Meet Boomerang Michael Humphrey.
You may remember him as one of the first boomerangs we ever announced, back in early 2021 – an OG boomerang!
We recently caught up with Michael to find out if being back has lived up to the hype.
- How have things changed since your return? How have they stayed the same?
Without question the biggest change has been the slower pace, a reintroduction to ‘southern hospitality’, and enhanced quality of life. Being born and raised in Greensboro, I knew well the benefits and charm of this great community, but I was away from it for 25 years living all of that time between NY and DC. I still get a kick out of calling my brother who still lives in the Metro-DC area and sharing with him how I was stuck in Greensboro traffic for 8 minutes. He doesn’t find it very amusing but it cracks me up every time. As far as changes to the city, it is exciting to be returning here just as the community is experiencing another business boom (pun intended), and being in place to witness the things that come along with big business returning to a community. It’s been great to try new restaurants that would easily hold their own in New York or LA, and really come to realize that you can find many of the amenities of larger cities right here, minus the headaches that come along with some of those amenities in a big city. I am thrilled that the southern sense and sensibility are very much the same.
- What’s been your favorite new discovery since coming back?
My favorite new discovery since coming back would have to be the Tanger Center without question. Having lived 15 minutes from Broadway for nearly 20 years, to have access to this sort of an entertainment and cultural center of this magnitude in my backyard is unbelievable. The variety of entertainment has been great, and getting to a show doesn’t require a train or taxi ride, and parking is accessible and easy. My children are an age to enjoy shows that they were a bit young to enjoy while growing up in New York.
- Best advice for someone considering boomeranging?
I would encourage anyone to consider boomeranging back to Greensboro. I grew up here, finished high school here, and chose to stay here to attend my beloved North Carolina A&T, so Greensboro is in my DNA. At 57, Greensboro is providing for me a quality of life that fits me well in this season. It’s great to see persons in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s also boomeranging back to Greensboro for reasons similar to mine and their own. The cost of living is great, many schooling options for one’s kids, various entertainment outlets, great restaurants, an incredible entrepreneurial community with opportunities, and the promise of more to come. I especially love the ease of flying in and out of the city through the never-busy GSO Airport, and the fact that we are a couple of hours to the mountains and some 3 hours to the beautiful North Carolina coast, a family favorite.