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We just released the first edition of CRP (Community Research Partners) Data Bytes. Once every two months, we will take a snapshot of a topic pertinent to what is going on in our region and state. Data Byte topics will cover a wide range of social, economic, and community issues. For this inaugural edition of Data Bytes we ask:
- Are young professionals and empty nesters really moving into downtown Columbus?
- How wealthy and educated are downtowners?
- Where do people live within downtown?
- Has there been a downtown housing bubble?
- How are foreclosures affecting downtown?
- Does downtown have the amenities to support a resident population?
Click here to learn more about the demographic, housing market, and other characteristics of downtown Columbus.
And once you’re done reading, vote on the topic of the next Data Byte by clicking here.
No, I blindly walked around until I eventually stumbled into what I was in need of.
It’s 4 miles and you’re either on the freeway or hitting every light driving down main. Brewery District Kroger is much more convenient.
I am familiar with all of these places, as that’s where I did my shopping as there were no groceries literally downtown. I actually live very close to the Giant Eagle on Neil, so ironically the issue of not having a grocery was NOT a problem for me. The problem is the overall lack of amenities in the area considered downtown.
Yeah, that farmers market is super convenient when I’m getting out of the gym after work and want to pick up some quick items.
That Verizon store must be very new, as it’s not on Verizon’s website. The closest store they list to downtown is Easton. I think I’ll walk!
Not to my knowledge… maybe I have just never seen them? The closest one I know of to downtown is the Shell in the Brewery District.
Now that one I am familiar with…
I give it up to Tip Top. I didn’t know Warehouse Cafe was staying open late now? I always thought was a breakfast/lunch joint.
Still no option on food past 2:00AM.
Not if you live in one of those special parts of the city that actually has stores. I can only imagine what that would be like. Not having to drive 15 minutes to a different part of town to buy something. I didn’t know a DVD was considered a specialty item. I figured maybe a fabergé egg would be a specialty item, or ninja throwing stars.
I think everyone here is on board with the notion that the mass transit situation overall in Columbus can at best be considered a joke. I agree that COTA could be doing worse than they are, however.
The ironic part is with all those fancy thing we can tout (tall building filled with businessmen, universities of higher education, museums with all manner of wonders), we can’t even claim some of the basic amenities that cities 1/10th our size enjoy at their fingertips every day. Knowing I live close to Nationwide World Headquarters doesn’t put food on my table or DVDs in my DVD player.
What’s funny is you’re quick to goof on Heath but you can probably walk to more everyday amenities (not bragging-rights stuff you go to twice a year, if that) from the center of downtown Heath than you can from the center of Downtown Columbus.
Again, I think it comes down to one’s expectations and what one considers basic.
Instead of looking at what’s just in walking distance, one can look at the greater area and find the urban core of Columbus is very sustainable. People seem to not have a problem living in the suburbs and driving half way across town to a store, why does it somehow become different in downtown?
Part of the issue is that our downtown is relatively small compared to many other downtown areas and is still very much our business district first and foremost. Residential density has slowly been building up over time and will only continue to do so. The best way to make downtown better is to highlight the positive of the 43215 and bring people in that are willing to contribute to providing the leadership the area needs. Constantly nitpicking what Columbus downtown has and doesn’t have (name me a suburb that has 6-7 grocery options within a 5-6 mile drive) does nothing but contribute to the negative stereotypes that have plagued our city. Instead of telling us what you hated and why downtown was horrible, what were the positives? I am sure we have some lurkers on the board who are contemplating a move that are looking for that constructive criticism.
Different strokes for different folks.
Devils Advocate???? You think that secretly I think there are tons of great things to do downtown and it’s not seriously lacking basic amenities?
Take away your streetcar crusade and that number drops to “dozens, if not hundreds.”
I have not seen you take up the cause for sustainable, necessary retail downtown, or several of the other points I brought up. You also mocked me in a thread where I brought up the lack of late-night food options.
Pretty much everyone here knows that ‘Columbusite’ is one of your alter-egos you post under when you write things you know are outside of what a moderator should post.
Shame on both of us, Walker. :oops:
We used to have some as late the 1990′s to my recollection, but the ones I remember closed up due to lack of customers. So I guess that’s how.
