Right Now Downtown

KICK-A-BOOM

Boom, July is here, and back in February you planned an incredible summer, but procrastination got the best of you. Well, the daylight hours are already getting shorter so get off your duff and do something about it while you still can. 

The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District provides a wide array of services throughout the year, but the summer months do lengthen the to-do list.  In addition to the year-round clean and safe services:  safety escorts; trash collection; graffiti removal; sidewalk vacuuming/debris removal; reporting of safety and quality-of-life issues to the Columbus Police Department; providing outreach services regarding panhandling and the homeless; and assisting visitors, residents and workers with directions and downtown information, during the summer months, CCSID Ambassadors also power wash all public sidewalks and install, water, and maintain flower basket installations along High Street, and handle the increase in downtown activity brought on by the warmer months.

The flower baskets along High Street are watered and fertilized almost daily, providing a beautiful and welcoming corridor to those who work, live and play in Downtown Columbus.  Additionally, the Ambassadors committed one Saturday and planted flowers in the five new planters in the center median of Gay Street, adding beauty and life to this bustling downtown street. 

Power washing of the sidewaks throughout the SID  is conducted during the summer months, seven days a week from 6 pm – 2 am.  Ambassadors power wash the sidewalks on every street and alley within the District on  a rotating basis, removing gum, stains, dirt and gravel.  Because the work is done after hours, it is a program that often goes unnoticed, until one ventures outside the CCSID boundaries and realizes the signficant difference the efforts make over time.

The warmer weather also brings an increase in activity downtown, with special events, more visitors, and unfortunately, an upswing in car break-ins and other quality-of-life issues.  In order to accommodate these demands, Capital Crossroads has expanded their hours of service this summer.  On Monday and Tuesday, the schedule remains the same, from 6:30 am – 11:30 pm; on Wednesday – Friday, the hours have expanded to 6:30 am – 2:00 am; on Saturday, the hours have expanded to 8:00 am – 2:00 am; and on Sunday, the hours remain 9:30 am – 6 pm.

“It is our endeavor to add an additional layer of safety to the SID, with Ambassadors providing visible deterrence to those who might commit crimes, and peace of mind to our visitors,” explained David Braxton, Operations Manager, CCSID.

Braxton added that the effectiveness of the Ambassadors was brought to his attention due to an unusual circumstance.  “Recently, our Ambassadors were rewarded for their hard work with a day of play at the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay.  In their absence, we received several calls reporting issues; one property owner noted that our presence makes a difference and that the problems he called to report simply don’t happen when the Ambassadors are on duty.”

The Dog Days of summer are well upon us.  By that, we mean it’s really hot outside.  The phrase actually dates back to ancient Roman times, when the summer heat arrived at the same time Sirius (Latin for Dog Star) made sunrise appearances in the sky.

Whatever the stars may say about the season, everyday is a Dog Day in Downtown Columbus…

1.  We’re home to Lots to Wag About (405 E. Mound St.).  Owner Marcie Radell is a vet tech, and she’s got plenty of advice for how to keep cool:  “It’s not really a good idea to exercise dogs during the hottest time of the day.  They can overheat and the pavement can hurt the pads on their feet…  Dogs can get sunburns too!”  The store carries great tools to help manage the heat – like bandanas that stay chilled for six hours and cooling mattresses.

2.  But if you still want a hot-dog you may have heard that Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace is open (bad transition, we know).

3.  Heidi’s Homemade Pet Treats is a local bakery that uses certified organic ingredients in its pet treats (yes, for cats and horses too).  Found at the Pearl Market, the concoctions go over great with our four-legged pals; we just wish that the bakers would throw a bone to us peeps.

4.  If you are looking for a safe place to park a pet, you can try one of two great downtown doggy digs – The City Dog (510 E. Main Street) and Doggie Daycare Center (401 E. Mound Street).  Both offer pet spa options (ok, grooming), daycare (all day party for dogs) and sleepovers (ok, boarding).  Bonus points to The City Dog for offering 25% off services, merchandise and food in August and to Doggie Daycare Center for valet drop-off service.

5.  That lovely little spot at the corner of Fourth and Spring is reserved for hounds in the ‘hood.  It’s the Columbus Downtown Dog Park, a space designed to stretch those four legs year-round.

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.

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.

THE BOOM ZOOM

It’s Red White and Boom… and traffic doom.

While the annual celebration is a magnificent event in Downtown Columbus, it can be a little rough on residents and employees.  Suddenly, our comforting streets and walkways are swarmed by masses of humanity and festivities.  It’s tens of hundreds of thousands of firework-revelers, everywhere.

So, instead of staying for the fantastic show, we tend to make an early break for the exits.  The annual day-long traffic jam is worth avoiding at any cost, right?

Not really.  The folks at Red White and BOOM have added tons of events to keep you celebrating all day long.  The Midway opens at 11 am; you’ll find children’s activities at Battelle Park; live entertainment begins at 1 pm on the Genoa Park and Long Street BOOM stages; Taste of BOOM presented by the Arena District begins at 3 pm; Clippers BOOM opens at 6 pm with live music and a new spot to watch the fireworks; and the Independence Day Parade with Air National Guard flyover begins at 6 pm.

If you want to avoid the post-BOOM traffic, you could also consider staying at one of our downtown hotels.  The post-show commute then becomes a quick stroll to a safe air conditioned room.  While most of the Boom-only reservations have been spoken for, the travel Web sites still show some Friday availability for those who are willing to reserve a Saturday night too.  Translation: there might be some late-breaking vacancies toward the end of the week.

You can save yourself the effort of calling around by checking Web sites like Hotels.com - its listings include downtown joints like The Lofts, The Hyatts and The Westin.

Still inclined to flee?  At least you can take some All-American barbecue with you this year.  Stop at Cook Shack BBQ on Long Street.  The fare has earned reviewer raves for its ribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket and a host of sides.

Like many businesses downtown, it’s locally owned and operated by an independent proprietor.  That makes it a great way to celebrate Independence Day.

The fun doesn’t stop at the Downtown Live Columbus Concert Series and this week’s featured band Red Wanting Blue is sure to give you a good time.  Known for their contagious energy and captivating stage presence, RWB has an ever-growing fan base on top of  national recognition.  Chicago Street Scene writes, “Red Wanting Blue brings nothing but energy and flat out great shows to the stage. Their live performances are all the proof you’ll need to become a member of their ever-growing fan base.”

Don’t miss this free show from the group Hard Rock Haven dubs “the best underground independent rock band in the United States of America.”

Show is this Thursday from 5 – 9 p.m. at the corner of Third & State Streets.  Happy Hour starts at 4:30 and food and drink specials are provided all evening by Darby’s Cafe and San Francisco Oven.  Admission is open and free to the public.

Conspiracy put on a great, energetic show Thursday night as part of the Downtown Columbus Live concert series in front of an even more energetic crowd.  Located at the corner of Third and State Streets, crowds  came from all over Columbus to be part of the biggest block party in the city.

The spectators couldn’t help but smile while enjoying the free entertainment on this beautiful evening.

Concerts continue every Thursday throughout the summer, next week featuring local band Red Wanting Blue.  Don’t miss out, be sure to come downtown for drinks, food and fun!

Come to unwind this Thursday at the Downtown Live Summer Concert Series.  This week Conspiracy will provide live entertainment on the corner of Third and State Streets from 5 – 9 p.m.

Come for drinks after work as Happy Hour begins at 4:30 p.m.  and food and drink specials are offered all evening from Darby’s Cafe and San Francisco Oven.

It’s a great night out as you head into the end of your week and the beginning of your weekend!

Admission is free and open to the public.