Artist looking... (Columbus, Yellow Springs, Grandview: apartment, rent, home)

[creativeye]

Hello, I'm in the thinking process of moving out of Dallas and trying out Ohio...I'm an artist and photographer and I can't seem to get adjusted in Dallas. I'm looking for a small town feel, lots of nature, cool shops, antiques, and I love those areas that are cozy and have a nostalgic feel when you walk. I want to be close to an art community. My art is very eclectic as well as my photography. I'm planning on opening a small shop asap. I also do window displays as a freelance basis. So with all this information, I'm hoping that someone gears me to the right direction. Any other feed backs would be great. I love the downtown feel, so that's also something to think on. Hope to get some great feed back.. Thank you for taking the time in reading this. Laz

[Wootie]

For an actual small town, check out Yellow Springs, about an hour southwest of Columbus. For a neighborhood IN Columbus that meets your criteria, check out Clintonville. I live there and love it.

[bgo]

That place that you describe is called San Francisco--scenic, water, mountains, artsy, a city with small communities around it. It is NOT Columbus, OH! Where in the world did you get that idea?! Unless you sell football-oriented memoribilia art outside of OSU stadium on football Saturdays, you probably won't have much of an art audience, either.

[MissMotleys]

I second Yellow Springs.

[wrightflyer]

Granted, while Columbus is no San Francisco, Columbus has some artsy districts. Check out the Short North and Clintonville first. Other places to possibly look at include the German Village area and Grandview Ave. Yellow Springs may be another option. I figure you will be able to start a shop here at a cheaper rent than in a place like SF.

[bgo]

Ithaca, New York is a possibility. Way more artsy, small town-ish, and intellectual than Cowtown, OH. And lots of wine.

[other1]

Get in contact with CCAD, I am sure there would be some individuals there who could give you a much more informed opinion.

[streetcreed]

Actually Columbus is considered one of the more artsy bigger cities. Heck we have an entire 10 block district dedicated to art! Check out the short north, one of the best urban neighborhoods in the midwest in my opinion and the opinion of many others. The Short North is located just north of Downtown, has parks, victorian architecture, and many locally owned art galleries/boutiques.

Short North Arts District Official Website - Columbus Short North - Short North Columbus |

[yukiko11]

The perfect place for you is Seattle. Not the city, but about 30 miles north. There is so much scenery here it is almost boring. There are, forests, lakes, rivers, the Puget Sound, whales, eagles and small downtown areas with 100 year old buildings. There are churches and remnants of barns dating back to the pioneer days. There are antique stores everywhere. The famous Pilchuck glass (blowing) studio is here also. On Camano Island there are a lot of artists who open their home studios to visitors every year for a free tour. Its a great time. Granite Falls to the east is another artist enclave but even more rural. A little farther north they grow tulips commercially. When they bloom in April there are 1000's of acres of blooms that attract photographers from all over the world. In that area is the small town of La Conner, which is loaded with shops featuring local artists. There are art shows almost every weekend in the summer time. In the city of Seattle, we have first thursday where the public can tour some of the hundreds of exclusive art galleries and enjoy wine and snacks. That's not even scratching the surface. I once printed out the list of art galleries in the greater Seattle area and it was 25 pages long.

This is the West coast so the living is not cheap, however, you can rent a room in a private home for $3-400. You can get an apartment for $6-1200. If you need some nightlife, there is a huge casino complex here where there is a Las Vegas style buffet and live music and dancing. Look for the Arlington, Stanwood, Camano Island area. Zip is 98223, 98282, 98292