Right Now Downtown

JUST IN TIME

Every passing day seems to fly faster than the previous one.  What happened to those long summer days as kids hanging around on the front porch with friends complaining that there was nothing to do?  Exasperated moms shooed us off to ride bikes with warnings that life would never be this carefree again.  What did these old crotchety women know anyway?

Turns out they knew quite a bit.  Those days disappeared not long after and the weekends soon followed.  Time seems to vanish whether embraced or frittered away.

We steal snippets of time when we run a quick errand during lunch or after work.  That’s one of the best things about working downtown – everything is in walking distance.  We can get our eyes checked at Rinkov Eye Center on Gay Street, grab a cell phone at Verizon at 262 S. Third Street or pick up a snazzy shirt and a pair of slacks for our favorite guy at Justin Harvey at 10 W. Broad Street, Suite 150.

Seeing stores like this downtown shows us the possibilities and what just may be on the horizon. 

“Downtown Columbus is the largest untapped retail market in Central Ohio,” says Chris Boring, President of Boulevard Strategies, who conducted an extensive study of downtown’s consumer markets and potential retail spending.

Retail recruiter Kacey Campbell is a matchmaker of sorts as she helps facilitate efforts to attract new business downtown.  Downtown may not be the place for big national chains, but with a captive audience of 100,000 downtown worker bees and more than 65,000 neighboring residents, it provides a marketable proposition for start-ups and businesses looking to expand.

Comment here to share your thoughts on what retail spots you want to see downtown.

Reconstruction of the I-71 and I-70 “split” in downtown shows how badly Ohio’s transportation policies need to be fixed.

Ohio will soon spend $1.7 billion rebuilding a few miles of interstate highway in downtown.  The result will be a wider trench and monster freeway roaring through half a dozen urban neighborhoods.

One reason for reconstructing this stretch of highway makes sense, to make it safe.  The other reason, to increase capacity, is ludicrous.  Additional lanes for through traffic will not fix anything.  According to ODOT, the wider highway will quickly fill to capacity, leaving us with no more than a bigger traffic jam.  Why?  Bigger highways merely enable the same people to drive longer distances to do tasks previously done closer to home.

In the meantime, Ohio legislators cannot seem to agree on spending $17 million per year to operate a 260-mile passenger rail line.  Isn’t it interesting that our State legislators don’t debate the cost of maintaining highway “improvements?”  How much do taxpayers spend on highway patrols, snow removal, roadway and bridge repairs, landscaping, lighting repairs, storm-water run-off, litter collection, signage, emergency medical services and other ongoing costs?

There is a solution for the highway “split” in downtown.  Fix the safety problems.  Don’t increase road capacity.

JOIN US AT PEARL MARKET

Hello, I am Erin Addington of Auntie Bellum Goods and I am taking over as Market Maven this year!  That means I have a great excuse to hang out at the Pearl Market all summer and sample a bit of everything.

The Market got off to a successful, if somewhat soggy, start.  Luckily, the vendors are made of sterner stuff than most and were out in full force.  Standing at Broad Street and looking down this normally mundane alley and seeing all the color and life in the middle of downtown was fantastic!

Cafe  Brioso is the perfect way to start the morning and on opening day, they were featuring their Panama blend.  The coffee aroma floating down the alley was warm and inviting.  The next stop on my list was Cliff the Plant Guy.  I am excited about buying plants from growers who start them.  Cliff made the drive up from Athens with beautiful flowers and quite a variety of vegetable plants.  I spent under ten dollars and got basil plants, broccoli plants and some portulaca to brighten up my garden.

My favorite part of the Market is always lunch.  I went with an old favorite, Nellie’s Samosas.  Samosas are a triangle shaped pastry filled with meats and/or vegetables with aromatic spices woven through, served with chutney on the side.  I also tried a sample of their new tandoori chicken, which was delicious.

As luck would have it, my booth is right next to Susie of Let Us Eat Cupcakes, also known as My New Best Friend.  These are not your average cupcakes with a bit of icing smeared on the top; they are more like little drops of heaven.  I had mini strawberry pomegranate cupcake.  They had a sweet, fruity filling, with a large dollop of creamy strawberry icing and topped with pomegranate seeds!  She also had some dark chocolate and raspberry which is on my list for next week.

And that ends my adventure for the day.  Come be a part of the Market with us next time!

Pearl Market Opens 2010

Capital Crossroads kicked off its summer programming with the return of the ever-popular Pearl Market to the Pearl and Lynn Street alleys on May 18.  Sponsored by WCBE 90.5 and managed by Capital Crossroads, the Market runs on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., May through October.  This season of Pearl Market is bursting at the seams, with more farmers (27) participating than ever before and more than 40 merchants.

The farmers’ fantastic offerings, including asparagus, greens, herbs, peas, green beans, radishes, strawberries, plants, flowers and, later in the season, sweet corn, tomatoes, squash and apples, remain a big draw.

