Columbus, Ohio USA
Return to Homepage www.shortnorth.com
Columbus, Ohio USA
Return to Homepage www.shortnorth.com
Inside the Short North
September 2006
Columnist John Angelo
Short North Business Association Executive Director
Call 614-228-8050 or email snbacols@aol.com
John Angelo / Photo by Rob Colgan Short North Businesses: Impacting the World
Substance For Fashion Conscious People, 783 N. High St., made a $1,000 grant to the YWCA of Columbus. “Where there is style, there should also be substance,” says the young businesses founder and president, Christina Getachew. The money donated will benefit the YWCA Family Center’s facilities that improve education for children. Getachew says she chose the Family Center because of the dignity that it works to maintain for families in crisis in our community. “There is a clean, beautiful certified day care center on site. As a mother of 2-year-old twins myself, I need to know my little girls will be cared for before I can set out to work each day. The community must make sure that this resource continues to exist for families in need.”
Global Gallery, 682 N. High St., is planning a trip to Bolivia in February to build the first stage of an orphanage project along with one of the artisan groups with which they work. They are collaborating with Surly Girl Saloon for a “Day of the Dead” event on November 1 in Surly’s upstairs gallery space. They are also collecting used cell phones (a double good deed – Global Gallery collects on the phones, the companies recycle/refurbish what is useable and donations are made to women’s shelters). Lastly, artisan Kommaly Chanthavong, the founder and director of Phon Tong Handicraft Cooperative in Laos, is visiting the studio September 4 and 5 to discuss her craft and life experiences.
Joyce Griffiths of Byzantium, 1088 N. High St., was pictured in the latest issue of Anguilla Life Magazine. Joyce and Byzantium have been donating materials for the WISE program, a special project for troubled youths of Albena Lake Hodges High School on the island of Anguilla, British West Indies. Joyce also conducted a weeklong workshop in beading and jewelry wire-working for the involved teenagers during the month of March 2006. Byzantium is celebrating its 21st year in business.
Short North Headlines
Forbes.com has rated Columbus 11th in the nation among metropolitan areas offering best quality of life for singles. Forbes.com ranked 40 of the largest continental U.S. metropolitan centers. Each metro-area was assigned a ranking of one to 40 in each of seven categories (including Cost of Living, Job Growth, Singles, Nightlife, Culture, Coolness and Online Dating), based on quantitative data. Cities just ahead of Columbus? Denver-Boulder, Boston, Phoenix, San Francisco, New York City, Raleigh-Durham, Seattle, Austin, Washington, D.C., and Miami. Kudos to Sugar Bar, 491 N. Park St., and Spice Bar, 525 N. Park St., for being singled out as Columbus’s place for the “beautiful people,” and to Buca di Beppo, 343 N. Front St., for their unique dining experience. In individual categories, Columbus ranked 7th for Cost of Living, 10th for Culture and 10th for Nightlife.
Posh Pets gets a thumbs up in August’s Columbus CEO Magazine.
Basi italia will be featured in the fall Chefwear Catalogue. Chefwear is a national organization based in Santa Barbara, California.
United Airlines in-flight publication, Hemispheres, features an extensive profile of the Columbus metropolitan area with numerous highlights on Short North hotspots, including: Burgundy Room, 641 N. High St., Dragonfly Neo-V, Jeni’s Ice Creams (North Market), and Rigsby’s Kitchen, 698 N. High St.
After ranking Columbus in its top 10 large cities for art offerings, American Style Magazine features a full profile of the area in its current issue. The Short North is smack dab in the middle of the hoopla. Photographic highlights include the Van Gogh mural, the American Gothic mural and Lindsay Gallery (986 N. High St.).
This Week suburban news featured an in-depth article by Short North resident and This Week writer Kevin Parks. Parks’ article focused on the Short North’s upcoming profile in National Geographic Traveler (now slated for November 2006).
On the Event Front
Short North Businesses will be partnering with the Victorian Village Society to add new dimensions to this year’s Victorian Village Tour of Homes. Numerous businesses will be offering special discounts to ticket holders of the September 17 event. Additionally, several businesses will be hosting special presentations the day of the event. Talks will include: Urban Gardner: “The Art of Container Gardening,” Paul Robinett: “Candle Pouring and Fragrance for the Home,” Counter Culture: “The Essentials of Comparing Countertop Materials,” Lampshades: “Changing the Look of a Room with Lighting.” Urban Gardner will also host Christine Dimmick, founder of The Good Home Co. Christine will share her secrets for decorating with fragrance. The full roster of specials and schedule of activities will be included in your Tour program the day of the event.
The 34th annual Greek Festival will be held Fri., September 1 through Mon., September 4. With 30,000-40,000 attendees, it is one of the largest in the State of Ohio. Debbie Turner, business administrator at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, promises a great lineup of food, entertainment and experiences to highlight Labor Day weekend.
The Goodale Park Arts Festival, the Short North’s newest event, will be partnering with CD-101 for radio sponsorship to help promote the October 7 and 8 event. The Cultural Arts Center is also partnering with the festival in promotion of arts education in Columbus. Postcards and posters will be out in force in September.
