Right Now Downtown

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.

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.

The 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan was adopted by Columbus City Council on July 19, after many months of public input, planning, discussion, dreaming and synthesizing.  This Plan is not a to-do list; rather it is meant to guide investment and development in downtown for the next 10 years.  It takes off where the 2002 Strategic Business Plan for Downtown Columbus ended, building on the long-term framework and looking to identify catalysts for growth.

The planning process, which included public meetings, an online survey and discussion with downtown stakeholders, identified a list of 10 Principles to define the community’s goals and vision, 12 Ideas emerging from those Principles, and 8 Strategies to implement the Ideas.  To view the complete Plan, including the Principles, Ideas and Strategies, click here.

What does this mean for Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (CCSID)?  First off, Cleve Ricksecker, Executive Director of CCSID, was involved in the planning meetings and participated in a downtown stakeholder interview.  All efforts to improve the downtown are important to the SID, and Ricksecker approached the planning process with that point of view in mind.

“The SID had already worked with MSI to develop our Public Realm Enhancement Plan - a wish list for the SID, if you will.  I was able to offer input from a SID-perspective through the strategic planning process,” explained Ricksecker.

Andrew Overbeck of MSI added, “We know Cleve real well and he was part of these meetings.  The SID’s plan was done beforehand, so that informed our planning sessions with regard to what enhancements they were looking for downtown.  It will be great to integrate these plans.”

As the City seeks to implement the Strategic Plan over the long term, public/private partnerships will play a vital role.  And over the years, CCSID has acted as a catalyst for such parternships, from the revitalization of Gay Street in 2007 to the wayfinding sign system that was installed in 2008.

Overbeck identified Ideas four through nine of the Plan, which deal with the High Street Core, as falling specifically within the SID boundaries and as places where the City, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) and others will look to partner with CCSID.  These ideas include:

• Redefining Broad Street as the civic spine of the City;
• Restoring High Street as downtown’s commercial corridor;
• Developing a Downtown Transit Center to replace the High Street Transit Mall;
• Building a 3-c Multi-Modal Station;
• Developing a Downtown Field House.

“We have looked at each part of the Plan and identified where partnerships currently exist and where they can be developed.  Right now these are just ideas, but it’s important to get everyone at the table to let some of these ideas take hold,” added Overbeck.

Ricksecker agrees.  “We look forward to partnering with the City, CDDC and others to bring these ideas to fruition.  Through the SID’s efforts, some advance work has already been done, particularly with regard to bike facilities and restoring the High Street retail corridor.”

Overbeck noted that if one looked at photos of Columbus from 1995, one would see an abandoned prison, an abandoned school and an undeveloped gash through the city where 670 cut through.   Fifteen years later, those same areas are vibrant sectors – the Arena District, COSI and the High Street cap over 670.  The vision of our city leaders in the 1990s has taken root in our city’s fabric.

“It’s an inspiring thing.  We can do an awful lot in Columbus.  None of these things is out of reach,” concluded Overbeck.

The next fifteen years should be something to behold.

Kids’ Day at the Market was a roaring success!  Everything was so festive!  Kids came, danced and sang, laughed and played.  Policemen rode horses down to the Market to let the children pet them.  Bob Piascik played guitar and sang, and had the kids hooked from the first verse of “Down by the Bay.”  I’m always amazed at how kids can sing their hearts out.

Also entertaining the children was Luke the Juggler.  Luke has all sorts of amazing talents, and on Kids’ Day he was Mr. Balloon.  He wears an apron with what looks like 5,000 different types and colors of balloons.  You know a balloon guy is good if he runs out breath while reciting the list of animals he can make.  His Website also says he does fire juggling.  Hmmm… that would be a blast for a birthday party.

COSI brought some kiosks down to the Market as well.  Jonathan from COSI helped us make seed necklaces, which we can replant at home and have radish plants.  My kids might actually eat radishes if they grew them themselves.  There were also some challenges and brain teasers at their booth.  COSI rocks!

Kids’ Day at the Market gets better every year.  I can’t wait to see what they come up with next year.  Until then, come visit us at the Market this week!

YET ANOTHER EXPERT

When it comes to downtown, everyone’s an expert.

That wasn’t sarcasm; the public knows what the public wants.  That’s why the city is hosting public meetings, to gather information about the community’s needs and interests.

When it comes to downtown’s planning and design, MSI Design enlists experts too.  The team is wholly invested in studying cities and development and human behavior.  What do the fulltime experts say?  MSI’s Andrew Overbeck has a few ideas of his own about the future of downtown.

First and foremost, he maintains, “We’ve got a great fabric to work with.”

What does that mean?  He continues, “Downtown has the Arena District, CCAD and the art museum, the Scioto Mile Project and COSI; we have great things here.”

What downtown needs is something to tie all this greatness together.

MSI favors what Overbeck terms “small interventions” when it comes to downtown Columbus.  Designed to improve walkability and livability in the community, Pearl Alley has already gone through a “small intervention” process and now it’s a hubbub of activity.  It’s proof positive that the right modest moves can make giant impact.

