Right Now Downtown

Capital Crossroads Summer Programming: Downtown LIVE Summer Concert Series

Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (CCSID) - sponsored summer fun doesn’t end with the Capitol Square Kickball League.  Downtown LIVE, a free after-work summer concert series, returned again this summer to the patio at the corner of Third and State Streets on Thursday evening, for a fifth summer of live music, happy hour specials, and fun.

The traditional gift for a fifth anniversary is wood.  Downtown LIVE went another route, adding an opening act to the line-up.  Alex White, who plays acoustic style easy listening tunes hits the stage at 5 pm, providing a welcoming stage presence as the crowd files in.  He also shares information about other downtown events between songs, helping to cross-promote the Capitol Square Kickball League and Pearl Market.

Again this year, CCSID has coordinated with Class Acts Entertainment to book an excellent line-up of bands, including the ever popular Reaganomics, the regional favorite, Red Wanting Blue, and culminating with country rock favorite, Jacked Up.  Most of the bands hail from Central Ohio, but this year there are also acts from Indianapolis, Cincinnati and even New York.

Though the partner restaurants remain the same this year, both Darbys Cafe and San Francisco Oven have upped the ante with new happy hour specials, to draw even bigger crowds.  Following the dollar menu craze, Darbys is offering $1 chips and salsa and $1 sliders, while San Francisco Oven is offering a whopping $5 off a large pizza and $10 buckets of five beers.

Joey Jerome of San Francisco Oven believes that the band line-up and the improved happy hour specials have increased crowd size this year.  “Definitely, more people are coming and they are coming earlier.  They seem to like the opening act too.  And we are seeing repeat customers.

Dowtnown LIVE will continue on Thursday nights through August 27.  For a complete band line-up, visit downtowncolumbus.com.

YOUR METER IS RUNNING away

tick tICK TICK… only moments remain on the parking meters.  Yes, time is running out to give the parking meters on Gay Street a whirl.  What’s the big deal?

You may have heard that the meters on the stretch between Pearl and Third are accepting credit cards.  It’s part of a trial of some very special technology that makes street parking uncommonly convenient.

The fleet of thirty-five meters has a solar powered system that can complete secure transactions with plastic cards.  AND, for those who prefer to fumble around for change, the new-fangled meters will take coins as well.  AND, these meters electronically notify the city when they’re malfunctioning (unlike the awful ones that steal your quarters).

It’s about as easy as using the card at the grocery store.

But these babies are here on a trial basis only.  At the beginning of August, they head back to their manufacturer, IPS Group in California.  The city can then officially complete its assessment of their performance.

Let us know your verdict!

Pedicabs are a great addition to the downtown-area scene.  And they are practical.  My kids and I walked to a Clippers game last week.  We paid our $12 for three tickets ($6 for me and $3 each for the kids) and had a great time watching the home team lose to the Scranton Yankees.  Too tired to walk home, we hailed a pedicab to take us for $10.

Last summer, when my mother visited me, I called for a pedicab to take us from my Victorian Village house to Black Olive Restaurant at High and Buttles.  My mother, whose age I will not disclose because she will yell at me if I do, would find the walk too challenging.

In both cases, parking would have cost as much or nearly as much as a pedicab.  By the way, pedicabs charge no fare.  You tip whatever you feel the ride is worth, so you can keep the cost comparable to a taxicab or valet parking if you live in the area.

If you want a great city experience, a pedicab ride will be quite satisfying.

I can’t believe we’ve reached the halfway point  of the 2009 Market season. What a good season it’s been!  I had an amazing time meeting all the vendors and learning how the market moves. It is vibrant and full of life and you can feel it as you turn on Broad St.  in the morning. You walk down the windy alley and it is alive full of those people who make and do. Full of the indie spirit I love so much…

So, you’ve been hearing from me all season long. What do YOU have to say about the Market??

This week’s featured artist brings a whole new set of interesting abilities to Thursday’s Downtown Live performance.  Lipbone Redding is not only known for his musical talents, but his rather unique instrument: the ability to make his vocal cords sound exactly like a trombone.  With sounds comprised of New Orleans Swing, Memphis grooves and New York Style, Lipbone and his band bring a jam band sound reminiscent of “Jack Johnson and a New Orleans Jazz Band,” according to weekly entertainment magazine Creative Loafing.  This is one week in a line of many you don’t want to miss.

Happy Hour begins at 4 p.m. with drink and food specials from Darby’s Cafe and San Francisco Oven.  Lipbone Redding will perform from 5 – 9 p.m. and admission is free and open to the public on the corner of State & Third Streets.

Capital Crossroads Summer Programming: Capitol Square Kickball League

When the weather warms up, Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District  pulls out all the stops to make downtown the place to be.  The Capitol Square Kickball League returned to the Statehouse Lawn for its sixth season this June.  Registration is open to downtown workers and residents, who put together co-ed teams which compete for bragging rights and a spot in a playoff game with a rival league in the Arena District.  Capital Crossroads coordinates the League, handles registration, secures permits and performs promotional duties.  The Athletic Club of Columbus then operates the League once play begins, coordinating schedules and providing officials.