Congratulations!
Northside Child Development Center, 94 East Third Ave., has received a grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council for a children’s literacy project, Sweep Dreams II: Pillow Poetry. The project will serve the children in the Turning Point Program – a respite care center for children designed to prevent child abuse and neglect. Children whose families are in crisis can stay at Turning Point for up to 72 hours. Many have been through chaotic situations, homelessness, domestic violence, moving from place to place, and this project will help them explore and express their feelings. Candace Mazur-Darman, local performance artist, will introduce the children to poetry, music and movement, and the children will create their own poems that will be illustrated on pillowcases. At the end of the 10-week project, Northside will host an Open House where the children will be able to display and talk about their poems.
National City’s Thurber Village Branch is currently ranked #2 out of the 43 branches in Columbus. This ranking is based upon sales and customer service performance. The Short North is raising eyebrows at the corporate level.
Coming/Going/Changing
The Short North welcomes Jinny, a new women’s clothing boutique at 844 N. High St. Founder, Jinny Fillinger, a California native, moved to Columbus from Los Angeles in 2005. She saw an opportunity to bring a new style sensibility to Columbus and provide contemporary fashion merchandise. As Jinny puts it: “I like the Short North because it caters to the independent mindset and is an enclave for small, independent business owners.”
Also, welcome to newcomer, The Lamp Shade at 990 N. High St. next door to Counter Culture. Owner Marianne Lannan acquired the Bexley-based company 11 years ago and decided to move the 33-year-old shop. “I relocated to the Short North for the central location and the vibrant retail scene,” says Marianne. The Lamp Shade specializes in fine-quality shades, lamps and home accessories, with over a thousand lampshades in stock from traditional to classic contemporary.
Welcome to White Space Interior Design at 9 E. Second Ave. Owner Rob White has relocated his Grandview business to the Short North because of the urban movement and what’s happening downtown. “I love the urban experience and the energy. My style is extremely eclectic, bridging the gap between traditional and ‘grown up’ contemporary.’”
Skully’s Music-Diner, 1151 N. High St., is celebrating their fifth anniversary. Special events are listed on their Web site www.skullys.org. Michelle Webb also says to watch for the State Auto Insurance commercial, which was filmed at Skully’s in July. “You’ll get a hoot out of the girls cheering for the male strippers!”
Roche Bobois, 858 N. High St., is celebrating its 23rd year, making the furniture gallery one of the oldest venues in the Short North. In September they will launch their new fall collection during their 8-Exceptional Days Sale.
Max The Salon – Short North, 640 N. High St., is renovating the inside of the salon in September after celebrating their first anniversary in that location. They are updating the floors, lighting, hair stations and paint, creating a new look and feel that reflects the neighborhood. Max The Salon is open during the Gallery Hop offering complimentary services, samples, refreshments and entertainment.
A new Cameron Mitchell concept restaurant (the first in nearly 5 years) is in the works for the Short North at the
Yukon Building, formerly Functional Furnishings. The concept will focus on a broad wine selection, pasta and gourmet pizzas. More info to come.
Farewell to Jim Mengel, development director for St. Joseph Montessori School. After eight years of service, Jim is officially retiring with visions of golf, volunteerism and OSU home games. Jim will be replaced by the creative partnership of Patricia Finkelman and Susan Zoldak. The duo will tag team, each working two and a half days a week.
Art Scene
Michael Secrest of pm gallery, 726 N. High St., received a fine arts award at the Salt Fork Arts and Crafts Festival in Cambridge, Ohio, in August. This was particularly nice for Michael as Cambridge is his hometown and he had not been back to the show in 20 years. The award-winning piece: Dawes 2, an acrylic/mixed media painting.
The Rebecca Ibel Gallery, 1055 N. High St., will be stepping out of the Short North to present an installation by Rob Wynne and new paintings by Robert Harms at ART(212), an international art fair at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City September 28 - October 1. For tickets, contact the gallery at 614-291-2555 or visit www.rebeccaibel.comTidbits
On August 25, Emack & Bolio’s, 945 N. High St., the only ice cream shop to offer monthly tango dancing, began offering swing dancing as well. Call Alan at 291-5372 for lessons and dance times.
The Short North has long been the destination of choice for Columbus’s visiting celebs. In July, Melissa Etheridge spent a chunk o’ time at Cameo Gallery, 772 N. High St., buying a variety of gifts. Rosanne Barr was seen the next day working her way through the racks at Torso, 772 N. High St. Giovani, owner of High Street Tattoo, has made his mark on noted personalities such as athlete and Best Damn Sports Show Period’s Rob Dibble, Columbus Blue Jacket Jean-Luc Granpierre, Olympic Gymnast Blaine Wilson, as well as Dee from the Howard Stern show.Email John Angelo at snbacols@aol.com
Visit the Short North Business Association Web site at www.shortnorth.org©2006 Short North Gazette, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.
