Placebook: Tournament Town

  There’s this thing that grips Greensboro every March and it’s called Tournament Town. Banners are posted along light posts downtown and down the side of the coliseum, whether we are actually hosting an ACC Tournament. In recent years, we’ve also had NCAA first and second round games and of course the ACC lore speaks… Continue reading Placebook: Tournament Town

Placebook: Malls are Dying, as Commerce Centers

Malls are dying. Yes, there are stores that drive traffic, but I can’t tell anyone the last time I’ve been to an enclosed mall or even to mall stores at an open-air center. Well, I lie, I went to Barnes and Noble the other week. I have a gift card to spend there, but I… Continue reading Placebook: Malls are Dying, as Commerce Centers

Placebook: When Billboards Work

  One of the things those who rail against the  enroachment of  consumerism in our daily lives especially hate are billboards. I’ll admit, there’s something charming about seeing a barn sign, an old-school painted Coca-Cola sign or those hand-painted peach signs on the way to Myrtle Beach. Yet, when it comes to regular old billboards that… Continue reading Placebook: When Billboards Work

Placebook: The Community of Hair Doing

Last night I participated in my bi-weekly ritual of getting my hair done. Being in that space, which is colored in jewel tones and punctuated by a stylist that’s also a friend makes the space even better. Much has been said about the role of the black beauty and barbershop, and I can second much… Continue reading Placebook: The Community of Hair Doing

Placebook: Places My Dad Loved Part 1-Power Lines

I think my dad would have been tickled to know that his birthday weekend this year had one of the largest ice storms we’ve had in years. As a licensed electrician for the Guilford County Schools and for lots of other regular folks on the weekends, He greatly admired the work of the electricians of… Continue reading Placebook: Places My Dad Loved Part 1-Power Lines

Placebook: Iced Out and Powered Down

This happened. For those of us in Guilford, Alamance, Orange and pieces of other counties in the Piedmont, we’ve had quite the weekend. I decamped from my Greensboro apartment to a hotel in Durham near an old apartment of mine. Others were trapped behind trees with snapped limbs or completely uprooted. As of this writing,… Continue reading Placebook: Iced Out and Powered Down

Placebook: How Do You Make Your Moves?

When it’s time to pack up your things and move from one place to another, how do you do it? Do you just throw your things in random boxes and bins? Do you take the time to get decent boxes and bins and label them. Do you do like I’ve traditionally done and get a… Continue reading Placebook: How Do You Make Your Moves?

Placebook: We’re on the Move, Again.

So I’ve decided to let the cat out of the bag. First and foremost, meet: For now, the site will just be this daily email/news roundup (which will be renamed Daily News). In addition, I hope to add original coverage and opinions around state and local government, transportation (all modes), buildings and architecture, and education.… Continue reading Placebook: We’re on the Move, Again.

Placebook: Here’s to Being a Walmart Town

Walmart store in Chicago’s West Loop by Flickr user Ifmuth Yes, Joe the Trader is still my friend. Why? Because he has good cookies. My silliness notwithstanding, the decision made yesterday by Trader Joe’s to not invest in Greensboro for the second time is not surprising. Honestly, it’s not the politics that I feel drove… Continue reading Placebook: Here’s to Being a Walmart Town

Placebook: That Perfect Restaurant

What makes up your perfect restaurant? Is it all about good food or good atmosphere? Do the waiters, bartenders or folks behind the counter know your name? Is it that one dish that keeps you coming back for more? Well, my perfect restaurant (which of course doesn’t really exist) sits about 500 feet from my… Continue reading Placebook: That Perfect Restaurant