Here’s the thing about Greensboro: the city has more to offer than most people know. This article isn’t necessarily a list of things to do (although that list is coming to the website soon). Instead, this is a list of nine characteristics and places that give the city of Greensboro a unique feel.
Trails and Greenways
With more than 45 trails covering 141 miles, you could fool people into believing Greensboro gets its name from its extensive collection of greenways.
International Cuisine
Greensboro has made a name for itself in the categories of culture and food, reflected in the dining scene. You can find a variety of cuisines from around the world, especially Vietnamese. Outside of Vietnam, Greensboro is the largest community of Montagnards, or hilltribe people from Vietnam.
Tournaments
Known for a long and distinguished history of hosting ACC and NCAA basketball championships at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro is nicknamed ‘tournament town.’ The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is one of the most actively booked facilities in the country, hosting more than 1,100 events annually. On top of hosting tournaments at the Coliseum, the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship is held annually at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. There are 36 golf courses within a 20-mile radius, eleven within city limits.
Greensboro Grasshoppers
The Grasshoppers are Greensboro’s beloved Minor League Baseball team. As members of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, they play their home games at downtown’s First National Bank Field. The baseball field opened in 2005 and seats 7,499 fans. Hall of Fame alums include Heinie Manush, Johnny Mize, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter.
Reimagined Purpose
Greensboro was once a textile town filled with mills, factories, and blue-collar workers, but in recent decades, most of the mills have gone out of business. Cotton mills no longer dominate, but we can thank them for their role in the city’s economic development. Today, much of the city’s infrastructure is repurposed industrial buildings.
The Urban Loop
The Greensboro Urban Loop was part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s plan to improve traffic flow within and around the city by completing an entire loop of interstates around Greensboro. The project was completed on January 23, 2023, allowing traffic to bypass Greensboro and improve congestion on existing Interstate 40.
Conventions
At any given time, a conference or convention in Greensboro. That’s probably because the city is home to one of the largest hotel convention centers on the East Coast. The Sheraton Koury Convention Center has 250,000 square feet of meeting space and can host groups with up to 6,000 attendees. The hotel has a 40,000-square-foot ballroom, around 1,000 sleeping rooms, and three on-site restaurants. There is also the Grandover Resort and Conference Center (more on this in the next section).
Notable Hotels
Greensboro has several notable hotels, including Proximity Hotel, O. Henry Hotel, and Grandover Resort.
The Proximity Hotel, the O. Henry sister hotel, is a AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel. They’re America’s 1st LEED Platinum Eco-Friendly Luxury Hotel. The lavish hotel has custom-designed furnishings, commissioned art, and loft-like hotel rooms. The hotel restaurant is Print Works Bistro, serving food with European flavors. They have a beautiful outdoor patio for when it’s nice out.
The O. Henry Hotel is a boutique hotel, home to the Green Valley Grill with al fresco courtyard dining. If that’s not boujee enough for you, amenities include afternoon tea daily in the social lobby with O. Henry Jazz.
Many locals go to the Grandover Resort for a staycation. The Grandover is a multi-use development with neighborhoods, retail, a hotel resort, and places to work. The AAA Four Diamond Resort offers 36 holes of championship golf, a day spa, tennis, overnight accommodations, three bars, two restaurants, an art gallery, live entertainment, an indoor/outdoor pool, a conference center, and event venues.
Historic Communities
There’s no shortage of charming historic communities, each with a green space, garden, or park. Most of Greensboro’s neighborhoods don’t have “official” borders, although passionate community members have been working to change that within recent years.
