Right Now Downtown

GET IT HERE – BUY LOCAL

What, no Nordstrom’s downtown?  Big deal, most of us can’t afford it anyway.

Sure, we have some vacancy issues downtown, but there are a lot of people working on that.  Given the fact the economy took a nose dive a while back, it’s impressive that people are opening up shop anywhere, so it’s great to see independent entrepreneurs making a go at it downtown.  Before anyone grouches about the stuff we don’t have, check out the diverse mix all within a short walk.

Start with bagels and pastries.  Check and check.  There’s plenty to go around from Broad Street Bagels to Dunkin Donuts to Einstein Brothers, and now local businessmen Joe Spinelli and Bill Ward are preparing to dish out some great deli fare at a second Spinelli’s location soon to open on High Street.

Fill your weekly grocery bag at Pearl Market on Tuesday and Fridays and support the toasty business incubator as folks test the downtown market.  Food is always a favorite, and have you tried the crepes yet at Leslie’s Creperie?  Forget the moon, the savory French pancakes will send you to Toulouse.  The Market also hosts vendors who craft handmade soaps and moisturizers and unique casual clothing that will keep you sporting through the day.  Cleaned and coiffed, cash in on the organic cheese, meat and meatless products, bread and fresh produce that all make shopping fun and save you loads of time.

Need to compare prices in the Market, but your arms aren’t long enough to bring the price tags in focus?  Rinkov Eye Center has walls of trendy frames.  Once you can see beyond the nose on your face, walk on over to Chet’s Jewelers, Flowers on Orchard Lane or the Peanut Shoppe, which ante up ample gift choices, and the Peanut Shoppe even provides a nice afternoon tide-me-over snack to boot.  For the record collectors out there, buzz on over to Spoonful for a vintage good time as your peruse through the vinyl offerings or play a quick game of pinball.

You’ve got groceries, snacks and gifts covered, but did you know downtown is the place to be for hardware and office supplies?  Zettler Hardware has been family owned and operated since 1844, and around the corner the folks at Graham’s Office Supply will help you find everything you need to keep your business running smoothly.  Don’t forget to ask them about their price-matching policy.

Has your kid nearly depleted your checking account with all the texting fees he’s accumulated, but you don’t have the energy or time to deal with the automated customer service line?  Talk to a real person at the downtown Sprint and Verizon stores.

Put your cell phone down when you go to talk to the guys at B1 Bicycles on Long Street and they will hook you up with a rockin’ new set of wheels that will make all your friends drool in envy as you whiz by.  And, just think of the money you’ll save if you opt for this green mode of transportation – surely enough to buy a round at the Elevator.

Shop here, buy here.  Keep it local.  Let us know your favorite stores to frequent and what you would like to see in the future.

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.