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Just a few decades ago, finding ethnic food in Guilford County meant hitting the one Chinese restaurant in downtown Greensboro.

These days, in addition to places that have been smokin' and choppin' barbecue around the county over the decades, you can find Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Brazilian, Greek and Mexican restaurants.

Guilford County has become a cultural mini-melting pot in recent years.

The county boasts populations of at least 1,000 people each from Vietnam, India, the Palestinian territories, Israel, Nigeria, Liberia and the former Yugoslavia.

"I go to a restaurant now, and you hear other languages being spoken," said Paul Gibson, an at-large commissioner on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. He was one of those residents who once had only the local Chinese restaurant to choose from. Now, he not only has that, but much more.

And it's not just about the food.

"I've met folks from Saigon, Lebanese people, Brazilians, and it's almost like traveling," Gibson said of the cultures from across the world that wind up here.

Speaking of travel, the county is uniquely situated along the East Coast for just that. Companies are moving here to take advantage of what Interstates 40 and 85 can offer in the way of shipping lanes.

FedEx picked Piedmont Triad International Airport for an East Coast hub, which will open in 2009.

And twice a year in High Point, furniture buyers and sellers from across the world convene for the largest furniture market in the world. On what is usually a quiet downtown street, during market, one can hear Russian, Italian, Chinese and other languages.

Gibson, who is in the furniture business, said he was in Central America and heard "High Point" uttered in Mayan.

"I'm standing in the jungle in Guatemala, talking about High Point," he said.

And High Point, one of the state's 10 biggest cities, is just one, well, high point of Guilford County.

Greensboro, the county seat, is the third-largest city in North Carolina.

And in either, you can get across town pretty easily.

"You go to Charlotte and Raleigh, and people complain, 'We have traffic,'" Gibson said of the popular refrain heard of gridlocked cars in North Carolina's two largest cities. "But we don't have that," he said.

Parts of Guilford County can be quite bucolic, even. Just a short drive outside the cities, people can find the quiet and peace of a shady tree in a park or a boat on a lake.

That tranquility — a far cry from the hustle-bustle of downtown Greensboro - can be found in communities such as Summerfield, Browns Summit and Forest Oaks.

"We have a lot of towns here that offer a different lifestyle," Gibson said.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com

Other Guilford County towns:

GIBSONVILLE

Population: 5,335

Incorporated: 1871

Named for: Josh Gibson, a resident who built the railroad through the town.

Meetings: The town council meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Monday of each month at Town Hall, 129 W. Main St. 449-4144. www.gibsonville.net.

Elected officials: Mayor Leonard Williams, 449-5770; Mayor Pro Tem Mark Shepherd, 449-5458; Veronica Revels, 449-5140; Ken Pleasants, 449-2946; Sandra Moulton, 449-5678; Fred Barringer, 449-1295.

Best place to visit: If someone was going to visit your town, what would you tell them not to miss, and why? "I would tell them to come on a Saturday to the (downtown) market where you can get local produce and meet new friends and neighbors," said Neil Bromilow, a resident for 14 years.

— Staff writer Jamie Kennedy Jones

JAMESTOWN

Population: 3,317

Incorporated: 1947

Named for: Town founder James Mendenhall.

Government: The Town Council meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Town Hall, 301 E. Main St. 454-1138.www.jamestown-nc.us.

Elected officials: Mayor Keith Volz, 454-3487; Mayor Pro Tem Brock Thomas, 454-6787; J. Frank Gray, 454-2039; Larry M. Lain, 688-4788; Georgia Nixon-Roney, 454-6156.

Best place to visit: "Jamestown Public Library, because of its history. It was once the entire school system for Jamestown - the elementary school, middle school and high school were all there," said Ed Stafford, Jamestown resident for 56 years

— Staff writer Adria Hairston

OAK RIDGE

Population: 4,491

Incorporated: 1998

Named for: A ridge covered by oaks.

Government: The Town Council meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Oak Ridge Town Hall, 8315 Linville Road. 644-7009;
www.oakridgenc.com.

Elected officials: Mayor Ray Combs, 668-4237; Mayor Pro Tem Roger Howerton, 643-4755; Myra Aderholdt, 643-1363; David Rowe, 643-1746; Jim Kinneman, 644-8645.