Since its inception, the League has grown from 12 teams to 32.  Last year, play was scheduled for two nights per week to accommodate the numbers.  Unfortunately, the two-night solution resulted in damage to the “People’s Lawn.”  This year the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board asked Capital Crossroads to return to one night of play.  In order to keep up with interest, the decision was made to run two sessions – June/July and August/September, with play set for Thursday night.  This means more people can play, with less damage to the Statehouse lawn.

“From our standpoint, it’s easier to have one night of programming,” said Kacey Campbell, Promotions Coordinator for Capital Crossroads.  “The compromise has worked out great, and we’re looking forward to having a second session later this summer.”

Registration remains open for Session II until July 27; interested teams should visit downtowncolumbus.com for more information and to register.  You’ll also find the box score there, which Campbell updates weekly.  It looks like Kick ACC is the team to watch, with the Village Idiots bringing up the rear.

POWER TO THE PEEPS

In these days of turbulent fuel and electricity costs, let’s celebrate urban features that allow us to provide our OWN personal calorically-enhanced power.

POWER GENERATION
Although Chuck Hootman, a seasoned bike messenger and co-owner of Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, refuses to take any credit for the existence of P2 (saying, “That belongs to its inventors, Nathan Ober and Gene Felice.”), he certainly deserves kudos for helping popularize it in our community.

The P2 is a bicycle-charged generator that has been powering movies at spots like Tip Top and the Santa Maria.  Haven’t seen it yet?  Hootman promises, “It’ll be back for Awesomefest.”

POWER PARKING
The lovely deluxe RiverSouth Parking Garage will house your car for around $80 per month.  But you can park your bike there, legally, for free.  That’s right, a section of spaces have been reserved for two-wheelers to park at no cost.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Sure it’s hard to read a map and bike at the same time – so take a peek at the free metro maps you’ll see around downtown.  The maps highlight the savviest street to travel when you’re biking here in the neighborhood.  Check out the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission for the electronic map or email info@downtowncolumbus.com to request a hard copy.

Happy Biking!

Living and working in the central city and downtown is the right thing to do for so many reasons.  It is good for the environment because people drive less and reduce their carbon footprint.  It maintains a healthy tax base for Columbus, which shoulders most of the responsibility for social services in central Ohio.  Central city residents help keep jobs where they are accessible by transit and to households without cars, which number 10% in Franklin County.

Walking and biking to work is also good for your health, according to a study reported in a recent issue of the Columbus Dispatch.  Men in particular showed measurable improvement in body-mass index number, blood pressure, and other vital signs.  The study involved 2,364 workers in Chicago, Minneapolis, Birmingham and Oakland.

The sedentary, auto-dependent lifestyle of Columbus certainly seems to fuel health problems.  I have noticed far fewer obese people in Toronto and New York, where most people bicycle or walk to work or transit stops, than Columbus.  Add personal health to the list of good reasons for living and working in the city.

The pets of Columbus, Ohio are lucky to have Heidi’s Homemade organic pet treats right here at Pearl Market each week!

The staff of Heidi’s is here to sell wonderful organic treats to pets each week! They are knowledgeable and friendly and can help you start your pet on a healthful diet.

Heidi’s Bakery started with an amazing love story

(From their website):

The idea for Heidi’s Homemade organic treats for dogs came to us in 1997, when our beloved dog, Heidi, began to exhibit signs of a serious illness. A visit to the veterinarian confirmed our worst fears – Heidi had cancer. We were devastated, but at the same time, unwilling to subject our 10-year-old dog to a treatment program which included chemotherapy.

We researched the benefits of raw organic ingredients and combined them to create Heidi’s food and treats. She steadily improved and lived another two years, though she had been expected to live only six months. We began to follow this same regimen with our other dog, Yoshi, a four-year-old rottweiler-shepherd mix. After following a steady organic diet, his skin problems have disappeared, Giardia – an intestinal parasite – is gone, and Yoshi has a much calmer spirit.  

Heidi’s products contain organic locally obtained ingredients whenever possible. They contain no sugar, salt, artificial preservatives, artificial colors, propylene glycol, and artificial palatability enhancers. The ingredients in our treats have been chosen not only for their terrific taste, but also for their health benefits

Bring your pet down to the market this week to check out Heidi’s booth!

Tell them the market maven sent ya!

The Fabulous Johnson Brothers outdid themselves last night at Downtown Live, as illustrated by a clip from their rendition of ‘9 to 5.’   You gotta think they didn’t plan to be anywhere at 9 this morning!  Thanks to everyone that came out, especially those back-up dancers.  Boys, you have a future!

Downtown Live: Fabulous Johnson Brothers from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.