Right Now Downtown

HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS

Have you been naughty or nice this year? You still have time to clean up your act so you don’t find a big hunk of coal in your stocking this year.   Santa will be downtown tomorrow (December 1), so you can let him know if there is anything besides your two front teeth that you’ve been drooling over.

Hold onto your hat because there will be a stiff breeze blowing over the People’s House on December 1 and the weather has nothing to do with it.  A helicopter will land on the Ohio Statehouse lawn to deliver a special holiday package – Santa and Mrs. Claus.  The merry little couple will kick off the Ohio Statehouse Holiday Festival that runs from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 

ART – FULL SNEAKERS DISCOVERED

It’s easy to find time to take a little walk in May when the sun is shining and flowers are blooming, but the darkened skies of fall often lure us to the couch with promise of cozy blankets and warm jammies.  But, you’re in luck – Columbus Public Health created Columbus Art Walks, which makes getting exercise a breeze.

Columbus Art Walks celebrates the city’s history and neighborhoods with pocket-sized maps.  Put one to use to counteract the giblet gravy and pumpkin pie coming up this weekend or to calm your nerves during half-time of the OSU-Michigan game with a brisk walk.  The maps provide enough fun to pull even hardcore couch potatoes from their cushions to move their tooshies as they catch a little culture in the process.

Did you know that the Old National Road runs through Downtown Columbus and colorful murals are hidden throughout the Discovery District?  The Art Walks map even employs a little scavenger hunt to find pieces of the Ohio Penitentiary scattered throughout the Arena District.

Explore public art, historical sites and architecture along one to three mile routes with each map, and you can also go high tech when you download the audio tour on your mobile device.  Right now, you can find maps for the Statehouse District, the Arena District and the Discovery District, and be on the lookout for many more.

For additional information, visit the Art Walks Website or pick up pocket maps at the Capital Crossroads SID offices at 23 N. Fourth Street.

The Winter Pearl Market is in full swing at its indoor location at 33 N. Third Street.  Stop by on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and check out all there is to offer (but we won’t be there on Friday, November 26).  Here’s a quick video to show you what you’ve been missing.  With all the produce, food items and handmade offerings, you can find great holiday gifts and wonderful local produce to prepare for your holiday guests.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

After you’ve stuffed yourself full of turkey on Thursday, many of you stuff your trunks with holiday gifts on Friday.  It’s Black Friday!!!  Get up at 3 a.m.!!!  Shop, shop, shop!!!  Then on Monday, it’s Cyber Monday!  Buy, buy, buy (online, of course)!!!

But tucked between Black and Cyber is a new idea called Small Business Saturday.  This initiative is designed to encourage Americans to do part of their holiday shopping at their favorite local businesses.  You can find unique, creative gifts without fighting traffic at the malls, all while helping the local economy.

We encourage you to shop locally on Saturday, and here are some great spots to hit downtown. 

B1 Bicycles
124 E. Long Street
B1 Bicycles offers new bicycles, frames, components, accessories and all the goodies any cyclist you know could want.  You can also have your bike repaired or tuned up.  B1 has expanded their hours this holiday season, now open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except Thanksgiving). b1bicycles.com

Luxboheme
On Hickory near Lazelle
This beautiful and unusual shop is usually open only on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; but this holiday season, you can drop by on Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. (through December 11).  Now you may need to work a little to find it (behind a sliding black barn door) but the search will be well worth the effort.  Luxboheme offers unique jewelry and accessories, organic, artistic, vintage or handmade at a wide range of price points.  And their goodies are available 24-7 online.  luxboheme.com

Science2Go Store
COSI
Everyone loves COSI.  So much cool stuff to see and do.  And if you’d like to take a piece of COSI home for yourself or others, stop by the Science2Go store to find unique gifts for your favorite scientist-in-training.  cosi.org

Spoonful Records
116 E. Long Street
Did you know you could still shop at a record store?  A real one, with vinyl records?  If you have a music lover on your list, hit Spoonful and check out their collection of new and used vinyl.  While you’re there, you can relax with a quick game of pinball or a chat with proprietor, Brett Ruland.  Spoonful is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.  facebook.com/spoonfulrecords

Statehouse Museum Shop
Ohio Statehouse
If there is ever a week to celebrate being a Buckeye, this is it (Go Bucks, Beat Michigan).  This is the place to find Buckeye gifts related to the state rather than the gridiron.  The shop stocks items made in Ohio, about Ohio, about politics and more.  The store is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. statehouseshop.com

Sugardaddy’s
11 E. Gay Street
Sugardaddy’s recently added Saturday hours, and this Saturday is no different.  Stop in for delicious and beautifully wrapped brownies, blondies and other sweet, sumptuous delights.  They make wonderful gifts and can be shipped as well.   Stop in on Saturdays between noon and 4 p.m. or during the week, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and give the brownie that “Through Down” Bobby Flay.  sugardaddys.com

T. Bears Florist & Chocolatier
237 S. Third Street
Who wouldn’t want to receive the gift of yum?  T. Bears offers a wide selection of baskets and packages of delicious caramel crunch bark, dipping pretzels, peanut clusters, sourdough nuggets, wine and cheese biscuits, as well as floral gifts and arrangements.  T. Bears is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  tbearsfloristandgift.com