Best place to visit: "I would encourage people to explore the town of Oak Ridge because of its rich heritage, schools and controlled development," said William Edwards, resident and chairman of the Oak Ridge Parks and Recreation committee.

— Staff writer Adria Hairston

PLEASANT GARDEN

Population: 5,099

Incorporated: 1997

Named for: No one knows, but the name dates back to 1792 when Pleasant Garden Methodist church was formed.

Government: The Town Council meets at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Town Hall, 4920 Alliance Church Road. 674-3002; www.pleasantgarden.net.

Elected officials: Mayor Anne Hice, 674-6152; Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Jo Smith, 674-2514; Chris Johnson, 674-7705; Rick Wallace, 674-0230; Bob Wyrick, 676-0751.

Best place to visit: "Either the Garden Plaza convenience store or the Shell station here in town - a lot of people gather at those places," said Phil Way, lifetime resident and retired communications supervisor of the Highway Patrol.

— Staff writer Adria Hairston

SEDALIA

Population: 650

Incorporated: 1997

Named for: The town's first postmaster R. B. Andrews was given a list of names to choose from for the new post office and he liked the way Sedalia, a city in Missouri, sounded.

Meetings: 7 p.m. the first and fourth Monday of each month at 6121 Burlington Road.

Elected officials: Mayor Howard J. Morgan, 449-5107; Mayor Pro Tem Willie Breeze Jr., 449-1169; Jeanne Rudd, 449-6586; Valerie Mack, 446-0102; Ophelia Jones, 449-6521.

Best place to visit: "I would tell anyone who is visiting the town of Sedalia that they must stop by and take a tour of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, right on Highway 70. If youdon't know the life and legacy of Doctor Brown, the museum is a great place to start," said Cam Dungee, 40, a resident of Sedalia for 12 years.

— Staff writer Tiffany Jones

STOKESDALE

Population: 3,627

Incorporated: 1989

Named for: A Mr. Stokes, who was either an executive of the railroad that passed through the area, a conductor on the train or a surveyor of the area.

Government: The Town Council meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Stokesdale Town Hall, 8416 U.S. 158. 643-4011; www.stokesdale.org.

Elected officials: Mayor Randle Jones, 643-6766; Mayor Pro Tem Mickie Halbrook, 643-4207; James Attaway, 643-7289; Cheryl Steele, 644-9600; Norman Cook, 643-4335.

Best place to visit: If someone was going to visit your town, what would you tell them not to miss, and why? "The Stonefield Winery, because it's a very hospitable atmosphere that theWurz family (owners) provides. And if you check the schedule, there is a lot of entertainment you can participate in," said Eileen Thierry, 64, a Stokesdale resident for three years.

— Staff writer Kavita Pillai

SUMMERFIELD

Population: 7,423

Incorporated: 1996

Named for: John Summerfield, an evangelist who preached a revival in the community and then settled there.

Government: The Town Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Summerfield Community Center, 5404 Centerfield Road. 643-8655; www.summerfieldgov.com.

Elected officials: Mayor Mark Brown, 643-4843; Council Members: Mayor Pro Tem Dena Barnes, 643-5972; Alicia Flowers, 643-6756; Becky Strickland, 643-4067; Bob Williams, 643-4848; John Wray, 643-6336.

Best place to visit: If someone was going to visit your town, what would you tell them not to miss, and why? "The Summerfield community park, because I think it's the flagship of our community (and) a source of tremendous pride for myself and all citizens," said Steve Adkins, 52, a resident for six years.

— Staff writer Kavita Pillai

WHITSETT

Population: 731

Incorporated: 1991

Named for: A school founded in 1888 by William Thornton Whitsett. The Whitsett Institute burned down in 1918.

Meetings: The town council meets at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Town Hall, 811 N.C. 61. 449-3380; www.whitsettnc.com

Elected officials: Mayor Richard Fennell, 449-7658; Mayor Pro Tem Andy Brown, 449-7797; Cindy Wheeler, 446-8065; Ken Jacobs, 446-0311; Jerry Rice, 449-7810.

Best place to visit: If someone was going to visit your town, what would you tell them not to miss, and why? "The thing to visit would be the town hall ... a lot of people are proud of it because they went to school there many years ago," said Bob Maccia, a resident for seven years.

— Staff writer Jamie Kennedy Jones