I believe there still is one on North High near Gay called the
“American Food and Drink Center”. I’ve never been in there myself.
[url]http://www.yelp.com/biz/american-food-and-drink-center-columbus[/url]
If you count the gas stations and CVS I guess we still have some more. I guess it just depends on what you call a convenience store I guess.
I suppose Jung can fill us in on that criteria, but that was something else that caught my eye. It almost seems as if some of that data was gathered from WalkScore? Not that a CVS with limited hours has the same functionality as a UDF open late, but it’s got to count for more than “zero”.
I didn’t know there was the one that ZHC mentioned and strange it did not get picked up by the article. Also, Walkscore is NOT a very-up-to-date resource. It told me the closest bar to my house was The Brickyard.
I agree the CVS should count for something. Just as well it’s not open late, if you see the people who hang around out front during the day you’d have no desire to go there at night.
Show me where the nearest Meijer, Verizon store, and Steak n’ Shake (for example) are to the “urban core” of Columbus.
What suburb are you living in? People in the suburbs drive 3 minutes and they are to whatever store they wanted to go to. When I lived in Westerville I never had to drive “halfway across town” for anything.
Now you’re talking my language. I completely agree.
Do you mean ONLY 6-7? I can’t think of a suburb that doesn’t have at least that many. Westerville, for starters has at least 4 full-service grocery stores within 2 miles of the city center, and a good handful more if you go couple miles further out.
Residential density has slowly been building up over time and will only continue to do so. The best way to make downtown better is to highlight the positive of the 43215 and bring people in that are willing to contribute to providing the leadership the area needs. Constantly nitpicking what Columbus downtown has and doesn’t have does nothing but contribute to the negative stereotypes that have plagued our city. Instead of telling us what you hated and why downtown was horrible, what were the positives? I am sure we have some lurkers on the board who are contemplating a move that are looking for that constructive criticism.
I agree with this, too. To an extent. I love Columbus and love downtown. But it is similar to being in love with a girl who has certain things she does that really bug you, and they’re kinda major things you don’t really think you should have to put up with in the relationship. And it’s like if you ever even try and bring it up, she gets all upset and emotional and says, “WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SO CRITICAL? DO YOU LOVE ME OR NOT? I CAN’T TAKE BEING WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU IF ALL YOU DO IS NITPICK!” And then she gets out of the car and you spend the next 2 hours driving around Grandview looking for her because it’s the middle of January and there’s no way she is walking home. That’s Columbus to me.
You and Walker are playing the roll of that girl. Now, I’m much more flippant talking about a city in general on an internet forum than I would be talking to a person, but you get the idea.
Maybe I am too critical :(
I see what you guys are saying that you should focus on the positive, but it’s like, if all you do is do that, you’re ignoring the fact that you have to drive to Easton just to get a new phone. You shouldn’t have to do that in a real city. It’s not right.
I guess it makes sense why Walker is married and living in Columbus and I’m single and living out of state.
If that’s what you value, downtown is obviously the wrong place for you.
And show me where in the Suburbs you can go to equate the North Market, Pearl Alley, the local retail along High St, place like Jenni’s, Tigertree or Zettler. How often do you really need to go to a Verizon store? How often do you need to go to a Steak n’ Shake (and there was one on campus until very recently)? What makes Meijer so special?
Our downtown, when looking at just the basics, provides most of what your asking for-if you’re willing to look at it as you would any other part of town. I expect that in a city as large as Columbus, a moderate amount of travel will be required for a handful of errands. But if I stop and think, most of the basics can be handled right in your backyard within just a few miles. It’s when you throw absurd what ifs into the mix (are you really looking to eat at steak n shake everyday?) then you’re not seeing the bigger picture.
I’ll grant Columbus has flaws-as does any major city-but she has her good side.
Not to my knowledge… maybe I have just never seen them? The closest one I know of to downtown is the Shell in the Brewery District.
There’s a BP at Fifth & Rich and a Marathon at Mound & Front.
No, but I’ve seen you enjoy the things that urban Columbus has to offer, and then watched you zero in online with the negative in an attempt to “balance out” the cheerleading on CU. ;)
Cough. Cough.
