Downtown Columbus Blog Central

SHOPPING VERSUS BUYING

Shopping online is great.  No parking problems, no people problems.  You can look, look, look for hours on end.

Of course, the buying part is less fun.  It takes one click to say goodbye to your money, then two weeks of out-of-stock notices and screwed-up shipping charges.

Thank heavens we’ve got the best of both worlds here in Downtown Columbus.  Stay online and shop all you want, look around.  When it’s time to buy, hike on over to one of these neighborhood stores who sponsor these Web sites…

B-1 Bicycles has a Web site that’ll give you a feel for the store - its commitment to the biking lifestyle and its creative spirit (check out Big Dummy).  When it’s time to buy a bike or accessory, make a B-line to B-1 at 124 E. Long St.

For cat-lovers, the phrase that pays: Springy Worm Catnip Toys.  Found at lotstowagabout.com.  Found in person at Lots To Wag About at 405 E. Mound St.

We were offered bribery to keep the fabulous Cj Daniels a secret… but hoarding is a mortal sin.  Take a peek at the unbelievably awesome shirts that can be found downtown: look at cjdaniels.com.  Then go get ‘em at 108 E. Main St.

Granted, you can’t really shop online for massage therapy.  It’s definitely an in-person event.  Still, you can learn about the magical Kimberly Jones and Take Ten Body Therapy in our archives.  You’ll find her gift certificates at 116 N. High St.

SINCE YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT FOOD ANYWAY…

The big eating holiday has arrived.  Let’s be honest, the “thankfulness” angle is lovely, but the point of Thanksgiving is to stuff a turkey, then stuff yourself.  Period, the end.

But what if the stuffing could continue?  What if you could stuff yourself ad nauseum (pun very much intended) right on into January with the holiday’s seasonal delights?  You can do it DOWNTOWN!

Need Green Bean Casserole?
The Bar of Modern Art serves its kissin’ cousin in the appetizer section.  You’ll find green beans with roasted almonds, feta cheese and crispy shallots in a sherry-shallot vinaigrette.  Maybe it’s not like Mama’s, but that’s a good thing.

What About Sweet Potato Pie?
That’d be on the dessert menu at Flatiron Bar & Diner.  You might find some Wild Turkey at the bar to help wash it down.

Brussels Sprouts?
Although we understand that one of the owners of Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails is obsessed with Brussels sprouts, we have yet to see them on the menu.  Even so, regulars will find specials that include sweet potato bisque, pumpkin ale and an open faced turkey sandwich.

Talkin’ Turkey…
Speaking of turkey sandwiches, you can score plenty of deli-styled bird at Cafe Brioso and Cafe Lola.

And Of Course, Parsnips
Finally, the ever-beloved holiday food, the parsnip, can be found downtown.  Chef Wilhelm Novak has hidden it in his to-die-for potato parsnip gratin with cheese.  It’s a side dish at the High Street Grill (inside the Westin Columbus).

So, who’s bringing the cranberries?

Things for which I am grateful this Thanksgiving.

1. The Short North, for offering residents as many amenities within walking distance as virtually any neighborhood in the country. Walking to the movies, North Market, High Street stores, or an NHL game is so much more satisfying than driving. Without the Short North, many people would not stay in Columbus.
2. Downtown-area residents, for being as smart and diverse as any comparable area in the United States.  You can actually live among people in Columbus who are not offended by crabgrass or same-sex couples kissing in public.
3. COTA, taxicabs, and car rental agencies, for offering transportation alternatives good enough so that you can easily live in the pre-1950 boundaries of Columbus without a personal vehicle, as long as you work there as well.
4. Don Casto, for giving us Broad & High.
5. Nationwide Insurance for giving us the Arena District.

What have I missed?

THE C-WORD

With Thanksgiving approaching, it’s almost okay to talk about the C-word: Christmas (actually, Chanukah too).  There might be 12 days of Christmas, and eight days of Chanukah, but there are mind-numbing numbers associated with the downtown Seasonal Celebrations.

STATEHOUSE TREE LIGHTING
The annual lighting of the tree (actually, it’s trees; there are two) takes place on December 1 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm.  The lighting will be accompanied by a big BOOM from a Civil War-era cannon (why not?).  Let’s hope the sonic sound won’t shake loose the 285 carefully affixed ornaments.

HOLIDAY POPS
The Columbus Symphony’s Holiday Pops run from December 5 through December 7 at the Ohio Theatre.  You’ll hear more than 22 different types of musical instruments and perhaps even some jingling sleigh bells…

RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
The show is slated for Nationwide Arena on December 9 and 10.  What makes it so spectacular?  Clearly, it’s those Rockette legs - they go through over 1,400 pairs of nylons each season.

THE NUTCRACKER
Ballet Met’s family tradition runs December 12 through 23 this year.  Look for the Sugarplum fairy costume bedecked with 133 flowers, 20 stars and 361 gems… but alas, no sugarplums.

What is a sugarplum?

I grew up in Galion, OH, which then had a population of 13,000, in the 1950s and 1960s.  Downtown Galion offered everything a person needed in life.  It had a J.C. Penney, a Sears, two “dime” stores, independent hardware stores, a couple of IGAs, a bowling alley, a movie theatre, and a whole host of other independent retail stores, all located within walking distance of most residents.

The owners of the local stores ran the local United Way campaigns and supported Little League baseball teams and other community institutions.  Money spent on retail goods stayed in the community.  Customers rewarded their local stores with loyalty.

Consumer ethics seemed to disappear in the rush to shopping malls and big box stores.  People now chase prices or labels to the farthest corners of the region, no matter what their impact on the environment, wages, and their own communities.

