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Greater Columbus "Main Streets"

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Started 2 years ago by noktulo
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noktulo
Columbus
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I'm trying to make a map of all the "main streets" in the Columbus area. By this I mean areas where there is a street with lots of shops, restaurants, and residences within a walkable distance. Examples would be High Street in the Short North (large-scale), Main Street in Bexley (mid-scale), and Mill Street in Gahanna (small-scale). I'm looking for these types of areas of any size, since they can certainly grow.

I'm interested in transit in Columbus, and I'm looking for areas where people could potentially live and walk for their day-to-day needs and entertainment, and then take transit to get to work or other parts of the city. Where a car isn't needed for day-to-day living. These are also places that would be attractive for people to visit and spend part of their day via transit, because once you're there you can walk a street that has lots of things to do, without needing to drive from place to place.

I started a map on Google Maps and it's open for anyone to edit. Just make a line that shows where the walkable, densely-developed area is. The map is available here: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=39.999742,-82.950897&spn=0.29719,0.561676&z=11&msid=113338291183932688952.00046ea32fbacbe540053

Plus, this is interesting for myself. I'd love to find new places in Columbus where I can just walk a street and explore.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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I was going to add downtown Canal Winchester, which lies right near a rail track. There is a small cluster of shop, restaurants, a medical office and residences. Easy walk/bike to the Gender Road area, though things get interesting at that point. Map takes me to Columbus Urban Foraging, though.

Posted 2 years ago #
Core_Models
Columbus
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I think (and I'd have to verify) that the model other cities used for their streetcar routes was actually picking routes that could be what you describe, but weren't yet. That way the development filled them in.

Posted 2 years ago #
TheOtherZach
Zackass
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Not sure if these are dense enough, but
Mohawk
Whittier
Thurman (between High and Jager)

These feel like they could hit that level of density soon, but aren't quite there
Long Street
4th in Merion Village

Posted 2 years ago #
B_C_B
Upper Arlington
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Grandview Ave, in Grandview.

Posted 2 years ago #
BCNation
Franklin Park
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Whitehall- Yearling Rd./Hamilton Rd./Broad St.
Westerville- State Street
Olde Towne East- Parsons Ave.
Linden- Cleveland Ave.

Posted 2 years ago #
patient_zero
Falafel District
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BCNation wrote >>
Westerville- State Street

Downtown Westerville came to my mind also. Although State Street is very walkable close to and including Otterbein College, it's a LONG walk from where the #1 bus drops you off, and where you want to go. And the Express buses 36 and 37 only run early in the morning and in the evening, with a big gap in between.

But agreed on the scenic value and walkability.

http://www.uptownmerchants.com/

Posted 2 years ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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I have a similar map in the works, with an urban focus of course, and with grades for each. Many of our main streets have mostly been torn down for what was then "the future". Unless you're looking to cash a check, buy a 40 and some smokes at a run down carryout and/or a wig in a shabby stretch of storefronts, there's not much to walk to. W Broad, Parsons, Cleveland, E 5th, S High, etc have been given over to the brutal combination of car-dependency and undesirable sub-cultures. These streets and more are all stark reminders that healthy, intact main streets and communities like the Short North are the exception, not the rule. They used to be places you might want to go to, but that was a long time ago and it'll require a long-term, concentrated effort just for one more street to approach anything close to High St.

Posted 2 years ago #
brandonphoto
German Village
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S. 3rd Street in German Village.
Pockets of N. 4th St. in Italian Village
E. Main St. in Bexley

Posted 2 years ago #
noktulo
Columbus
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Core_Models wrote >>
I think (and I'd have to verify) that the model other cities used for their streetcar routes was actually picking routes that could be what you describe, but weren't yet. That way the development filled them in.

I agree. That's why I included things like Creekside in Gahanna, which currently just has one housing development and not much else, but could be redeveloped more densely. I think that development might be easier if there's already a seed of denseness from which the "main street" can germinate.

Posted 2 years ago #
noktulo
Columbus
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lifeontwowheels wrote >>
I was going to add downtown Canal Winchester, which lies right near a rail track. There is a small cluster of shop, restaurants, a medical office and residences. Easy walk/bike to the Gender Road area, though things get interesting at that point. Map takes me to Columbus Urban Foraging, though.

That's really weird. How about this link?

Columbus Area "Main Streets"

Thanks for all your help already, everybody. It would be even more helpful if people can mark on the map, because I don't really know which stretches of the streets mentioned are the developed parts.

Posted 2 years ago #
noktulo
Columbus
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@ columbusite: That's an awesome map. Those stretches you have in green, yellow, or orange are the kind of thing I'm looking for. They could really benefit from permanent streetcar investment, and the "germ" of what is already there makes it likely that more businesses would conglomerate there.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Still taking me to urban foraging...anybody else?

ETA

Seems to be an issue w/Safari-though Mozilla had issues as well the first try.

Added the Canal Winchester downtown area and marked the new bike path CW just put in. It connects to the Gender Road bike lane (and eventually the Groveport trail projects and the Alum Creek Trail). Gender is not really "walkable" but the development there has really blossomed. It's at least accessible by other means. I believe Canal is really a place that could fit what you are looking at.

Posted 2 years ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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noktulo wrote >>
@ columbusite: That's an awesome map. Those stretches you have in green, yellow, or orange are the kind of thing I'm looking for. They could really benefit from permanent streetcar investment, and the "germ" of what is already there makes it likely that more businesses would conglomerate there.

Still working on expanding and I added crappy E Hudson in Linden. When you think about how long some of these roads are, it is astounding that there is virtually nothing to recommend on some of them. E Hudson is about a mile long, yet when was the last time anyone suggested heading over there? That question is for anyone here. Just more reason to adopt a policy to encourage multi-modal urban development so that we can link them together with a streetcar and encourage further development.

Posted 2 years ago #