Page High School in Greensboro.
- Edward R. Murrow, famed World War II CBS radio broadcaster and award-winning journalist, was born outside Greensboro.
- Kyle Petty, Nascar driver and racing commentator lives near Greensboro in Trinity, North Carolina
- Lee Petty, Pioneer of Nascar racing. Three time National Champion. Founder of Petty Enterprises, Level Cross, NC Near Greensboro.
- Richard Petty, Seven time Nascar champion lives near Greensboro, in Level Cross, North Carolina
- Singer Cat Power (Chan Marshall) lived in Greensboro with her mother as a teenager in the late 1980s.
- Ricky Proehl, NFL player, played for Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts.
- Charlie Sanders, 2007 NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end for the Detroit Lions, attended Dudley High School
- Tooth and Nail recording artists Sullivan formed and lived in Greensboro
- Robert Walden, Pioneer Nascar driver lives near Greensboro
- Epitaph recording artists FAREWELL formed and live in Greensboro, NC.
Transportation
Greensboro is served by Piedmont Triad International Airport, which also serves nearby the cities of High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. PTI was a hub for the now defunct Skybus Airlines.
Amtrak's daily Crescent, Carolinian and Piedmont trains connect Greensboro with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans.
Amtrak trains, taxis, local and long-distance buses arrive and depart from the Amtrak station and rail depot located at 236-C East Washington Street. Originally constructed in the early 1920s, the station and depot were renovated in 2004.
The offers public bus service throughout the city, including a service called , or HEAT, which links downtown attractions to area colleges and universities. Regional public transportation throughout the metropolitan area is coordinated by PART, Piedmont Area Regional Transportation.
Interstate Highways
Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 share the same freeway facility for several miles in the Greensboro area. The consolidated highway, which is now the Interstate 40/Business 85 junction, is located just south of downtown and forms the western end of a stretch of freeway infamously known throughout the region as "Death Valley," a congested and accident-prone stretch of roadway where six major federal and Interstate routes combine into a single freeway facility.
Construction is currently underway on the Greensboro Urban Loop, a freeway that, when complete, will encircle the majority of the city. Sections of this beltway may form the future alignment of Interstate 73. U.S. Highway 29---which travels through the southern, eastern and northern sections of the city before heading northeast toward suburban Reidsville---is a major route in Greensboro and offers freeway access to the more urban and central areas of the city.
Media
Newspapers
The Greensboro News & Record is the primary daily newspaper in Greensboro. The Business Journal, a member of the American City Business Journals chain of business weeklies, is based in Greensboro and covers business across the Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. The Carolina Peacemaker is a news weekly that covers the African-American community. The Rhinoceros Times and Yes! Weekly are free weekly alternative newspapers, along with the Hamburger Square Post monthly which has published since 1979. The Greensboro Telegram at greensborotelegram.com is an online only weekly newspaper officially launched on October 16, 2008 by the publishers of the Raleigh Telegram. Q-Notes, a bi-weekly newspaper serving the LGBT community and published in Charlotte, is distributed to locations in Greensboro and via home delivery.
Broadcast television
Greensboro is a part of the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point television designated market area and includes the following commercial broadcast stations (listed by call letters, channel number, network and city of license):
- WFMY-TV, 2, CBS, Greensboro
- WGHP, 8, Fox, High Point
- WXII-TV, 12, NBC, Winston-Salem
- WGPX, 16, ION, Burlington
- WCWG, 20, The CW, Lexington
- WUNL-TV, 26, PBS/UNC-TV, Winston-Salem
- WGSR-TV, 39, Independent, Reidsville
- WXLV-TV, 45, ABC, Winston-Salem
- WMYV-TV, 48, MyNetworkTV, Greensboro
- WLXI-TV, 61, TCT, Greensboro
Greensboro is also home to the Triad bureau of News 14 Carolina
Local Blogs
See also
External links
Documentaries
- California Newsreel documentary on 1960 sit-in by the Greensboro Four. . Retrieved April 2, 2005.
- PBS
Frontline transcript. Reported by James Reston, Jr. Directed by William Cran. Original Airdate: January 24, 1983. Retrieved April 2, 2005. Documentary about the 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the shadow it cast on the survivors.
Maps
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