Aug 27 2010
Sexuality and Showtunes - by Sevell of Sevell + Sevell
posted by shortnorth
Jun 23 2010
The View From My Window - Part 6: Marianne Lannan
posted by shortnorthThis Week’s guest blogger is Marianne Lannan, owner of The Lamp Shade.
Looking out my window in the Short North, on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and N. High St., I enjoy the ever-changing windows of the Flower Child across the street. Joe Valenti and his staff are masters at displaying mid-century furniture, décor and clothing in a colorful, fun and funky way. Currently the combination of the royal blue vinyl sofa, the small orange Solid State TV with coordinating blue, orange, and lime green wallpaper is perfect for your rumpus room. His other windows in yellow, black and white featuring contemporary art, Knoll glass and chrome table and chairs that are bright enough to stop traffic. Mannequins are all tastefully dressed to impress the leisure suit crowd. Flower Child also has vintage outdoor furniture on the sidewalk, where you can stop and lounge for a few minutes, while the machine above the door sends a fountain of bubbles floating down the street.
There’s a metered public parking lot directly across the street. It has a salmon-colored arched entrance that is hard to miss. But when someone says to me, “You can’t miss it”, I most certainly can! Still lots of people are excited to find such convenient public parking right on N. High St.
There is always a diverse mix of pedestrians on High Street. Visitors from all over Ohio and beyond, newer residents exploring the area and the locals who have lived here for years navigate the sidewalks from morning to night. Together they are young, old, black, white, straight and gay, of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. The Short North is truly a melting pot that is a joy to experience firsthand from our window.
Jun 18 2010
It’s time for your 15 MB of fame: The Short North’s Got Talent show
posted by shortnorth
This week our guest blogger is Sevell from Sevell + Sevell.
While Andy Warhol was visionary (citing everyone’s 15 minutes of fame) these days,
15 minutes just isn’t enough.
When you perform at “The Short North’s Got Talent” show, you also get your fame
enshrined on YouTube for all eternity. So not only do you get your 15 minutes (or so)
of stage time, your performance is forever (?) archived online.
As everyone who was there last year knows, the talent show was an impressive event
with everything from opera, to a Latin-infused oboe performance, to Tasi Rigsby’s hot
salsa (the dance, not the condiment), to some guy playing the banjo. And not a single
drag (or drama) queen to be found among the bunch… who’d have guessed?!?
So if you have a talent you’d like to share with your community, consider being part
of this very cool event. All you need to do is contact the SNBA and let them know what
you do. And, as long as it doesn’t include lighting your head on fire, you are as good as in!
Even if your talent isn’t of the “American Idol” finalists calibre, no where else (other
than your mother’s house) will you get such a rousing display of enthusiasm for showing
your skills.
The event will be held at Axis again, so you even get to perform on a stage with a kickass
sound system. The whole thing is very exciting, so plan on being part of the festivities. And if your singing never leaves the shower, remember we also need audience members to cheer and laugh and throw roses!
It takes place the evening of August 11th, so you’ve also got plenty of time to practice.
By being a part of an exciting event like this, you’re also helping the fund-raising efforts
of the SNBA. And with the buzz from last year’s event leading into this year’s function,
the turnout should be even more impressive than it was last year… if that’s possible…
Be part of one of the most fun Short North events of 2010… and show us your stuff!
Jun 11 2010
The View From my Window - Part 5: Elizabeth Lessner
posted by shortnorthThis week our guest blogger is Elizabeth Lessner with Betty’s Family of Restaurants.
At Betty’s we serve the public nearly 16 hours a day, seven days a week, we are even open on holidays. Needless to say, we see a lot of local color from our little corner of High and Brickel Alley and have a lot of great stories to share.
If you have ever visited Betty’s, you might have noticed the giant ceramic rooster that sits perched on our bar. Our rooster has been here since we opened, lovingly known by regulars as Betty’s Giant Cock.
A few months ago we had a rowdy group of men in the restaurant. They were enjoying cocktails and dinner and noticing with fondness Betty’s Giant Cock. The bartender didn’t mind them, we like to see our patrons having a good time.
It was late and the bartender was stocking the bar. She ducked into the back to get some supplies and when she came back out, the three men and the giant rooster were gone!
Our staff and regulars were devastated. It never occurred to us that one day someone might run off with our beloved friend. We hoped for the best, imagined our rooster showing up like the world-traveling gnome in photos from the San Francisco Bay Bridge and the Eiffel Tower.
Just a week later a UPS truck arrived with a special delivery. Our giant rooster! He was lovingly wrapped in bubble wrap and returned to us unharmed. No note, just our own imagination to decide where our rooster friend went.
