CJ Daniels Clothing is closing their doors

By: cjdaniels

43 Comments

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  Walker January 21, 2009 10:13 am

  Very sad news to hear this morning. I think CJ Daniels was truly a hidden gem downtown. I only wish more people knew about it before now.
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  Anne January 21, 2009 10:16 am

  I wish them all the best. very sad to hear about their store closing.
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  Mercurius January 21, 2009 10:46 am

  Yeah, I don’t think I even knew they existed until today.
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  surber17 January 21, 2009 11:10 am

  I think they might have been slightly ahead of their time …. meaning Main St. doesnt have the foot traffic of Short North or Gay Street yet. I hope they consider setting up shop in a different location. Maybe a small spot in The CUBE (Modern Finance Building)?
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  Columbusite January 21, 2009 12:43 pm

  Ohhh, I’ve been strapped for cash when it comes to clothes. It’s sad to see businesses take a chance to make Main St. a place better, but the city has done virtually nothing aside from maintain it as a mini-highway. Even in the burbs people don’t want to walk/run across wide roads with fast traffic for retail. Oh well, I guess the city didn’t see fit to prioritize turning Main St. into something resembling Gay St. I’ll hold my tongue here since I’d just piss Walker off. But I do like the recommendation for relocating to Gay St. Also, there’s a vacancy on King Ave. and High St. north of the Short North before you get to campus. Wouldn’t mind having this in the neighborhood and there are also quite a few moneyed residents in Dennison Place/The Circles.
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  Coremodels January 21, 2009 12:53 pm

  Yep, it’s gotta be traffic and how pedestrian unfriendly it is, I mean, what retail store could possibly last there…I mean other than the hardware store that’s been there for like 100 years.
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  Walker January 21, 2009 1:09 pm

  I agree that the pedestrian unfriendliness didn’t help, but wasn’t the complete problem. Give the podcast a spin, and I think it might shed some light on the issues the Main Street guys are facing.

  Of course some streetscaping from the city would help, but those are expensive project. I imagine Main Street will be streetscaped sooner or later, and hopefully we’ll see CJ Daniels return there or somewhere else in some capacity.
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  Coremodels January 21, 2009 1:12 pm

  I’d say CJ Daniels biggest problem was the opposite of pedestrian issues, and in fact, was lack of parking (unless they had a lot I wasn’t aware of).
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  Walker January 21, 2009 1:32 pm

  Heh. A topic touched on in the podcast. ;)

  There are meters along both side of Main Street on that block that are generally very easy to park at. But on weekdays, no parking is allowed there between 4pm-6pm during the rush hour commute. Which means if you were thinking about stopping in CJ Daniels (or Zettler or Y Sadiq etc…) on your way home… fuggettaboutit.

  Terry mentions in the podcast that he was surveying the few numbers of cars that drive in those curbside lanes on Main during rush hour and speaking with the city about lifting the parking ban, but they wouldn’t budge.

  Couple that with the fact that the meters on Main Street are enforced on Saturdays during the day (and practically unused) and you’ve got several instances of where the city could make a few adjustments that would go a long way towards assisting with parking to shop there.
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  Coremodels January 21, 2009 1:34 pm

  I thought Zettler had a lot? If not, I’ve been parking illegally for years :D
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  Urbanboi January 21, 2009 1:50 pm

  Moving here from NYC feels like a totally different world. It is sad to see the very few stores downtown Columbus has falling through. Columbus has a great downtown with many storefronts that could be filled. Every time I walk downtown I seem to be one of the only people on the street. It is sad.
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  Walker January 21, 2009 1:58 pm

  Core: Zettler has an arrangement to use the old Ray Johnson’s Fish Market lot next door after they closed. But if that property gets developed, I’m not sure the arrangement will last.

  Urbanboi: Welcome! Yes, Downtown Columbus is still very sparsely populated, but things have improved quite a bit in the past 10 years. Despite the setback with CJ Daniels’ leaving, I still believe things are on an upward arc for the longer term.
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  Urbanboi January 21, 2009 2:08 pm

  Hey Thanks for the welcome! I love this site and check it out about everyday!
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  daniel January 21, 2009 3:03 pm

  I went there to check it out at 11:30 today.

  a. it took me 15 minutes (once in walking distance) to figure out how to get there, park, etc. I was redirected by dead ends and 1 ways several times.
  b. i got there. had to pay a meter.
  c. no one was there, they were closed. no sign in the window

  i was disappointed.
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  Columbusite January 21, 2009 3:08 pm

  Welcome to the site! Yeah, there are a few bright spots Downtown, but they’re spread out.

  Core, I know that was supposed to be a clever remark, but what do people *need* more, tools or fashion? I think what Zettler’s is selling better explains the situation. If you really think pedestrian friendliness and retail are unrelated, you must never have left downtown Columbus. I’d suggest heading out to say, German Village and the Short North, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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  Coremodels January 21, 2009 3:21 pm

  Actually no, what Zettler has that CJ Daniels doesn’t is off street parking. How much retail exactly do you think is in German Village? I’ve lived primarily in GV for almost 20 years…one of the primary retailers there, The Book Loft seems to think parking is fairly important:

  http://www.bookloft.com/pics/addedparking.jpg
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  Coremodels January 21, 2009 3:34 pm

  Oh, btw…there’s also Caterina’s:
  “Caterina Ltd. is located in the heart of German Village on South Third Street, at the corner of Beck & Third. The address is 571 South Third Street in Columbus, Ohio 43215. Free off-street parking in our lot across Beck to the north of the store; if the lot is full, you may park on Third Street for up to two hours for free”

  Franklin Art Glass-off street parking

  GV Society/Gift Shop-off street parking

  Golden Hobby Shop-off street parking

  the pet shop doesn’t have parking, but they apparently realize that:

  “If you live around or have stopped by the area, you probably know that parking can be an issue. A general tip for getting a good parking spot near the store would be to Make a Wish Upon a Star or stop in between 3:00-5:00 when the restaurants in the block aren’t so busy. If you aren’t afraid to walk a few blocks then you can shop any time until your heart’s content and if you buy some heavy stuff you can do a drive by and we can throw the goods in your vehicle for you, just like the old days…sort of. Aaahhh! Urban life!!!”

  The simple reality is, retailers will have more success if people can drive there and park than if the few people motivated to do so can walk there easier.
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  Columbusite January 21, 2009 3:34 pm

  If that’s the only safe, convenient way to get there then of course it’ll exaggerate the importance of plentiful parking. I did forget about the no parking rule on Main. They also enforce that on the Cap, which I’m sure is also negative for retailers there. It’s hard not to notice that the city puts cars first as the priority, particularly in the case of rush hour, over local businesses.
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  Coremodels January 21, 2009 3:39 pm

  The city puts cars as the first priority because the people who live in it put cars as the first priority…it’s called majority rule and serving the needs of the many.
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  Columbusite January 21, 2009 3:54 pm

  This is such an ignorant statement I don’t know where to start. You act like it was put to a vote, when it was done regardless of whether people wanted it or not. I’m pretty sure those highways serve the needs of those living outside of the urban core and the city more than urban dwellers.