New Night Market Coming To Gay Street

Markets, markets everywhere! Farmer’s markets, open air markets, Winter markets. Columbus has experienced an explosion of growth in terms of quality venues hosting a wide variety of themed markets and talented vendors seeking opportunities. As we venture into this interminable Spring thaw, we welcome market season and all the sights, sounds, smells and excitement that accompany each one. Despite the plethora of successful markets in Columbus, an open-air nighttime market has yet to exist…(cue suspense)…until now.

We want Columbus to stroll, shop and eat underneath the stars, all while enjoying the bustling, eclectic pocket of Gay St. nestled between High St. and Third. The Moonlight Market will be a vehicle for people to experience a thriving downtown neighborhood in the company of passionate business owners, tradesmen and artisans. Many existing businesses along Gay St., High St. and Third will set-up shop on the sidewalks and keep extended hours into the night. Local and regional vendors will be interspersed on the sidewalks with the businesses, creating a vibrant, diverse marketplace. Musicians, artists and theatrical lighting tricks will add to the palpable ambience.

The Gay Street District and the Moonlight Market look forward to welcoming you to an exciting new Columbus monthly event series. See you on April 13th!

Taken from: www.moonlightmarketcolumbus.com

Cheerful Pleasures to Enjoy in Downtown Columbus

It’s grey outside. And bleak. It seems like spring won’t get here soon enough. So how do downtown residents make life more enjoyable and see the bright side of life when the world is not so bright?

Thanks to the sights of downtown Columbus, just walking around can be an uplifting experience despite the weather thanks to public art.

In 2012, during the city’s bicentennial, a public art campaign initiative,  “Finding Time: Columbus Public Art” took place throughout the year in public spaces, plazas, parks, streets, and alleys in the downtown core and the riverfront. The Finding Time campaign included 14 temporary public art projects by more than 50 artists. Some of these public art projects still exist around the city.

As a result, you can find a splash of color along some streets, thanks to discreet wall paintings by members of the Central Ohio Plein Air. Or read the generative sentence, written by the people of Columbus and placed phrase-by-phrase on a blank wall behind Key Bank. It starts with “Columbus never…”

The Veterans Plaza on the east side of the Ohio Statehouse offers stirring letters written by veterans from World War II to loved ones etched in granite. It’s time well spent and a great way to break up a walk.

For those willing to walk further east, the Topiary Park is a work of art and work of nature.  It brings to life George Seurat’s painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte.” The scene unfolds before you: Men, women, and children are engaged in fishing, rowing, sailing, strolling, chatting, or simply gazing at the river as they enjoy a pleasant afternoon. What more imagery do you need to conjure up brighten days ahead?

These are just a few of the small pleasures we have around downtown while we wait for the sun to come back out.

The Downtown Commute

One of the mantras Neighborhood Launch likes to share with prospective buyers for the "Why Live Downtown?" question is save time, energy and money.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that Columbus-area commuters lead the state in the amount of time, and expense, spent crawling in backed-up traffic. 

Last time, walking home from the office during a little snow storm, I did appreciate the short commute home I now have.  It was nice walking home, in albeit cold and snowy conditions, but many people who are walking along with me are headed to the parking garage, where I am headed to my warm condo.

I had the luxury to of being able to relax and making plans for dinner with friends.  I didn't have to suffer a long drive home with thousands of other commuters at a snails pace.

Since living downtown, my husband and I have noticed we are saving money on gas as we usually only drive on weekends to run a few errands and our energy bills are smaller as our downtown condo is not as large as our suburban home.

Snow maintenance is a breeze as we just need to brush off our front and back steps.  But hey, we have time while we wait for the traffic to calm down so we can meet friends and walk to dinner.  What's the rush?

Downtown Breakfast Joints

I found this great article on hole-in-the-wall breakfast spots that was published in 614 magazine last November.  There have been a few changes, Big Bites at 79 S. Fourth Street is now Hae-Paul's and does serve breakfast lunch and dinner.  The Inn Between has a new owner and is now called, The Hungry Soul Cafe.  And finally, Manifesto opened last November and is open during the week for breakfast starting at 8 a.m.

http://614columbus.com/article/breakfast-with-nick-around-the-corner-down-5574/

Experience the Gay Street Corridor

The Columbus Dispatch ran a feature article last month claiming the “once-sleepy Gay Street has become once of the most vibrant corridors in an awakening Downtown.”

From the onset of the Neighborhood Launch development, one of the feature selling points of the downtown condo development was its location and proximity to Gay Street. The idea would be for residents to walk to local restaurants, bars and other amenities.

In 2007, when the Neighborhood Launch was announced, Gay Street was one way and the few businesses between High and Third streets consisted of the Renaissance Hotel, Due Amici and Tip Top and some offices. 

Thanks to an influx of downtown residents; implementation of the city’s master plan to better connect downtown with the Scioto River and Columbus Commons, and improvements to Gay Street which made it a two-way street, over the next five years Gay Street evolved into one of the hippest streets in downtown Columbus.

Because many of the businesses are independently owned, one great off shoot from this urban hub of commerce is the annual Independents’ Festival held in September.

Gay Street is a destination when you have guests from out-of-town.  Here are the top 10 things to consider when visiting Gay Street:

1. Sip on a latte at Café Brioso.  Order their fresh mozzarella sandwich on foccacia to go.
2. Pick up some vintage records at Vinyl Frontier.
3. Fix your sweet tooth with a blondie or brownie from Sugardaddy’s Sumptuous Sweeties.
4. Try the fish tacos with a Cuban coffee at Plantain Café.
5. Select your own personalized wallet at Zeroz.
6. Stop by Tip Top for one of their fine whiskey concoctions, or just a Pabst Blue Ribbon on draft.
7. Hang out at the patio at J. Gumbo’s for Happy Hour in the summertime.
8. Sample the Red Velvet frozen yogurt at 39 Below.
9. Attend one of the pool parties at the Renaissance Hotel.  For a small price you can get some tasty bites to eat as well as beverages.
10. Treat your toes to a pedicure at the Nail Spa.