Jun 03 2010
The View From My Window: Part 4 - Sevell
posted by shortnorthThis week our guest blogger is Sevell of Sevell+Sevell:
In both movies: “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and “Back to the Future 2″, there were parallel universes that showed what those respective communities would look like if a difference sequence of events happened.
And in both movies, the alternate reality wasn’t pretty. Curiously, both had striking similarities showing their alternative futures consisting of greed, corruption and really bad signage.
Why was I thinking of this? Well, in an alternate reality, the Short North could’ve been a very different place as well.
If the Short North Business Association didn’t (or didn’t continue) to exist, we would all see very different views outside our front windows than we do now. That alternative reality would be one where blatant commercialism takes over the Gallery Hops, homeless folks begging on High Street would be more prominent, the cost of parking meters would be more and, oh yes, really bad signage would be the norm.
Every day the folks at, and volunteers of, the SNBA work to make a difference. But unfortunately, it seems like not every Short North business owner sees the benefits… unless they’re paying close attention. I’m not sure everyone realizes just how much the SNBA does on their behalf, because if they did, way more people would be involved. At a minimum, simply by supporting the SNBA by being a member.
As Collin Castore, owner of Bodega, puts it: “For a relatively small contribution there is an entire staff of talented individuals who bring publicity & opportunity to the neighborhood.” So obviously, Collin is paying attention. And granted, so are lots of other businesses, but not enough, because I think only half of the business in the area are supporting the SNBA by being members.
The SNBA works to make the Short North better, safer, and more prosperous for the businesses here. The work they do benefits all our futures.
So if we want to continue having a wonderful life right here in the Short North, let’s support the SNBA.
And that’s the view from my window…
May 28 2010
The View From My window: Part 3 - Barb Ebright
posted by shortnorthThis weeks blog is by Barb Ebright, COO of Mukha Spa & Mukha Essentials
Ahhh… the Short North! I’m not even sure where to begin. I suppose I should start with the fact that it’s not so much the VIEW outside my window but the EXPERIENCE outside my window that I love most about working in the Short North, especially this time of year.
Having always lived in the “burbs”, coming to work everyday in the Short North is such an exciting experience on every level. The interesting architecture, the amazing art seen everywhere you turn, the outstanding food and drink options right at my fingertips, and everything in-between. When leaving work, there are few evenings that I walk to my car not thinking about how much I’d like to trade-in my suburban home and lifestyle for a far more interesting way of life in the Short North. Who knows, maybe some day!
Then there’s working with the amazing talents of Tim Maurer and Sanito Mendoza, owners of Mukha. It has been a great privilege to work with them the past three years on product development, staff development, and everything in between. Finding personal beauty is an art, and it’s so exciting to be a part of this very special art form right here in the heart of the Short North.
First class experience… that’s what I see both inside and outside the windows of Mukha. The people, more than any other aspect of the Short North, are the most rewarding part of the area. Where else can you greet everyone on the streets - from the business owners to the casual strollers - and feel like you are REALLY part of something special? Not many places can boast this characteristic.
As a very wise woman once told me many years ago, there is a season for everything. This is such an exciting season for the Short North, for so many reasons. I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it all!
May 21 2010
The View from My Window: Part 2 - Lisa Craig Morton
posted by shortnorthOur guest blogger for this week is Lisa Craig Morton, owner of the Victorian Village Guest House
As I sit in the kitchen of my Neil Avenue home and look out on my sun-drenched garden, I am in awe of the wonders brought forth by spring’s rain showers, warm days and cool nights. The garden is exploding with greenery and pops of color. Birds are chirping and chattering in the canopy of hundred year old trees over the yard. This beautiful morning started with tending the garden – planting some new perennials, pinching the spent blooms off yesterday’s flowers, checking the progress of my herbs and tomatoes and seeing what has popped open since yesterday’s assessment! Today I discover that the first hydrangea is blooming and the first tomatoes are starting to take shape on the vine. The peonies (my favorite flower) are starting to fade, the rains of the last few days hastening their decline. In front of the house, the hum of traffic and passers-by up and down Neil Avenue is ever present. But the back yard is like a sanctuary, all lush and green, private and secluded. When people come to stay at our guest house, they are always surprised to find such an oasis in the middle of the city.
Growing up in Columbus, I always wanted to live on Neil Avenue. I was drawn to the interesting architecture, the history of the street and the possibility to be an agent for change in an area that had seen better days. Moving to Victorian Village six years ago was a dream come true as well as a transformational journey. I fell in love all over again with the Short North, an area I had frequented for many years, but was now getting to know on a whole new level. The diversity of the neighborhood and the surrounding businesses were the inspiration I needed to start a business of my own.
