From its founding more than two centuries ago to a thriving 21st-century cultural hub, Downtown Greensboro pulses with history, entrepreneurship, and community. Join us every First Friday — and any day of the week — to experience the soul of the Gate City.
On the first Friday of every month, Downtown Greensboro transforms into an open-air celebration of local culture, entrepreneurship, and community spirit. From morning yoga sessions to evening vendor markets, live music, pop-up events, and family-friendly activities running from 2 PM to 9 PM, First Friday is the heartbeat of downtown life.
Organized and championed by Downtown Greensboro Inc., First Friday gives local businesses a platform to connect with the community. Dozens of retailers, restaurants, galleries, and artisans open their doors wide, offering special experiences that showcase the best of what downtown has to offer. In recent years, 11 or more new businesses have opened downtown annually, a testament to the area's surging momentum.
"What the businesses really need and want is for people to come down and get inside their doors. They're activating inside their retail establishments or restaurants." — Downtown Greensboro Inc. leadership on the spirit of First Friday
To further support growth, Downtown Greensboro Inc. offers micro grants to businesses that apply, helping them activate their spaces through live music, art installations, and social media engagement. The popularity of First Friday has even sparked conversations about expanding the energy to every Friday — the vision behind DowntownFriday.com.
At the corner of South Elm and Washington Streets stands one of Greensboro's most storied structures — the Guilford Building at 301 South Elm Street. Completed in 1927 and designed by the celebrated architect Charles C. Hartmann, this 13-story Renaissance Revival masterpiece was Greensboro's second skyscraper. Its gray terra-cotta base, locally sourced brick upper floors, and magnificent Italian marble lobby made it an instant landmark.
Originally envisioned as a hotel, the building evolved into one of downtown's premier banking and business centers. The Northwestern Bank made it their home in the 1970s, lending the building one of its best-known names. Beloved merchants like the Guilford Soda Shop and The Slack Shop anchored its lobby for decades. In 1985, firefighters heroically saved the building from a devastating Davie Street fire — and years later, one of those very firefighters became a co-owner.
Today, the Guilford Building has been reinvented as a thriving high-tech hub. With redundant fiber connections, dual power loops, and rooftop telecommunications infrastructure, it is known locally as Greensboro's Telecommunication Hotel.
Among its tenants is CarolinaDigitalPhone.com — a homegrown VoIP telecommunications company that has called downtown Greensboro home since 2000. Providing cloud-based phone systems, UCaaS, and managed IT services to North Carolina businesses with 24/7 local support and geo-redundant infrastructure, Carolina Digital Phone embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and passionate love for downtown that has kept this neighborhood alive for a century.
With its newest venture, DigitalPhone.ai, the company is pioneering AI-powered receptionist services — proof that 100 years after the Guilford Building first opened its doors, downtown Greensboro remains a place where innovation happens.
A Renaissance Revival landmark designed by Charles C. Hartmann, the Guilford Building has anchored the corner of South Elm and Washington for nearly a century — from its origins as a banking center to its current role as downtown's technology hub.
Home to Carolina Digital Phone since 2000, the building continues a tradition of enterprise and community commitment that stretches back to its opening day in 1927.
From a crossroads settlement named for Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, Downtown Greensboro has evolved into one of North Carolina's most vibrant urban centers. Here's a look at the milestones that shaped the heart of the Gate City.
No account of downtown Greensboro is complete without honoring the courage that made history at 132 South Elm Street. On February 1, 1960, four young freshmen from North Carolina A&T State University sat down at the whites-only lunch counter inside the F.W. Woolworth store and politely requested service. They were refused — but they did not leave.
Within days, hundreds of students from A&T, Bennett College, Dudley High School, and UNC Greensboro had joined the protest. By the end of the summer, Woolworth's desegregated its lunch counter. The movement spread to 55 cities in 13 states and is widely credited with reinvigorating the national civil rights movement.
Their sit-in inspired thousands of people to demand equal treatment in shops, restaurants, and other public places. It also opened new opportunities for Black youth to take on leadership roles in the Civil Rights Movement.
Today, the original Woolworth building houses the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, featuring the restored L-shaped lunch counter and powerful exhibits chronicling the struggle for equality. In January 2025, the National Park Service designated the building a National Historic Landmark — a step toward potential UNESCO World Heritage recognition.
Downtown Greensboro is home to an extraordinary mix of restaurants, shops, galleries, breweries, and professional services — many locally owned and deeply rooted in the community. Here's a sampling of the places that give downtown its character.
A state-of-the-art, 3,023-seat performing arts facility hosting Broadway tours, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, concerts, comedy, and family entertainment. The $88 million venue opened in 2021 and transformed downtown into a regional cultural destination.
tangercenter.com →Located in the historic F.W. Woolworth building at 134 S. Elm Street, site of the 1960 Greensboro Sit-Ins. Features the restored lunch counter, 14 exhibits, and powerful artifacts chronicling the American Civil Rights Movement. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2025.
sitinmovement.org →A beautifully restored 1927 movie palace on South Elm Street that hosts independent films, concerts, special events, and community gatherings. One of Greensboro's architectural treasures and an anchor of the downtown arts scene.
carolinatheatre.com →Home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a South Atlantic League minor league baseball team. The downtown stadium has set attendance records and is a cornerstone of the district's family-friendly entertainment offerings.
milb.com/greensboro →Greensboro's second skyscraper, completed in 1927 at 301 S. Elm Street. Designed by Charles C. Hartmann in Renaissance Revival style with Italian marble interiors. Home to Carolina Digital Phone and now known as Greensboro's Telecommunication Hotel.
View Listing →Four miles of urban trail featuring beautiful scenery, interactive public art, and convenient access points to Downtown Greensboro. A collaborative project of the City of Greensboro and Action Greensboro, the Greenway connects neighborhoods and businesses throughout the district.
downtowngreenway.org →Explore the rich heritage of Greensboro and the Piedmont region through exhibits, collections, and programs that bring centuries of local history to life — from O. Henry's birthplace to the Civil Rights movement and beyond.
greensborohistory.org →Showcasing the best contemporary art by North Carolina artists, GreenHill offers rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and special events in the heart of downtown. A key participant in First Friday celebrations.
greenhillnc.org →Downtown Greensboro's renaissance is powered by dedicated organizations that advocate for businesses, promote the district, and invest in community vitality.
The district management organization that promotes, maintains, and advocates for downtown Greensboro. Organizer of First Friday, the State of Downtown event, and the go-to resource for everything happening in the district.
downtowngreensboro.org →Established in 1877 and 5-Star Accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Serving more than 1,300 member businesses through programming, economic development, entrepreneurship support via Launch Greensboro, and community engagement.
greensboro.org →Founded in 1906, the GMA is a member-driven business organization supporting companies through educational programming, networking groups, lead generation, marketing support, and professional development seminars.
mygma.org →An initiative of the Greensboro Chamber focused on community vitality, quality of place, and talent attraction. Builders of the Downtown Greenway and publishers of the annual Community Vitals Report.
greensboro.org/actiongreensboro →The official visitors bureau for Greensboro, promoting the city's 135+ attractions, craft breweries, performing arts, outdoor recreation, and rich history to travelers worldwide.
visitgreensboronc.com →The municipal government providing infrastructure, public safety, parks, cultural programming through Creative Greensboro, and economic development support for the downtown district.
greensboro-nc.gov →