In the 80s and 90s, the mall we went to the most in Greensboro was Four Seasons Mall (now Four…read moreSeasons Town Centre). It went downhill and beginning in the 2000s, we went to Friendly Center instead. This has been a general trend in America where people have shifted from going to traditional indoor malls to outdoor malls, some integrated with mixed-use developments and/or repurposed sites.
Funny thing is Friendly Center has been around since 1957 and Four Seasons 1974. Both have changed over the years, for better or for worse.
I came here multiple times with friends and family in 2008 and 2009. With my friends, we'd go to stores like REI, Great Outdoor Provision Co, and Barnes & Noble. It was around these years that I picked up a MacBook for my mom from the Apple Store. She returned several times for One to One trainings on how to use various Apple devices.
Since 2018, I've been going to Friendly Center for Schiffman's Jewelers, for the most part. That's because I got my wife's engagement ring and wedding band from Schiffman's and have returned for inspections and cleanings. We returned just a few weeks ago to see Frances, who just celebrated 45 years at Schiffman's.
Last month, I accompanied my wife and sister to Sephora and Anthropologie. Other brands that were or still are of interest to me at Friendly Center include Brooks Brothers and lululemon. There are also a Whole Foods Market and Williams-Sonoma.
Friendly Center was sort of patchworked together over the years, so the design and routing aren't ideal and getting around can be confusing. It would be nice if there were maps of the property on-site, but we didn't see any during our recent visit. Also, at the time of writing this review, the map on their website is down. "Couldn't fetch map data." https://friendlycenter.com/directory
Depending on what section of Friendly Center you're in, it's sometimes better to get back in your car and drive to another store than it is to walk. This is because of the awkward, inefficient layout and lack of sidewalks. Again, not ideal. The brands are the draw.
Check out Friendly Center on Facebook and Instagram at the links below. The mall is currently active on these platforms.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/FriendlyCenter
IG: https://www.instagram.com/shopfriendlycenter/