Downtown??? (Columbus, Cincinnati, Grandview Heights: how much, homes, find a job)

[HuskerDu]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

I had forgotten about The Elevator, certainly is a special place to visit when in Columbus. Folks who complain about Columbus being bland really need to check it out, it certainly has a ton of character (and the beer isn't bad either).

The bar inside the place is supposed to be the longest in Columbus and is beautifully crafted with those pillars and the woodwork. That place used to be called The Clock and the space next to it was a dance club called Paradigm. After the club would close for the night, The Clock would stay open for late night breakfast complete with a lounge singer in drag. She (I mean he) would approach the tables swinging a feather boa around and singing to and joking with people as they ate. It was great!

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by HuskerDu

The bar inside the place is supposed to be the longest in Columbus and is beautifully crafted with those pillars and the woodwork. That place used to be called The Clock and the space next to it was a dance club called Paradigm. After the club would close for the night, The Clock would stay open for late night breakfast complete with a lounge singer in drag. She (I mean he) would approach the tables swinging a feather boa around and singing to and joking with people as they ate. It was great!

Never saw the "show", I guess it was before my time residing there. The interior of the place is just spectacular however, I wish Columbus publicized it as part of their "why to visit Columbus" campaign(s).

[maestro]

Columbus continues to tout its downtown as a destination for young professionals. There are some some pockets that that is the case, but it's taking time. Most downtown residents aren't in the yuppie demographic.

If you don't include the Short North as part of "downtown" (which I think most people do not), there are only a few select bars and restaurants that are worth making the trip to.

The Arena District gets lively during hockey games and other events.

[NewToCA]

With the baseball stadium now built in the Arena District, this should make it more of a year round hot spot. They add about 65-70 dates where good crowds should come into the downtown area. Typical crowd should be in the 6-7 thousand range.

[streetcreed]

Tons of poorly built urban condo/apartment type projects that can't be sold and a few theatre-going events here and there.

Poorly Built? Sometimes pictures speak a 1,000 words.

Downtown Condo Development in the Arena District, 20 story Condo Building. All steel construction. Even cities once larger than Columbus lack these type of modern high quality developments.



Marinova Condo Building (Riversouth District of Downtown)



Carlye's Watch, Gay St.

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1911.0;attach=3473 ;image (broken link)

Sorry, to me an 'urban feel' is something older than about 8 years.

By definition, urban is a design type. Is this not urban? By your definition, and mine, the Arena District is urban (the buildings in the foreground were built 10 years ago and the one furtherest back is dense 6story apartment infill



Another shot, busy Downtown Arena District restaurants with 6story Arena Crossing Apartments behind



Arena Crossing Apartments, downtown Arena District, at nearly 100 percent occupancy



Brunson Building, renovation into Condo units with new steel constructed addition



Main St. "Red Brick District" Historic buildings being renovated with ground floor retail and condos



For those who do not know the section of Main St. just east of High st. in downtown, has seen a growth of interesting local shops with jewelry, suits, clothing, a florist, and a hardware store.



Following the trend of the economic downturn, many buildings are now being converted to apartments instead of condos. The historic Seneca Hotel, on Broad St. in the Discovery District of Downtown, has been renovated into apartments, office space, and retail. This building is a true gem.





Broad & High Project Broad St. and High St. is the main intersection in Columbus. Literally, in the middle of the city. The corner stood vacant, until 2005, when Casto started a renovation of the historic 16story skyscraper (one of the first in the midwest) into condos (far right), and the construction of new structures with office space, ground floor retail, and live video screens.



How urban is downtown Columbus? It can be debated if all of downtown proper appears urban in nature and design, but undoubtedly the central business district and high st. corridor defines the definition of urban:











This photo shows the denser, more urban, sections of downtown. The cluster of high rises in the central core going up to the top of the picture are all dense, gentrifying sections of downtown. The photo is out of date, as much infill as occured, but is a good illustration of the size and differing development styles in downtown. The eastern edge of downtown, east of the highrises, is the sections some would consider suburban, but is having many lots infilled with development.

[CortlandGirl79]

The other buildings aren't bad, but that condo building is UGLY! I'm glad old cities don't have buildings that look like that. Yuck!

[Mr. Answers]

This reminds me of uptown Charlotte a little bit. Would that be a fair comparison?

[jstn]

Originally Posted by Mr. Answers

This reminds me of uptown Charlotte a little bit. Would that be a fair comparison?

Funny you say that. I am the OP, and I am living in Charlotte. I often hear many comparisons between the two cities.

From what I gather Charlotte's boom happened about a decade after Columus. Our downtown has evolved tremendously in the 10 years I've been here. Even in tough economic times we continue to grow and build. I really love it here, but Columbus would put us closer to family (wife's idea ), as we are originally from Cincinnati. I love Cincy, but maybe because I have lived in Charlotte, Cincy just seems too grimey for my taste now. Columbus appears to be more similar to the city that I have grown accustomed to.

Streetcreed, I really appreciated your posts and pictures. I disagree with, Courtland Girl, I think the condo project looks rather nice. Sometimes I think the people that have a passion for older rust-belt cities, lack the ability to aprreciate newly developed modern architecture. It appears as though Columbus has a good mix of both.

Thanks to all that have posted.

[Mr. Answers]

Originally Posted by jstn

Funny you say that. I am the OP, and I am living in Charlotte. I often hear many comparisons between the two cities.

From what I gather Charlotte's boom happened about a decade after Columus. Our downtown has evolved tremendously in the 10 years I've been here. Even in tough economic times we continue to grow and build. I really love it here, but Columbus would put us closer to family (wife's idea ), as we are originally from Cincinnati. I love Cincy, but maybe because I have lived in Charlotte, Cincy just seems too grimey for my taste now. Columbus appears to be more similar to the city that I have grown accustomed to.

Streetcreed, I really appreciated your posts and pictures. I disagree with, Courtland Girl, I think the condo project looks rather nice. Sometimes I think the people that have a passion for older rust-belt cities, lack the ability to aprreciate newly developed modern architecture. It appears as though Columbus has a good mix of both.

Thanks to all that have posted.

Ha. Small world. Well, I feel the same way and I'm facing similar circumstances. I just hope that Columbus has at least some of the soul Cincinnati does. That's what bugs me about Charlotte--it has so few roots, so little identity, and so little soul.

[jstn]

Originally Posted by Mr. Answers

Ha. Small world. Well, I feel the same way and I'm facing similar circumstances. I just hope that Columbus has at least some of the soul Cincinnati does. That's what bugs me about Charlotte--it has so few roots, so little identity, and so little soul.

I think that's because it is such a new city. I mean, probably 60% of the Charlotte metro area has moved here within the last 10-15 years. I'm willing to bet that Charlotte experiences more out-of-state transplants in a year than the Cincy metro area does in a decade. I tend to look at Charlotte as much more of a melting pot type city. I've heard Columbus is similar.

To me what it lacks in soul and identity, it makes up for in pride and an overall general sense of "want to be here" attitude that the older cities in Ohio (Cleveland, Dayton, Cincy, etc.) seem to be missing. I think it is the people and their attitudes that give Charlotte such a good vibe - I hope I can find Columbus to be the same.