Her Town: Greensboro, North Carolina

I have been dying to introduce you to my friend Lesley-Ann Tommey. So much of the inspiration for this little blog came from her. LA is a creative genius, a light-chasing photographer, and has a heart of gold. We sat down after work earlier this year at a tiny restaurant in Charlottesville to sketch out my idea for In Her Company and to brainstorm a logo. About two seconds later, she had something, and the rest is history. This fall, Lesley-Ann and her husband, Blake, will be moving to New York City where she will begin work as a missionary at Metro Baptist Church in Hell’s Kitchen. Until then, she’s traveling around, exploring the beauty of our country and raising support for her move. But first, she and Blake made a little stop in her hometown of Greensboro, NC to spend a few weeks with family and friends. Thank you, Lesley-Ann, for bringing Greensboro to us on The Thersday Series!

Greensboro is my hometown, and Tate Street Coffee, on the campus of UNCG, has been there as long as I can remember. Years ago when I was a Girl Scout, we went to Tate Street for a troop meeting, and I tried a coffee bev for the first time (I think this was middle school and I think it was a mocha). I was doomed to the pit of caffeine addiction for the rest of my life! Greensboro has a lot of excellent local coffee spots, but this one is the best.

Other things to drink? Greensboro has a delicious smoothie spot called The Juice Shop. When I came back from a trip to Colombia, and was suffering under the depression of culture shock (and fresh juice withdrawal), I went straight to The Juice Shop for a Guava Gulp. (Thanks to Blake for the post workout photo.)

My family loves to kayak. There are lots of lakes, reservoirs, and rivers to paddle in around Greensboro. We’re on South West Park Marina here, but we love riding the Dan River, and we have our sights set on the Yadkin River next.

Lunchtime photos with my girl, Alice, at Yum Yums. Yep, it’s called Yum Yums and it’s where you can get pink hotdogs (because they’re boiled) and homemade ice cream just the way they’ve been making it since 1906. It’s cash only, but you can eat for 5 bucks. My order is usually two hotdogs, all the way, no onions and a small ice cream.

On Wednesdays and on Saturday mornings, the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market is open and boasts lots of fresh, local veggies, fruits, meats, eggs and flowers. I have nothing more to say about this wonderful place other than everything is delicious and everyone is nice.

One of the gifts of the Triad area of North Carolina (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point) is furniture. High Point is the furniture capital of the world; the pieces and the prices are outstanding. My favorite place to find very unique things is Adelaide’s Corner Cottage, a vintage, upcycle consignment store. Sometimes I go just for inspiration. I was there every week in the months leading up to our outdoor wedding, and I’ve gotten such good deals on some of our furniture pieces there. Where else can you find a big, beautiful, vintage kitchen table for $100?

On Sundays in the summer there’s a free concert series called Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park. Original name, I know. A different city park hosts every week, and the music covers the gamut, from jazz ensembles to symphony orchestras. We gather a bunch of long-time friends and set out an amazing picnic dinner spread, supported by a custom-made table by our fellow park-music-companion, Marty. The music is always good, the company is even better, and we are usually the last ones left in the park.

Greensboro has so many excellent destinations—breweries, coffee shops, concert venues, bakeries, parks, art studios, yoga studios—but my favorite place in town is my parents’ backyard. In the cold months we light a fire in the fire pit, and in the hot season we sit outside over a glass of wine. It’s full of gorgeous plants, and it will always be home.

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