Those are two of the longer blog posts I’ve made on the topic of retail/groceries downtown. A search for “City Center” or a quick browse through the Shopping News threads should give you plenty of smaller examples of my personal stance on developing downtown retail.
I do believe you though when you say you haven’t seen me talk about any of this before, because you only seem to look for controversy, and it sounds like we’re mostly in agreement on what’s missing from downtown.
I’m sorry I made fun of you for eating at Tee Jays. I hope one day you can forgive me. :P
If that’s what you value, downtown is obviously the wrong place for you.
Uh… no. If any of those stores were setting up in/around downtown, plenty of people would be very excited.
Heh… who’s strawmanning now?
I don’t get it.
If that’s what you value, downtown is obviously the wrong place for you.
As Walker pointed out, not true.
Nowhere. And this is precisely why downtown kicks ass and I loved living there. Not to mention Goodale Park, the Arena District, the rest of the Short North, Ballet Met, COSI, and tons of other things.
However, living there as long as I did, I frequently found myself getting in my car and having to leave downtown to get even simple and basic things. Usually it could be solved with a quick trip to the Target at Lennox, but not always. This upset me because I don’t want to have to drive to the suburbs for anything. Ever.
Meijer is special because it’s 24 hours and has just about everything. Nowehere in or around downtown Columbus comes close. The nearest, like I said, is the Target at Lennox and they’re not 24 hour and don’t really have a grocery section.
I don’t care if it’s Steak n Shake, but just about weekly I’m in a situation where I would like some late night eats, and the option close to downtown are essentially nil.
Steak n Shake was an example. It’s not a necessity. But someplace like a Meijer or Target essentially is. Or a bookstore. Or clothing stores that don’t charge $45 for a t-shirt.
Basically the suburbs are all substance (tons of retail options all very accesible) but not as much culture. Downtown is the other way around. Either way you are making a sacrifice. People who live in dense urban areas of other, even comprobably-sized, cities do not have to make that trade-off.
I completely agree. And as 95% of the photographers who have shot skylines of Columbus will tell you, that side is looking in from the West over the river.
Didn’t know about either, thanks for the correction/info.
No, but I’ve seen you enjoy the things that urban Columbus has to offer, and then watched you zero in online with the negative in an attempt to “balance out” the cheerleading on CU. ;)
True enough. I have tasted the sweet fruit that is Downtown Columbus on many an occasion. Maybe it’s part of a withdrawl syndrome that I speak so loudly when I find fault in my former mistress.
Cough. Cough.
Those are two of the longer blog posts I’ve made on the topic of retail/groceries downtown. A search for “City Center” or a quick browse through the Shopping News threads should give you plenty of smaller examples of my personal stance on developing downtown retail.
I do believe you though when you say you haven’t seen me talk about any of this before, because you only seem to look for controversy, and it sounds like we’re mostly in agreement on what’s missing from downtown.
Touché. I had not seen those and it seems we are very much in agreement.
I’m sorry I made fun of you for eating at Tee Jays. I hope one day you can forgive me. :P
It’s water beside a bridge, Walker.
Heh… who’s strawmanning now?
Fair enough. Withdrawn.
I don’t get it.
The joke was I’m too critical to keep a girlfriend or live somewhere that requires me to drive to the suburbs to buy a cellphone charger. You look for the positive. Hence, our different lifestyles/situations. It was a play off Twowheels’ “different strokes” comment.
Ah. Gotcha. Hopefully you found a good neighborhood in Bellingham that provides you with all of your cellphone charger needs. I’ll be picking up an iPhone sometime next year, so I’ll have to drive out to Easton to the Apple Store for it. And while I’d rather have a second Apple Store (next to CCAD perhaps?) that I could walk to…. I’m ok with the drive. Because Easton isn’t a bad place. And its only a 10 minute drive. And I hopefully will only ever need one cell phone charger. ;)
If that’s what you value, downtown is obviously the wrong place for you.
Uh… no. If any of those stores were setting up in/around downtown, plenty of people would be very excited.
Don’t get me wrong, things like that would be great. I’m just saying in the grand scheme of things are they really that important now?
