Greensboro, N.C., Is a Vibrant Southeastern Destination for Antique Shopping and Museum Hopping
Greensboro, N.C., earned a LEED Cities Silver certification in July 2020 for its sustainable efforts and initiatives.
Published Aug. 19 2024, 9:49 a.m. ET
Welcome to Greensboro, N.C., a city known for its Civil Rights Movement history (The International Civil Rights Center & Museum sits at the site of a momentous anti-segregation protest), the Central Carolina Fair (which has been around for over a century), and vibrant greenery (Benjamin Park's Bog Garden is a gorgeous nature preserve).
In terms of sustainability, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded the Southeastern city with a LEED Cities Silver certification in July 2020.
Featuring a 100 percent Renewable Energy Resolution plan and a Food Waste Collection Program, Greensboro is putting in the work.
And while it would be very Green Matters of me to suggest checking out various parks and trails — like the Owl's Roost Trail and Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway Loop — this Green City Guide is brimming with vintage shopping and artsy experiences that respect Mother Earth.
Where to stay: Book a room at Greensboro's four-star LEED Platinum hotel.
Proximity Hotel:
Open since 2008, Proximity Hotel at 704 Green Valley Road promises "opulent eco-travel." As per its website, the AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel features 100 rooftop solar panels that heat its water, uses local ingredients, and has an innovative elevator that "recirculates energy back into the building." It is one of the first hotels in the U.S. to earn the LEED Platinum certification. Today, Proximity uses 39.2 percent less energy than a conventional hotel.
Whether you're enticed by the sustainable practices, Live Music Wednesdays, or the dedicated Romance Advisors, Proximity ensures a lavish stay.
Where to eat: Devour vegan tacos and delectable cake and visit a plant-based cat cafe/rescue!
Mike’s Vegan Grill:
Mike's Vegan Grill at 2501 W. Gate City Boulevard easily satisfies savory cravings. Its chili cheese fries, Carolina Burger, and Columbiana Hotdog — which comes adorned with sliced pineapple and crushed potato chips — act as plant-based, mande-from-scratch versions of scrumptious comfort foods we all know and love.
Crafted - the Art of the Taco:
Before you head to Crafted - the Art of the Taco at 220 S. Elm Street, know where it stands: "We are not a Mexican restaurant. We are a taco joint!" Also offering burgers, beer, and cocktails, many of Crafted's dishes can be made entirely plant-based, as vegan beef, vegan fried chicken, and chofu are meat substitute options listed in the menu's "protein" section.
The Fixie Tacos with braised (vegan) beef, grilled pineapple, spicy sweet chili sauce, coconut aioli, cilantro, and scallions ... it's a need.
Crooked Tail Cat Cafe:
Are you a cat person and a coffee snob? Head to Crooked Tail Cat Cafe at 604 S. Elm Street for plant-based sips and adoptable kitty snuggles. Aside from the yummy drinks, Crooked Tail is a nonprofit organization and a rescue sanctuary that hosts up to 12 free-roaming cats at once until they're adopted by their forever families.
The 100 percent plant-based cafe offers vegan snacks and various coffee, espresso, loose-leaf tea, and boba tea beverages, not to mention lemonade and hot apple cider. You won't find cat hair in your latte, however, as the cafe section — described as "the purrfect spot to relax and get work done" — is separate from the Kitty Lounge.
Maxie B's:
Deserve a little treat? Go to Maxie B's at 2403 Battleground Avenue for vegan and/or gluten-free cake slices, pastries, and sustainably grown, bird-friendly coffee (yes, it's a thing!). What opened as a frozen yogurt place in 1985 eventually became the planet-friendly bakery it is today — one that utilizes local and organic ingredients. Maxie B's opts for corn-based packaging made in the U.S., features LED lighting, uses non-toxic cleaning products, religiously recycles, composts its paper, food, and floral waste, and boasts a native plant garden, as per its website.
Additionally, it is a palm oil-free facility, a decision inspired by its partnership with Carolina Tiger Rescue. This is one of many environmental and animal-focused organizations that Maxie B's partners with — check out the list here.
Go on, snag some Vegan Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Buttercream.
Where to shop: Discover vintage fashion, furniture, art, and oddities.
Vintage To Vogue Boutique:
Stop in Vintage To Vogue Boutique at 530 S. Elm Street for secondhand designer staples and vintage pieces. The consignment shop loves fashion as much as it loves giving back, as Vintage To Vogue "supports local nonprofits by donating clothes and proceeds to help others who are less fortunate."
When you stop in for some gently used Jimmy Choos, make sure to grab a drink at the bar in the back!
Revision Vintage:
In Revision Vintage at 313 E. Market Street, you'll find vintage fashion pieces circa the 1930s to the 1990s, not to mention antique furniture and quirky oddities. Think ceramic rooster cookie jars, '70s white wicker furniture, antique Edwardian boots, and '90s silk cheetah print windbreakers!
The Red Collection:
Visit Greensboro called The Red Collection "one of Greensboro's best-kept secrets," praising the consignment shop for its unique furniture and decor. With two locations — 1411 Mill Street and 1201 S. Holden Road — the family owned and operated company boasts "two of the largest consignment stores in the Southeast." Peruse the aisles for vintage art, china, silver, mirrors, rugs, lamps, and more!
Things to do: Experience diverse experimental, modern, and contemporary art.
Elsewhere:
Check out the Elsewhere Living Museum and Artist Residency at 606 S. Elm Street for an artistic experience like no other. Elsewhere is "transforming a former secondhand store and its 60-year collection of material surplus," utilizing the object findings of the late Sylvia Gray — who owned the former thrift shop — for experimental artistic expression. Rather than seeing three floors stuffed with used objects end up in a landfill, Gray's collection is "continually repurposed and re-imagined."
See interpretive and musical performances and offbeat installations that will inspire you.
Weatherspoon Art Museum:
Visit the Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina Greensboro at 1005 Spring Garden Street to view six galleries, a sculpture courtyard, and nearly 7,000 pieces of work. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Weatherspoon showcases modern and contemporary art representing "major art movements from the beginning of the 20th century to the present."
Regarding sustainability, the museum received a $100,000 grant from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation as part of the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative in 2021 to revamp its lighting system, allowing the transition to energy-efficient LED lights.
Additionally, the museum has featured exhibitions like 2016's "Reclaiming Nature: Art and Sustainability," educating visitors on pressing environmental issues like climate change, pollution, and deforestation.
In “Green City Guides,” a travel series from Green Matters, we break down what to do, where to stay, what to eat, and more in various cities around the world — while staying sustainable.