“People realize the importance of purchasing food that is locally grown,” explained Adam Schroeder, Pearl Market Manager.  “Shoppers get to know farmers who grow their food, they get to support area merchants and they really learn the benefits of buying local.”

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission recently released the region’s first Central Ohio Local Food Assessment and Plan, which highlights the importance of having fresh, local, healthy food available to all neighborhoods in Central Ohio.  Executive Director of MORPC, Chester R. Jourdan, Jr., addressed the crowds on opening day of the Market, emphasizing that Pearl Market’s offerings fit right into this “locavore” movement.

Joining some returning vendor favorites, such as Great Harvest Bread Co., 3 Babes & a Baker, Sweet Thing Gourmet and Nellie’s Samosas, are some vendors making their Pearl Market debut, including Let Us Eat Cupcakes, J Squared Organics, Devour Cookie Co. and Afrikan Designs.

In addition, daily live entertainment and a public eating space will encourage visitors to pick up lunch from one of the food vendors or bring a packed lunch and enjoy the hustle and bustle.

There are some changes afoot.  Due to overwhelming requests from the farmers and merchants, the Market will now spill out of the alleys and expand on to both Broad Street and Gay Street.  The spill-over will include both farmers and merchants, with farmers setting up shop on the Gay Street end of the alley for the first time.

“This will give the Market more presence on those high-traffic thoroughfares,” added Schroeder.  “Especially on Gay Street, where folks are beating a path to new lunch spots like Plantain Cafe’, J. Gumbo’s and Sugardaddy’s.”

In addition, after a test run during the Winter Pearl Market, the summer Market now accepts credit cards and the Ohio Direction Card.  Customers just need to visit the Market tent located at the intersection of Lynn and Pearl to pick up red credit card or green Ohio Direction Card tokens.  All vendors that are accepting the tokens will display a special sticker on their vendor sign denoting which tokens they accept.  This change will allow those who may not be cash-carriers to make some must-have purchases.

As the summer progresses, fans of the Market should keep an eye out for special events.  The Ohio Department of Agriculture will bring their Ohio Proud Mobile Food Kitchen to the Market, where area chefs will shop the Market, do a live cooking demonstration and let visitors sample their dish.  Mark your calendars for June 29, August 31, September 28 and October 26.  Other special events include Strawberry Day on June 8, Sweet Corn Day on July 13, Kids’ Day on July 27, Tomato Day on August 10, Squash Day on September 14 and Apple Day on October 12.  The Market will be closed on Friday, July 2 in observance of Independence Day.

For a sneak peek at the beautiful sights of Pearl Market, take a look at our Opening Day Photo Album.

LEAVE THE LUGGAGE AT HOME

Close your eyes, lean back and imagine yourself at an outdoor cafe’ along the side streets of Paris.  Can you hear the French accordion music waft out the doors of the restaurant along with the smell of freshly baked bread?

No need to cash in your greenbacks for Euros just yet.  Alfresco dining is offered all around Downtown Columbus, and Gay Street is a great place to kick off an international expedition.

Leave the passport at home and head to Due Amici.  The European feel of this outdoor dining experience may leave you wanting to study Italian.  Sit down and relax with a superb glass of wine, and you don’t even need to worry about the exchange rate.

Is Cuban fare your thing?  Check out Plantain Cafe’, but make sure to save room for the plantain chips.  You will never look at another bag of Lay’s the same way again.

The coffee is roasting at Cafe’ Brioso, and you’ll have a hard time choosing among all the freshly prepared sandwiches and salads.  Those crunchy little handmade croutons are about as close to heaven as you need to be.

Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails celebrated their three-year anniversary last week.  Honor the milestone with a cold one and big plate of sweet potato fries.  Go ahead, throw in a pot roast sandwich if you dare.

Is your stomach growling yet?  We haven’t even hit J. Gumbo’s for jambalaya, and Latitude 41 builds delicious meals around fresh ingredients purchased right here from local merchants to create a meal that you won’t soon forget.  Rendezvous Cafe’ is nestled across the street and offers a wide assortment of delicious stews, sandwiches and salads.

If that’s not enough, just around the corner Pearl Alley plays host to burgers at Ringside, pizza at Cafe’ Napolitana and Latin cuisine at El Arepazo.  Wrap it all up with a Drunken Chunky Blondie at Sugardaddy’s or loosen your belt and head on down High Street for even more options.  Let us know your favorites.

Until this past weekend, I had never biked on a Columbus bike trail.  Like Steve Carell’s character in The 40 Year Old Virgin, I felt as if I were the last person in Columbus who had never done the deed.

From 1975 to the mid-1990s, I biked almost daily to work, grocery stores and visits with friends, first in Manhattan, then in Columbus.  I always used city streets.  Then, for 14 years, I did not own or use a bicycle.

Resolved to begin biking again, I took a bus to Clintonville on Saturday to purchase one.  I took a bus because I wanted to be able to bike home to the Short North.  And that’s when it happened.  I discovered the Olentangy Trail.

