THE LAZY GENIUS GUIDE TO GREENSBORO

My personal list of things to do and places to stay and where to eat for those visiting my hometown of Greensboro, NC!

FAVORITE PLACES TO STAY

• O.Henry Hotel // a fantastic location, luxe, and worth the price if you want to spend it

• Proximity // a solar-powered hotel with a great restaurant (Print Works Bistro) and solid location

• Hotel Denim // affordable, really lovely inside, good location

• Marriott Greensboro Downtown // great location, dependable chain, downtown

• Hyatt Place Greensboro Downtown // great location, dependable chain, downtown

FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT

• Machete // expensive, small plates, nominated for a James Beard Award, the best restaurant in town, amazing cocktails, closed on Mondays

• El Camino // hole in the wall authentic Mexican food, super affordable

• Scrambled // tasty breakfast / brunch

• Hops // best burgers in town (in my opinion)

• Cugino Forno // beautiful location, perfect wood-oven pizza

• Pho Hien Vuong // best pho in town

• Mythos // super affordable, friendly, Americanized Greek food (the chicken souvlaki is my favorite)

• Nazareth Bread Company // more authentic Middle Eastern food, super affordable, lots of seating, low on atmosphere though... I usually get mine to go

• The corner of Walker Ave. and Elam Ave. has multiple restaurants that are awesome with a great neighborhood atmosphere. If one has a wait, try another. Sticks and Stones for pizza and salads, Lindley Park Filling Station for sandwiches, Fishbones for seafood, and Emma Keys for burgers and the best fries in the city.

• Freeman's Grub and Pub // American food, great bar, cool but accessible atmosphere

• Chez Genese // beautiful French inspired cafe, employs a high percentage of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

• Dame's Chicken and Waffles // solid downtown southern fare

• Scratch // our favorite fried chicken... get the double-fried

• Crafted // creative tacos downtown

FAVORITE PLACES TO DRINK

• Machete for incredible cocktails

• Bull City Ciderworks for cider and a tremendous outdoor atmosphere

• Joymongers Brewery Co. for beer and a tremendous outdoor atmosphere

• Vida Pour Tea for a charming tea experience

• Union Coffee Co. for my favorite coffee in town, but it's downtown and a little harder to get to

• A Special Blend for coffee in a charming shop staffed by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

• Common Grounds for tasty coffee in a great location

• Boxcar Bar and Arcade for beer with arcade games and a super fun atmosphere

FAVORITE THINGS TO DO

BOOKSTORES

• Scuppernong // Our local indie that's downtown

• McKay's // Used books close to a lot of other great stuff

PARKS

• The Bog Garden and Bicentennial Garden // Two beautiful areas right across the street from each other

• The Arboretum // One of my favorite places to walk with beautiful landscaping, giant chimes, and a lot of charm

• Center City Park // Downtown, fountains, a lot of places to sit

SHOPPING

• Friendly Center // Our big shopping center (not a mall) with Madewell, Banana Republic, Sephora, Ulta, GAP, Anthropologie, Altar'd State, White House Black Market, lululemon, Athleta, Williams Sonoma, Torrid, and way more plus a ton of great places to eat

• The Tiny Greenhouse // A tiny place full of plants and gifts and the best dose of happiness in the city

• Downtown / Elm St. // A ton of stuff, including Just Be, one of my favorite places to get gifts

MUSEUMS

• The International Civil Rights Center and Museum // It's built in the old Woolworth's building, the site of the non-violent sit-in at the lunch counter.

• The Weatherspoon Art Gallery // On the campus of UNCG and a lovely experience

• The Greensboro Natural Science Center // A blast, especially if you're coming to town with kids

MAKE A DAY OF IT

• Downtown // Start with coffee at Union Coffee Co and walk into downtown. Head to Elm St. and shop at Just Be, Scuppernong Books, Design Archive Emporium, and whatever else you come across. Eat at Natty Greene's, Crafted, Chez Genese, or Mellow Mushroom. Rest at Center City Park or LeBauer Park. There's so much down there.

• State St. // Get tea at Vida Pour Tea, shop at Wonderland Bookshop and lots of other cute places, and get a cider flight at Bull City Ciderworks before dinner.

• Westover Terrace / Lawndale area // Shop in the Historic Lawndale Shopping Center, hop across the street a little ways to McKay's Used Bookstore, get a meal at Scratch Fried Chicken, visit The Tiny Greenhouse, and see a movie at Red Cinema

• Friendly Center // Shop and eat at Friendly Center and then drive down the road one way to The Arboretum or the other way to The Bog Garden