Developed in 1917 as a residential neighborhood centered around a public park, Lindley Park is a neighborhood built on tradition with a strong history of community involvement. Lindley Park boasts a neighborhood school of the same name, several churches of varying denominations, and many thriving businesses, including some of the most popular restaurants in Greensboro. Our community events include the annual Spring Fling, the ever-popular Chili Cook-off, and the long tradition of the Lindley Park Luminaries. Newer events include a weekly famers market, held each Saturday at the corner of Walker and Elam.
The neighborhood’s character is tranquil, safe, and pedestrian-friendly with canopy tree-lined streets, green spaces, and a broad mix of architectural styles. Its character as a vibrant urban locale is enhanced through careful consideration of new land use patterns, appealing streetscapes, and physical infrastructure, including architectural lighting and underground utilities. The traditions of Lindley Park and the concerns of its diverse residential population are supported and blended through an active, open neighborhood association, formed in 1993. In 2004, the City of Greensboro and the Lindley Park Neighborhood Association partnered to develop a Neighborhood Plan that would determine needs and concerns of the neighborhood, evaluate alternative solutions, outline strategies, and determine implementation procedures and resources. The Plan represents a significant investment in the future of Lindley Park. You can read and download the plan here.
The area was named after local businessman John Van Lindley, a Quaker, who is best known as nurseryman and landscaper in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1902, he donated 60 acres of land along Spring Garden Street for a recreation complex boasting a man-made lake and amusement park. Today, this area still exists as the park between Spring Garden Street and Walker Avenue and the City’s Arboretum.
When the lake and amusement park closed in 1917, the City hired Earle Sumner Draper to design a planned neighborhood development and what followed was the Lindley Park neighborhood. Many original design elements still remain, such as the stone column entryways and tree-lined streets.
Lindley Park celebrated its centennial year in 2017.