And although those small interventions make the magic, Overbeck still urges us to “dream a little bigger” for our city.  He points to statistics like the fact that 25 percent of downtown’s turf is devoted to surface parking lots:  “Every one of those represents an opportunity for us (as a community) to design and define what it means NOW to live in an urban setting.  We have the fabric; we just need to fill in the gaps.”

Our community will have the opportunity to make those big dreams a reality this week.  At the upcoming April 15 Strategic Planning Meeting to be held 6 – 8 p.m. at the Columbus State Conference Center, we will get a chance to learn more about the planning process and share our own insights and expertise.

Given the suggestions from the last meeting (and from the 500 surveys that have been completed), downtown Columbus is excited to build a new future. For more information about the public meeting, visit downtowncolumbus.com/plan.

SO BIG IT’S…

You know what’s big?  It’s big when an event changes the meaning of a word.  Consider the term “titanic.”  The word is classically defined as “huge and colossal.”  Most of us don’t think of “titanic” though, we think of THE Titanic:  huge, colossal and completely tragic.

So the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 was indeed a titanic event; it changed the connotations of a word.  Now in 2010, the Titanic is still making waves:  in the world of science.

The Titanic exhibition at COSI opened this weekend.  Things have changed since the exhibit’s first visit in 2005.  The retrospective arrived with 89 additional artifacts, 23 of which made their world debut at our local gig.

If the exhibit has changed, it should come as no surprise:  science itself is all about change.  Audiences can learn about submersibles and how they help us learn about artifacts under the sea.  COSI’s Christine Hurtubise explains the lesson in engineering and data collection.  “These machines are equipped with mechanical arms capable of scooping, grasping and recovering the artifacts that are then collected in sampling baskets or placed in lifting baskets.”

Local powerhouse Battelle is getting involved in the program too.  It’s renowned for its innovation in underwater exploration.

The Titanic changed a word, it changes science, and it’s changing audiences too.  Each guest travels through the exhibition carrying the name of a different passenger.  At the conclusion, the fate of that passenger is disclosed.  Hurtubise has seen the impact the entire experience makes.  “Visitors leave their thoughts and comments in a visitors’ book in that room and you can tell that they have really made a connection with the past.”

You can make the connection at COSI through September 6.

EXTRAORDINARY ENTERTAINMENT

December is the magical month in these parts.  Thanks to Daylight Savings, it gets dark early – so downtown’s glow combined with holiday lights makes the scene sparkle.  The air is crisp and it feels like something special has arrived.

This year, there are all kinds of after-hours opportunities to experience the magic.  Oh, you’ve already heard about BalletMet’s Nutcracker?  We love it too.  And there’s much more…

How’d you like to sing the Messiah with the choir?  Yes, really – it’s okay to sing at ProMusica’s Messiah (And More) Side-by-Side Sing Along on December 11 at the Southern Theatre.  There’s no better way to be literally engulfed by the sights and sounds of the season.

Rock and Roll more your style?  An old school Christmas Rock N’Roll Spectacular is set for the Capitol Theatre on December 12.

For a little mental exercise, Available Light Theatre brings XMAS to the stage from December 10 – 13.  It’s a new take on A Christmas Carol, re-designed to be a modern reminder of the original message.  XMAS is locally written and produced and will be performed at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549 Franklin Ave.).

For the child in all of us, COSI is hosting A Day of Make-Believe on December 5.  Classic toys are the focus of attention, along with storytelling, puppet-making and a special appearance from BalletMet’s Nutcracker.  A few weeks later, December 18 – 19, look for COSI’s massive holiday train display, courtesy of a collaborative effort from several Ohio model railroad teams. 

Downtown IS home for the holidays!

Columbus could take some inspiration from Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey.  Lucy is a 128-year-old, six-story building that has served as a real estate office, summer home, and tavern.  She draws thousands of visitors each year and helps to put Margate “on the map.”

Imagine the visual impact of the Santa Maria dry docked at Rich and High or Nationwide and Neil.  It would certainly draw more visitors than it does hidden in the Scioto River at Battelle Park.  The Santa Maria would make a great Columbus gift shop.

If it were dry docked next to COSI, it could be an added attraction for COSI visitors.  Sell it to Chris Corso or Rajesh Lahoti and see what they can do with it.  Or park it at the Columbus Health Department to create a display about scurvy to freak kids into eating their fruits and vegetables.

Columbus may not have a six-story pachyderm, but the Santa Maria has great potential.

Raising kids in the downtown area is a great experience.  When my kids were young, we had easy access to parks, playgrounds, COSI, BalletMet Academy, Columbus Museum of Art, the downtown library, festivals, and many other amenities.  For years, my kids considered COTA buses and skywalks to be as much fun as amusement parks.  They loved walking to bakeries and the North Market.

Downtown neighborhoods get better as city kids get older.  They develop a healthy sense of independence long before they get a driver’s license, because they can walk to each other’s homes and with their friends to movies, hockey games, coffee houses, Gallery Hops and clothing stores.  My teenage girl loves taking COTA to visit her friends, which I encourage because the bus is so much safer than driving.

Columbus City Schools keep getting better and better.  Although many City schools still struggle as they address high levels of poverty, many others maintain a balanced enrollment.  These schools often out-perform suburban schools.

To parents of young kids, I say.  “For the sake of your children, stay in the city!