There is a sense of community here in the Short North. Having spent most of my life in suburbia and the trenches of Corporate America, I soon realized that the pace was a little different here, the players a little more quirky, the creative energy much more out in the open! It made me want to get involved and share this story with others, both here in central Ohio and those farther beyond. Creating Victorian Village Guest House has allowed me to support the Short North’s growing tourism business and has given me a way to let others “sample” what life could be like here in this walkable, wonderful collection of neighborhoods. It also gave me a new career and a livelihood when my banking job was eliminated in the recession. Standing at the back porch door and looking over the garden, I almost have to pinch myself when I realize that this is now my job!
May 14 2010
The View From My Window: Part 1 - Maria Galloway
posted by shortnorthThis is the first guest commentary here at the Short North Blog. Maria Galloway, owner of pm gallery and current president of the board of the SNBA is kicking us off!
Spring in the Short North
Prop the door open and catch the breeze, the aromas wafting from the restaurants and the roar of motorcycles. At the corner of Buttles and North High it seems as though everyone is eating Jeni’s ice cream. A sure sign of spring is the new seasonal flavors like Meyer Lemon Blueberry and Rhubarb Rose’.
Spring fashions adorn the windows at Rowe (in their new expanded space), Ladybird and a bit farther up the street - Undone, Voodoo Denim and Jinny. The al fresco dining is in full swing with crowds at Union, Haiku, and La Fogata.
I love walking home in the evening this time of year. The lilacs fill the alley with their heady perfume. The daffodils in the park make me smile. The planter beds on High Street are newly planted with petunias, sweet potato vine and grasses. They have a ways to go to fill in, but I enjoy the formal spacing of the freshly planted. In a couple of months they will be lush and full and wild.
This is the time of year when anticipation of the year’s festivals begins. The June Gallery Hop almost always coincides with the downtown Arts Festival. Then in quick succession we have Comfest, the Gay Pride Parade, the DooDah Parade and the July Gallery Hop! Plus weddings in the park, graduations, and fashion photographers using the neighborhood as a backdrop. After the long winter is it so wonderful to see color and bustling activity return to the street.
This is wedding season at pm gallery. We get the anti-registry people. The people who want to get a memorable gift, not just plate #7 out of a 48 piece set. And it must work, because after 30 wedding seasons, we have only had one return. Funny thing is we have a gift registry, too. It is a What You See Is What You Get registry, since we have so many one of a kind items. I photograph the items and put them on our website. It is great for out-of-towners.
The slide into summer has begun. The air conditioner will be on soon and the noise of the street will be muted as we close the door against the heat. The colors will deepen and the days will lengthen. Buttles Avenue is my sundial. The sun will be setting at the end of the street and the light and heat will fill the gallery. I am in no hurry for that to happen. Spring here, in the Short North, is full of change, evolution and fun. I am enjoying that.
Jan 13 2010
Short North Winter Sale
posted by shortnorthThe biggest sale of the year will be coming to the Short North District this month! The Short North Winter Sale will be held January 22, 23 and 24. This three day sale features incredible deals in the district’s favorite shops! Mark your calender and come see what the Short North Arts District has to offer! Save up to 80% on apparel, accessories, art, and more! Core hours for the sale will be 11am to 6pm Friday & Saturday and 12pm to 5pm on Sunday (Some merchants will not be open on Sunday). Come early for the best selection and enjoy the district!
Sample savings
Alexander’s Jewelers – 30% off all B Tiff Items
Bakery Gingham – 20% off all in-store cupcakes
Big Rock Little Rooster – Vera Wang Trunk Show Jan 21-23 - Sprig 2010 collection. Brides receive 10% off. Appointments are required - Call 614-754-8116
Collier West – 25-75% off + $25 gift card for all purchases over $150
Emperor’s Newest Clothes – 20% - 50% off fall and winter items
Global Gallery - 20% off Alpaca Winter Wear
Go Figure Consignment – 20%-50% off outerwear & formal attire
GrandView Mercantile – 10 day sale starting Jan 22 offering 15% - 50% off
Ladybird– Fall/Winter holiday fashions 40% - 70% off
Luxe di vie - 80% off
Visit our site to see a full list of our merchants: http://shortnorth.org/news.asp?n=212
Dec 03 2009
25th Anniversery of Holiday Hop! This Saturday, Dec. 5th in the Short North
posted by allisonWe are on the cover of this week’s newspaper edition of Columbus Alive!!! The article highlights the history of the Short North Arts District as well as the history of Short North’s acclaimed Gallery Hop!