Winston Wilson Jewelers
310 S. High Street
Winston Wilson is another great spot to find gifts for anyone on your list.  They offer jewelry, baby gifts, OSU-theme gifts, bar items and more.  They also offer jewelry repair, watch battery replacement, engraving and an on-site goldsmith, not to mention gift wrap and shipping services.  Now Winston Wilson Jewelers will not be open this Saturday, but we want to give them a plug.  They are open Tuesday throgh Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Zettler Hardware
101 E. Main Street
Zettler Hardware has been the place to go for hardware needs for many years.  You can find all kinds of wonderful gifts – tools, flashlights, cast iron skillets and grill plans; you name it, they’ve got it.  Zettler is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  zettlerhardware.com

Did we miss any?  Let us know your favorite downtown small businesses by commenting on our post here.  You’ll be entered to win tickets to BalletMet’s Nutcracker or the Columbus Symphony’s Holiday Pops.  Winners will be notified on Wednesday, November 24.

FAIR TIME IN NOVEMBER?

The folks at the People’s House have just the thing to keep cold weather at bay and get you started on a little holiday shopping.  The Capitol Artists Fair is tomorrow, Wednesday, November 17 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse, and it will be jam packed with must-have handcrafted items – everything from jewelry to pottery to glass to paintings to food.  Don’t forget the food.  The cotton candy machine and carnival rides may be dormant during this fair, but there will be plenty of great things to see and eat during the day-long gala.

Visitors will enjoy a variety of artistic displays, shopping, Ohio food and wine sampling, and conversation.  The shindig will cost you absolutely nothing to get through the doors, but bring some moola because the fete will include both contemporary crafters and artisans from every corner of Ohio.  In some cases, you will even see and talk to the artists in action.  Select great one-of-a-kind gifts for that hard to buy for dude or dudette in your family and share a story about the Ohio artisan who crafted the masterpiece – priceless.

In addition to the one-stop shopping extravaganza, the Capitol Artists Fair will offer samplings of food and wine from Ohio Proud Food and The Ohio Grape Industry Committees.  The munchies will be available all day, and the wine tasting begins at 4 p.m.

The Statehouse Museum Shop will also be open and will host a variety of contests, promotions and door prizes throughout the day, so don’t forget to check it out while you’re there.

For more information about the Capitol Artists Fair or other programs at the People’s House, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

Chapter $18 of the book $20 Per Gallon is entitled, “Renaissance of the Rails.”  Says author Christopher Steiner, “People will cling to their steering wheels and their airline seats until their fingers are pried off by sheer financial behest.”

At $12 per gallon, Steiner asserts that the United States will have a desire to fund passenger rail in meaningful amounts.  By the time gasoline reaches $18 per gallon, the U.S. will muster the political will to invest in a national high-speed rail network.

Since 1956, the federal government has spent $20 on highways for every $1 it has spent on railways.  Railroads spend more than 15% of their revenues on track repairs, upkeep, and signals.  As gasoline prices increase, the ratio of public expenditures between highways and railways will become more and more even until, Steiner maintains, U.S. rail to road expenditures will become equal at about $18 a gallon. 

High-speed rail will not be limited to the Northeast Corridor, nor will new high speed investments be limited to California and Florida.  At $18 a gallon for gasoline, even Ohio will be brought, kicking and screaming, into reality.

On October 29 the summer Pearl Market closed for the 2010 season, wrapping up another very successful year of bringing fresh, local produce, foods and unique goods to the downtown community.  Over the course of the summer, 58 merchants and 30 farmers peddled their wares in the Pearl and Lynn alleys with spillover on Broad and Gay streets.  The Market operated for 47 days this summer, with an average of 3,500 people exploring its offerings on any given day.  That totals almost 165,000 visits – all from people who enjoy shopping, lunch, entertainment and some fantastic people watching.

Numbers like these reinforce the importance of Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District’s commitment to running the Pearl Market. Our Market Manager, Adam Schroeder, has helped expand the Market’s offerings through outreach to potential farmers and vendors and has improved the Market’s accessibility and visibility.  This year, after a trial run in the 2009-10 Winter Pearl Market, guests of the Market could use credit cards or the Ohio Direction Card to purchase tokens redeemable at almost all Market vendors.  The move from cash-only purchasing made it easier for last-minute shoppers, and the ability to use the Ohio Direction Card opened the Market to a new demographic.  The program was a huge success with over $14,000 in credit card transactions and over $2,400 in Ohio Direction Card/EBT transactions.

