This 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.