Speaking in generalities, what do downtown residents have access to?
Groceries? Yes. Healthcare? Yes. Food Service? Yes. Transit? Yes. Gas Stations? Yes. Hardware store? Yes. Shopping Mall? Yes (if you’re OK with a drive/bus to Easton or Lennox or Tuttle. I don’t see many people in Groveport complaining about Easton’s location) Education? Yes. Fitness opportunities? Yes. Parks? Yes, to an extent.
Obviously the girl didn’t want to be found and who can blame her? While you were obsessing on yourself she was smart enough to cut through the houses to another block and called a cab that hopefully took her far far away from you The End.
While to a certain extent, I agree with a lot of your points in this thread Lo2W…the report itself that was generated disagrees with some. Groceries for example:
the supermarkets and groceries category. As this was
bound to raise questions, we looked at the data in
greater detail. The business is called FM Food & Music –
music, in a grocery store?
The address was listed as 80 S. 4th Street. Since this is
only a few blocks from the CRP office, we took a walk
there to check out FM Food & Music. The space was
empty, a relatively small storefront, with a “For Leaseâ€
sign in the window. While there are multiple
supermarkets less than 1 mile outside its boundaries,
downtown itself still has none.
Combined with no convenience stores, this does seem to be a fairly significant hole in the amenities.
Parks would be another, and while the report shows 30 acres of parks they are all disjointed and mostly placed around the exterior border.
confines, and more acreage across and along the
Scioto River. However, the heart of downtown is
generally devoid of parks. Public green spaces exist at
the State House and college campuses such as CCAD
and Columbus State Community College. A small dog
park at the intersection of Spring and 4th Streets was
recently finished.
Now, I’m a lifelong Columbus resident, so believe me…I see the changes that have happened downtown over the past several years and they’re huge, and I have no doubt they will continue and fill in the gaps…but I do see there are still gaps as of today.
CVS fits under the pharmacies category, of which the data from ESRI showed there was 5. Gas stations have their own category, which we did not include in that table. So these do have convenience store type functions but are in other classifications. ESRI uses the Census NAICS codes for businesses: http://www.census.gov/naics/2007/index.html
If you peruse the detailed list, you can get a sense of both the depth and the limitations of the data.
I have at least 9 full service groceries (that doesn’t count Target, 7-11, and other local sketchy convenience stores) within 3 miles of my condo in my suburb.
I am really frustrated reading all these posts. Why does downtown have to turn into a residential area when there are neighborhoods nearby within walking distance to the statehouse/office buildings in downtown. There are obviously substantial amenities (grocery, doctors, restaurants, bars, boutiques) in neighboring areas of SN, GV, Brewery Dist., etc. Sure I agree about redeveloping OTE/ KLD to include more amenities, but what’s the big deal with bringing housing where we work?
Dublin, FTW!
Kroger and Giant Eagle at Perimeter Center
Kroger on Bridge St
Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods at 161/Sawmill
Kroger Marketplace at Sawmill and Hard Rd
That’s 6 grocery stores definitely within a 6 mile drive of each other.
The roy smackdown! *snap!*
We also have access to anything in the US, simply by driving to Port Columbus (closer than Easton, even!) and getting on a plane.
My whole issue is not access, but accessibility. I believe it’s a problem if people have to get in their car and drive 8 miles away from downtown to do basic shopping.
I see what you’re saying. I think the issue most people are addressing (myself included) is that downtown is already a residential district, to an extent, but does not have the necessary infrastructure to sustain itself without people having to leave and go to a different area (Grandview, Easton, Hilliard, etc.) to do many basic things that should be available in their own neighborhood.
So my point is: I think its OK to leave your area to go have those amenities. Isn’t THAT what makes a city grow? More neighborhoods, more areas to do things in? Other places to go to do things?
I live in the suburbs withalmost every single amenity within walking distance or a short drive, but I still come to SN, GV, Clintonville, Dublin to shop/eat/do an activity all the time. I think thats what makes Columbus an interesting city and a large metropolitan area. I just don’t see how building those things you talk about downtown (as defined by the study) is going to be beneficial when those things are already nearby.