Columbus, Ohio USA
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Dis 'n' Data
By Margaret Marten, Editor
email margaret@shortnorth.com
September/October 2018
CORRECTION
In our July/August issue, artist Wripley M. Bennet was mistakenly reported to be one of the 12 contributors to the Short North Arts District’s “I, Too, Sing America” Temporary Mural Series. Her mural collaboration with Sean Christopher Gallery Ohio was in fact cancelled and replaced with Richard Duarte Brown’s Fleaux Child installed at 1359 N. High St. We apologize for the error.
R.I.P.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Dick Allen who was the managing owner of Zeno’s Bar & Pub in Harrison West. He worked his way through a number of bar-related businesses over the years, beginning in the University District – the popular Travel Agency, Oar House, and Surf City to name a few, as well as several bars downtown. Zeno’s, however, has remained in this neighborhood for some 35 years, and Dick, who is characterized by those who knew him as “great, generous and funny,” developed countless friendships while working and socializing with patrons and neighbors over the years. The late Tom Thomson, Short North Gazette founder, was someone who considered Zeno’s a second home and Dick a good friend, confidant and drinking partner. Tom Thomson and Tim Middleditch regularly dropped in to Zeno’s after a long stretch of delivering Gazettes on print day. “That would be our last stop,” Tim said. After they deposited a pile of papers in the entryway, the pair would join Dick at the bar. “I’d give a Gazette to Dick, and I had a copy in front of me, and Tom in front of him, and we were all just going through checking everything out and drinking beer.” Apparently Dick approved of the paper and even enjoyed it! Tom continued to frequent Zeno’s almost daily for as long as he was physically able, and the staff always watched out for him.
Dick Allen was 68 when he died on August 12 at Kobacker House in Columbus. He is survived by his wife Sandy, sons Tucker, Mitch, and Quinn, a sister, Sally and three grandchildren.Yoga-Well-Being
Sipra Pimputkar, who began teaching yoga in the early ‘90s and has worked at a number of locations over the years, will move her staff and studio from Grandview to Victorian Village in October. She established Yoga-Well-Being in 2011 favoring small class settings and continues to provide a personalized approach within a non-competitive environment. The newly remodeled space is an exciting and positive development. Workshops on nutrition, healing foods and spices, gatherings in arts and crafts, music and dance are planned. A dedicated meditation room, life coaching (sadhana), Reiki, and private yoga lessons are also available. She noted that rooms may be set aside for quiet study or rented by the hour or week to those practicing the healing arts. The
studio is located on the second floor of Fourth Avenue Christian Church at 296 W. 4th Ave. on the corner of Neil. A grand opening on Saturday, October 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. gives everyone an opportunity to see the space, meet some of the teachers, and enjoy refreshments. Call (614) 432-7553 or visit ywbyoga.com for more information about Yoga-Well-Being.Vamp Official
Young entrepreneur Ellen Shirk opened Vamp Official, a women’s clothing store, in the Short North a year ago with full knowledge that her space at the corner of W. Starr Ave. and N. High St. would have to be vacated by the end of 2018. However that didn’t bother Shirk who wasn’t sure whether a long-term lease was even desirable. However, things have worked out well for her, and the shop will be moving into The Castle development at 985 N. High St. – hopefully before the holiday season. “The Castle is my neighbor,” Shirk said. “I was able to get in contact with their leasing team early on and got very lucky that they had a space available that met my growing business’s needs.” She was able to design the new space to her specifications with the help of Shremshock Architects – her former employer. More space in The Castle means more inventory, new labels, and plenty of room to focus on her online store at www.vampofficial.com. “I could not be more excited to be able to move into this new space and continue business in the Short North,” she said. “And I can’t wait for my customers to be able to shop in it.”
Other Openings
Thread, a women’s clothing boutique, opened in the new Brunner building at 930 N. High St. on August 9. Owner Miranda Boyle launched the business in Grandview in 2012. This is the second location for Thread.
Sisters Kristin DeJohn and Kailen Echeverry own The Blowout Bar, a styling salon that launched its third location on August 1 a few doors down from Northstar Cafe at 941 N. High St. They have subsequently opened another one at Easton. As their website states: “We leave the hair cutting and coloring to the traditional salons. We focus on one thing and are the best at it: the blowout!”
The old Surly Girl Saloon is now inhabited by The 1126 Restaurant, replacing the Short North Parlor Room that lasted there for about 12 months. The space remained vacant a year after that closed. The new restaurant owner Daniel Chen offers a sushi-centric menu. The website is www.the1126.com. The address is in the name, 1126 N. High St.A coworking space, Serendipity Labs, opened in the newly constructed mixed-use building at 886 N. High St. at the beginning of August. Their first tenant was the Short North Alliance (the former Short North Business Association), which moved from 21 E. 5th Ave. in August. The coworking facility offers an outdoor space and gathering area with membership starting at $49 a month. The building will eventually include a United Dairy Farmer on the ground floor to replace the former UDF that was demolished.
Departures and Moves
A chain restaurant operating in the Short North closed in August. Pies & Pints opened in the 4600-square foot space at 1020 N. High St. when the Fireproof building had just completed refurbishment in April 2015. Pies & Pints was founded 15 years ago in West Virginia selling specialty pizzas and craft beer and has other locations remaining in Ohio, including Worthington and Easton. Low sales in the Short North and high rent made the location unfavorable for business, according to co-owner Rob Lindeman. “It’s a shame, but we were left with no choice after 3.5 years and over $1M in additional investment,” he said in an email, adding that the landlord was not willing to negotiate. The building, constructed in 1909, was originally home to Fireproof Warehouse and Storage Co. then became a mixed-use build for residential and commercial use. The Tai Tiki restaurant, next door at 1014 N. High St. is another eatery that opened and closed on that block (ending in 2016) in an adjacent development built on the former Fireproof parking lot.
Joseph Editions, the gallery and fine art publisher owned by Ron Pizzuti is no longer housed in the storefront at 17 W. Russell St. where it launched in the fall of 2015. The storefront served as a contemporary fine art gallery and shop offering a curated selection of artist-designed objects. The Joseph Editions gallery which drives the art program at The Joseph but is a separate entity from the Pizzuti-owned Short North hotel remains online and includes work by emerging and well-known artists, some from Columbus. Limited-edition prints by these emerging and established artists are available at affordable prices to the public, making art accessible to new collectors. The website is at www.josepheditions.com
On Saturday, September 15, after many months of renovation work, Flower Child Vintage will open at their new location on E. 5th Avenue and close their High Street store. A media event with city council member Michael Stinziano will be held the previous day to grant Flower Child a resolution from the City for being the first Short North store to move to the “Fifth Avenue Gateway.” Flower Child’s new address is 233 E. 5th Ave. They were required to move from their 989 N. High Street location because the building is set for redevelopment. Visit flowerchildvintage.com for updates.
SEE ALSO: NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS/NEWS (SELECT WRITEUP)
Email margaret@shortnorth.com or call 614-251-0656 with neighborhood news items for the Short North Gazette.Email the Editor margaret@shortnorth.com
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