The BORO is not only growing, it is having offspring.

The BORO is the “social district” in downtown Greensboro where it is legal for people to walk down the sidewalk with a BORO approved alcoholic beverage.  There are a lot of rules including that the alcoholic beverage has to be in an approved cup, but basically it allows someone to buy an alcoholic beverage in one establishment and walk down the sidewalk to another business to browse or shop.  An alcoholic beverage from one establishment licensed to sell alcohol cannot be taken into another licensed establishment but can be taken into stores and shops or simply consumed while walking around.

The ordinance establishing The BORO was passed by the Greensboro City Council in December 2021 and went into effect in March 2022.  The BORO evidently is so popular that on the agenda for the Tuesday, Dec. 6 meeting is the approval of an ordinance that not only expands the boundaries of The BORO in downtown Greensboro but also establishes another social district along State Street in northeast Greensboro.

The proposed downtown social district boundaries appear to make a lot more sense than the current boundaries.  Center City Park and the Stephen Tanger Center for the Preforming Arts are both excluded from the current social district while LeBauer Park and the Greensboro Cultural Center are included.  So, under the current ordinance, if someone buys an approved alcoholic beverage on North Elm Street and walks east on Friendly Avenue to the Cultural Center that is legal, but if they take a few more steps north and walk through Center City Park that is illegal.

The ordinance being presented to the City Council for consideration includes changing the language so that Greensboro can have more than one social district and proposes adding a social district along the business district on State Street.

It seems likely that other areas where there are establishments that serve alcohol within walking distance of each other would also be applying for social district status in the future.

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