Some consumer ethics remain.  The gay community, for example, shows remarkable loyalty to gay-owned businesses.  If retail businesses are to emerge in downtown Columbus, they could use some of that loyalty.

VETS IN MOBILE HOMES

Lots of holiday celebrations are mobile.  Thanksgiving and Easter move around the calendar like a little kid with Attention Deficit Disorder.  The big local Veterans Day parade marched last Friday, but this week hosts the date of the real Veterans Day, November 11.

If the observation of Veterans Day is mobile, it’s appropriate that downtown’s Veterans Memorial is mobile too.

Surprised?  Don’t worry; the big coliseum isn’t moving anytime soon.  It’s already moved several blocks from the original address of Columbus’s first Veterans Memorial.

The original structure made its debut in 1906 at 280 E. Broad Street.  Designed by architect Frank Packard (incidentally, the original designer of the renovated Seneca), the hall could hold up to 5,000 people for public performances.  It wasn’t until 1955 that the Memorial took up its relatively new residence at 300 W. Broad Street.

As for the “old” Vets on E. Broad: since 1956, the address has housed the Ohio Historical Society, COSI and the Franklin County Board of Health.

Veterans Day moves, the Memorial moves, and vets themselves are on the move.  For those who want to support the soldiers overseas right now, check out Pam’s Market Popcorn.  The owner, Pam Tylka, has long coordinated popcorn care packages sent with customer contributions.  Tylka says, “I know the soldiers greatly appreciate it - it’s a great shout-out from home.  As long as we are there in Iraq, we will continue to do so.”

Anyone in search of a city could find one during the weekend of November 1!  On Friday, October 31, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger held a rally at Nationwide Arena.  Just up High Street, one could spot Sarah Palin - actually several Sarah Palins of various genders - at the Short North HighBall Halloween Masquerade.

Saturday was no less intense.  The Blue Jackets hosted the Chicago Blackhawks at Nationwide Arena while the Short North hosted Gallery Hop.  Columbus could have used light rail to move the 30,000 or so visitors in and out of the area.

Speaking of mass transit, many COTA buses were standing room only on Sunday when people descended on Capitol Square to hear Barack Obama.  Seemingly, two or three bicycles were attached to every light post and street tree for many blocks around the Square.

The crowds made parking impossible, but nobody needed a car.  All weekend, taxicabs cruised downtown, the Arena District, and Short North.

For three days, one could see the future of Columbus.

DUBIOUS DOWNTOWN ACHIEVEMENTS/ELECTION WINNERS & LOSERS

Aw, just kidding.  There are no losers here at 43215.  In this year’s election, there are just winners… and winners of interesting distinctions.

GREEN PARTY PRIZE
For those who have given up the polluting automobile in favor of an eco-friendly bicycle:  good news.  You don’t need a driver’s license in order to vote.

GREEN PARTY POOPER
But voters do need to show a legitimate form of identification.  Hope you didn’t go paperless this year too; the suggested forms of alternate ID are paper utility statements.  www.ohiovotereducation.com 

MOST POPULAR DOWNTOWN DESTINATION
With the looming threat of thousands of votes being labeled “provisional,” disgruntled voters may be clamoring to this downtown address:  Ohio Legal Rights Service at 50 West Broad Street.

BEST BOSS
Yours, especially in comparison to the Board of Elections.  Poll workers may NOT bring in laptops, newspapers, iPods, personal cell phones, radios, televisions… and food and drinks are banned from the tables too.

(UNINTENTIONALLY) FUNNIEST WEB ADDRESS
Jennifer Brunner’s office:  www.sos.state.oh.us/.  Funny, we always thought the SOS stood for her job title.

GOP AWARD
That’s GOP as in Grand Ol’ Party:  the grandest party is to-be-determined.  It’ll be downtown, though.  Our swankiest hotels are booked solid for post-election parties. 

The Short North has done it again.  Last weekend, it produced the HighBall Halloween Masquerade on High, a smashing success.  Like many of the successes in the Short North, it defied conventional wisdom, threw protocol to the wind, and thumbed its nose at the establishment.

We could all take a cue from the Short North.  What makes this neighborhood special is the opportunity it gives thousands of people to buy property, open a business, create an event, and make a statement.  Ironically, this bastion of liberals and free spirits is the place where free enterprise truly expresses itself in central Ohio.

Take a look at the things we care about in this community and many are authentic, grass roots, Columbus-based efforts that have happened incrementally over many years and through the effort of many people.  They are the antithesis of top-down decision-making, and they are the things we are most proud of.

HAUNTING ALOFT

There are always rumors around about creepy downtown haunts, but there’s one spot that’s so spooky, the haunting has been showcased on professional video productions.

It’s the uber-cool hotel, The Lofts, at 55 E. Nationwide Blvd.  Seated in a structure that was built over one hundred years ago, not only is the hotel haunted, it’s also the final destination for weekend-package-partiers in Columbus Landmarks’ Best of Twenty Year Haunted Bus Tour.

What kind of ghost are we talking about?  According to the video production, she’s from the last century and wears a high-necked gown.  The on-screen tour guide notes, “She’s appeared in the stairwell off the lobby between the first and second floors, and on the second floor - period.”  Ms. Ghost knocks on doors, and occasionally on the heads of housekeepers.

And then last year, for the very first time, Ms. Ghost made an appearance to a couple of lag-behinders on the Landmarks tour.   The tourists were described as “visibly shaken.”

While the Landmarks tour date for October 31 is sold out, there might still be some space to spend the night with the ghost at the Lofts (614.461.2663).

Not convinced about ghosts at The Lofts? Check out the video.