Special events and offerings served to boost interest and attendance at the Market.  Five Tasty Tuesdays were held, during which staff prepared recipes featuring Market products and provided samples and copies of the recipes to customers. (If you missed our Tasty Tuesdays, you can still check out the recipes at downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/special-events). The Ohio Proud Mobile Kitchen set up shop in the Market on two occasions.  Area chefs shopped the Market and then prepared some tasty samples for Market customers.  Other special events included the Second Annual Kids’ Day on July 27 in conjunction with COSI, which garnered media attention on all of the major network television stations.  And there was Tomato Day, Strawberry Day, Squash Day, Taste of the Summer Harvest and Taste of the Fall Harvest, all of which featured special recipes and samples of the special ingredient or ingredients of the day.  Plus customers were able to enjoy live entertainment every Market day from a variety of musical guests, which sometimes led to actual dancing in the streets.

Capital Crossroads kicked off the Friends of the Market program this summer to allow fans of the Market to help support daily operations.   Both individual and business Friends of the Market options are available for purchase, benefits of which include a listing on the Pearl Market website and a reusable canvas Pearl Market shopping bag.  By the end of the Summer Market, 30 individuals and one business had signed up to be Friends of the Market. If you are interested in more information or would like to take a peek at our Friends list, visit downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/friends.

The Market received much earned media from newsprint to television all season long.  One of the highlights included Fox 28 reporter, Johnny DiLoretto, who came to the Market and aired his entire morning show live in the alley.  He promoted the Market and interviewed vendors, which was a great way to support the entrepreneurial spirit of the Market vendors.  In addition, Market promotions were enhanced through our marketing and communications channels, including Facebook, Twitter and our weekly Right Now Downtown email blast.  Each vehicle was used to share information on special events and a weekly Market Special was available to Right Now Downtown subscribers.  One of our Market vendors penned a weekly blog post called the Market Maven and we posted a number of videos showing interviews with vendors and highlighting what makes the Market unique.

Though the summer Pearl Market has wrapped up for another year, the Winter Pearl Market is just kicking off. The Winter Market will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. November 2 through February 25 at 33 N. Third Street.

NO CHILL HERE

Grab your shopping list and head to Pearl Market.  But where did it go?  There’s no sign of vendors in Pearl Alley.  Well, keep on walking because it’s just around the corner at 33 North Third Street, right next to Lynn Alley.  Everything moved indoors for the winter, so you don’t even have to hold onto your hat (or your skirt) to keep that alley breeze from blowing you into the next county.

You’ll find some of your favorite farmers and vendors from the summer.  Plus, we’ve rounded up a few new ones too, and just in time since holiday shopping will be here faster than you can say “Ho, Ho, Ho!”  Make it easy on yourself, and come to Pearl Market to check off who’s naughty and nice on your gift-giving list.  The Market is filled with one-of-a-kind handcrafted items that are sure to please everyone.

If you aren’t convinced, check out our video of what you might find indoors at Pearl Market.  Just like always, vendors are ready to go from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays (except the Friday after Turkey Day, November 25), and if that’s not enough, we have some great live entertainment lined up to keep your toes tapping.

The book $20 Per Gallon keeps getting more interesting as it progresses into higher gasoline prices.  Chapter $16 focuses on the impact of high energy prices on what we eat.

Our food supply competes for fuel.  Not only do we eat food that is shipped around the world, but food production itself is heavily dependent on fossil fuels.  Commercial fertilizer, for example, is made from natural gas.

Locavores will love Chapter $16.  High energy costs mean that huge farms in California and Chile will no longer be able to compete with Central Ohio agriculture.  Small farms ranging from 10 to 100 acres will sprout around Columbus, and most food will come from a distance of less than100 miles.  A wide range of produce will still be available most of the year because farms in temperate states such as Ohio will use hothouses heated by solar energy to grow food in early spring and late fall.  

We have built a food network that depends upon cheap energy.  Change will be significant, but it will boost local agriculture and family farms.

PROMISES, PROMISES

Has this election season worn you out with all the political ads blaring on every radio and television station you turn to?  Well, today is the last day (for awhile anyway) and regardless of your political affiliation or the outcome, there’s a way to relieve stress right around the corner – and that’s a promise we can keep.  Best yet, it won’t even require campaign finance reform.  All you need is 10 bucks and 10 minutes.

The folks at Take Ten for Life offer massages for as little as $10 for 10 minutes and in return you get mind-numbing relaxation.  If you can spare a few more dimes and a couple more minutes, they offer great massage deals designed to fit everyone’s busy schedules from 10 to 30 minutes.  Don’t stop there, though.  They also have traditional Swedish and therapeutic massage, or you can show your tootsies or arms some love with a 15-minute foot or hand massage.  It’s a great way to take care of yourself before you head into a hair-pulling-stress-inducing holiday season.

For the month of November, they sweetened the pot and the massage table – buy one gift certificate and get the other one for half price.  Win some points with your mother-in-law by giving her a gift certificate and grab a little solitude for yourself at the same time, or skip the altruism altogether and treat yourself like a king or queen.  The special runs through November, so don’t wait long.

Make good on your own I-promise-to-take-better-care-of-myself campaign slogan and make an appointment today.  It’s not too late.  No need for political rhetoric, just pick up the phone or schedule an appointment online and let the folks at Take Ten help you de-stress, de-compress and de-light with a massage in as little as 10 minutes.

This message has been approved by the I Need to Relieve Stress Today movement, not affiliated with any major political candidate.