Right Now Downtown

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 last day of the summer Market was a beautiful day!  Farmers still had large assortments of vegetables.  We got some tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash and it was all fantastic!  We sampled fudge and cupcakes and bread.  We said goodbye to new friends we had met this summer, but it wasn’t too sad because the indoor winter version of the Pearl Market starts Tuesday.  Quite a few of the same vendors will be there along with some new vendors.  It will be located on the west side of Third Street just north of Lynn Alley.

Thanks to everyone who helped to make the summer season a success and here’s hoping the Winter Pearl Market will be a great success too!

BOOM, IT’S ALMOST HERE

Come out this Saturday for an explosion of creative energy in the center of Cbus when Independents’ Day kicks off in Lynn and Pearl alleys and along Gay Street for its third annual celebration.

This completely volunteer driven hoopla celebrates the entrepreneurial and independent spirit of Columbus and will feature more than 100 artists, crafters and vendors, 40 local bands, the Dine Originals, local non-profits, the Small Business Beanstalk, Urban Scrawl(ers) and a zillion others.

“It’s going to be an amazing celebration of everything independent,” said Wolf Starr, logistics coordinator for the event and founder of Small Business Beanstalk.  “I’m involved because downtown matters to me and keeping this neighborhood alive is the most important thing as citizens we can do – it’s fun and safe place to hang out with friends and get to know your neighbors.”

This all-for-one-and-one-for-all festival will keep the creative juices flowin’ well into the night so don’t miss out.  Check out their website for a recap of the event last year and to see what’s in store.

Join us, and if you don’t see what you’re looking for this year, get your plan together and grab a tent and table to share your ideas and wears at next year’s event, because the blast is sure to be even bigger.

THERE’S A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

For years European cities have utilized urban alleys as an extension of city living, but Yankees stateside were slow to learn until recent urban revitalization efforts.  We’re on the ball now and boast our own jewel right in the center of downtown in Pearl and Lynn alleys.

It’s no secret that shoppers find lots of great deals and treasures in the alley during the twice weekly Pearl Market, but these alleys are home to some great eats all week long.

We’ve got a Mecca of restaurants that pull hungry stomachs in for ethnic treats and home-style favorites in Lynn and Pearl alleys.  There’s Ringside Café that makes a burger that will stave off the hungriest construction worker; Café Napolitana tempts the Italian in all of us with their freshly made pizza pie; Pickles Deli on the corner of Lynn and Third makes a mean hoagie; Jack’s has old-time diner written all over it – grab the grits and eggs if you have any doubts; J. Gumbo’s spices things up with their Cajun fare; and don’t forget the cilantro sauce at El Arepazo (Did you know you can buy the stuff by the bottle?).

Tempting as it all is, the alleys welcome a new kid on the block – Lynnally’s.  Man, are you in for a treat.  Their goal is to use high quality, local ingredients to make the best meals possible – fast.

“Just because your time is limited doesn’t mean you have to sacrafice taste and wholsomeness,” say co-owners Matt Nickel and Shawn Korn, who also own Barrel 44 in the Short North.

They stand behind their mantra with made-to-order salads with more than 40 toppings to choose from and loaded baked potatoes the size of your head!  Everyday customers also enjoy freshly roasted pork, beef, chicken and turkey on sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes.  Top it off with made-from-scratch dressings and sauces and you are in for a feast.

Is your stomach rumblin’ yet?  Stop in and see for yourself.  They are even offering a little enticement for you in this week’s Blue Plate Special in our weekly newsletter Right Now Downtown, so read on and don’t wait.  (And if you aren’t a Right Now Downtown subscriber, sign up now!)

Lynn and Pearl alleys bring a lot to the city, but there’s plenty more to come.  What kind of business would you like to see pop up here next?  Tell us what you think.