At Greensboro’s ‘City in the House,’ Parents Can Unleash Their Kids and Socialize

Lauren Massengale has four kids—three under the age of 10. Finding the right game to play at home is a hard balance. But one has always been popular.

“We play this game called ‘City in the House,’” Massengale said. “We make little shops around the house, and I would be the hairstylist, and Luke would be the librarian, Judah would be the vet, and Isla would be the cook.”

They would set up a grocery store, restaurant, and even a hair salon. Her kids would take on “big people roles.” Massengale, a longtime waitress at Green Valley Grill, would often play the role of server.

“It’s about imaginative play,” she said.

Massengale’s friend, Chelsea Fong, worked at the same restaurant. Four years ago, when they got off work, they fantasized about a place their kids could play like that outside the home. 

The two friends are now making their dreams a reality—one playhouse at a time.

Situated in a small shopping center off Lawndale Drive, across from Target, City in the House is a new indoor playhouse cafe, and is as parent-friendly as it is kid-centric. Inside, child-sized spaces allow kids to roam, interact, and play out their imaginations.

A market. A beauty salon. A doctor’s office. Even a quaint little cottage.

An adult-sized cafe offers coffee from local roaster Loom, baked goods from Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie, and New Garden Bagels.  Parents can socialize and get work done while their kids play.

After two successful soft openings, their grand opening is Friday.

Because safety and comfort are a big part of their mission, they highly encourage parents to make reservations for play sessions. Each one lasts about an hour and a half and costs between $6-13 per child, depending on age and number of kids. They plan to cap each session at about 25 kids to keep things manageable.

“We want it to be relaxing,” Massengale said. “Not a madhouse.”

In the future, they plan to host birthday parties, community events, and meet-and-greets with costumed characters. They’re also considering group rates.

“We saw a need for it,” Massengale said. “It was something that we needed as mothers, and we wanted to be the people who brought it to Greensboro.”

Play Over Perfection

As mothers themselves, Massengale and Fong wanted to make their long-held fantasy a reality for Greensboro parents.

“We would talk about how nice it would be if there was a place where moms and dads who worked from home could work, but there were fun toys and stuff like that for kids,” Massengale said. “We were trying to think of stuff that we needed: a fun place where we could sit down and relax and socialize and not worry about our kids.”

Fong, whose daughter is four, said she loves taking Meadow to the local park or the Greensboro Science Center. But it’s hard to take her eyes off her child there.

“Those spaces are great, but you constantly have to chase your kids,” she said.

Plus, she got tired of always taking her kid to Chick-fil-A, one of the few businesses that kept its playground after the pandemic.

“It was like, ‘Where could we unleash our children?’” Fong said.

Last fall, the two started sketching out ideas for playhouses on grid paper. Then they constructed them by hand with two-by-fours, screws, and buckets of paint. While they built the space, their kids played around them.

“We would screw a nail, and then wipe a butt,” Fong said.

On a recent afternoon, as Fong and Massengale answered emails and swept the floor, their kids played in the living room area, swinging and throwing pillows. Muffin crumbs were scattered on nearby tables, and piles of toys cluttered the space.

One of the things they wanted to create was a sense of community and support for other parents. They envisioned a place where parents could meet, become friends, and talk to each other about the real struggles of parenthood. In an age when videos of picture-perfect moms packing beautiful lunches in their tidy homes have become the gold standard, the two friends are offering a more realistic space.

“We’re not the aesthetic mom,” Massengale said, laughing.

“There are moms on TikTok whose kitchens are beautiful and perfect, and their smoothies are made from organic spinach,” Fong said. “My baby eats popcorn for breakfast sometimes.”

Their goal isn’t perfection. Rather, it’s a place for kids—and parents—to be able to be their messy, playful selves.

“We want people to come in and feel comfortable,” Massengale said. “This is a safe space where you’re not worrying about kids destroying things.”

“If your kid puts boogers on the wall, we’re going to wipe it off,” Fong laughed. “There’s been boogers on the walls already.”

Sayaka Matsuoka is a Greensboro-based reporter for The Assembly. She was formerly the managing editor for Triad City Beat.

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