Wow!  Riding the Trail for the first time is one of those “firsts” that ranks with coming-of-age experiences like discovering your you-know-what at puberty and traveling internationally.  It is an exquisite experience, particularly on a clear sunny day.

I kept thinking about how lucky I am to live in a city with bike trails as I followed the Trail’s sign system toward downtown.

BIKING GAINS MOMENTUM

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Statehouse on Monday, May 17, 2010, to celebrate Bike To Work Day sponsored by Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District.

Bikers converged at OSU Gateway along with Mayor “Bikin’ Mike” Coleman, ODOT Director Jolene Molitoris, members of Columbus City Council, the Columbus Foundation and Consider Biking for the Third Annual Bike To Work Launch and Cycling CEO Challenge.  Dozens of area CEOs assembled teams to ride to the Statehouse to champion alternative transportation.

Riders from the Columbus Chamber even donned Pearl Market veggie costumes to show their support of bicycle commuting.

Lisa Courtice from The Columbus Foundation presented Consider Biking with a check for $295,000 to pursue the “2 by 2010″ initiative, which is a program that encourages every central Ohioan to use a bike or other form of alternative transportation to get to work or school at least two days per month by the City’s bicentennial in 2012.

Doug Morgan, attorney at Hahn Loeser and Parks, presented a check for $15,000 on behalf of the firm and challenged the corporate community to pull together to match The Columbus Foundation gift.

To see more photos of the event, click below.

Bike To Work 2010

CCSID Highlights Ambassador Efforts

Ben Barker, Operations Manager for Capital Crossroads and Discover SIDs, is proud to recognize the hard work of the Outreach Team and the Clean and Safe Ambassadors.

“There is so much to be said for the entire program,” said Barker.  “The Outreach Team is always looking for new ways to extend services to those in need, and the Clean and Safe Team and the Special Projects Division exhibit such professionalism.  I continue to expect great things.”

There are two Ambassadors whose hard work and dedication deserve special recognition.

Ambassador of the Quarter:  Gil “Carlos” Pilier

Capital Crossroads congratulates Gil “Carlos” Pilier on his promotion to Utility Ambassador.  In this position, he will be cross trained to handle the wide variety of services offered by both Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs.  This will ensure that he is qualified to substitute for other Ambassadors when they are out, as well as provide services with the Special Projects Team.

Carlos is a valuable member of the Capital Crossroads team and this assignment demonstrates our confidence in his work ethic and ability to handle a variety of duties.  In recognition of his hard work and abilities, Carlos was also named the Ambassador of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2010.

Ambassador Spotlight and Winter Warrior:  Paul Denmark

Capital Crossroads recognizes Paul Denmark for his hard work and willingness to help whenever and wherever needed.  Paul is currently working as a Team Leader, but he makes himself available to take on other duties, such as leading a shift or tackling special projects.  For example, Paul took on maintenance of the bikes used in the Bike Patrol Program.

Due to his willingness to charge into the elements during Columbus’ especially harsh winter to ensure that downtown pedestrians could safely pass through the crosswalks and bus stops throughout the district, Capital Crossroads created a new award with Paul as its first winner.  Congratulations to Paul for earning the first ever “Winter Warrior” award.  Mother Nature never stood a chance!

ON YOUR MARK, GET READY…

Grab your walkin’ shoes and shoppin’ bag and GO!

Pearl Market opens in just one short week and shoppers will find record numbers of vendors this year offering a cornucopia of treasures.  One-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry and artwork, baked goods, meats and cheeses, and don’t forget the freshest seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers abound on Tuesdays and Fridays beginning May 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Get to know the farmer who grows the food you purchase and find out what inspired the artist who creates that can’t-live-without necklace.  While you’re there, grab a bite of lunch and enjoy the live entertainment.

Shopping is even easier this year since Pearl Market now accepts major credit cards and the Ohio Directions Card.

Want a little preview?  Check out the video below.  Farmers Jarrod and Carie Starr from Cherokee Valley Bison Farm and Steve and Gretel Adams from Sunny Meadows Flower Farm tell you all about the benefits of Pearl Market.

Pearl Market Opens Soon from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.

I like working downtown for many reasons.  One is inadvertently seeing celebrities.  Last week, I noticed barricades and security at the Columbus Renaissance Hotel at Third and Gay.  I asked one of the security agents what was happening and he replied, “attorney general.”

I assumed the visitor was U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder because I regularly see Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray walk through downtown, and he does not travel with a security detail.

I walked back to my office for a meeting and forgot about the fuss.  Later that afternoon, I attended a meeting in our conference room, which faces Lynn Alley at ground level.  An hour into the meeting, a motorcade passed our window.  Police motorcycles passed first, followed by several SUVs with tinted windows.  I could see only the profiles of people sitting in each of the SUVs.  As the last SUV passed the window, I saw it, the nose.

How many people in central Ohio can see Eric Holder’s nose pass by their window?  I love this place!