I remember when... (photos of Columbus ghettos) « Columbus Underground Messageboard

Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Q&A

I remember when... (photos of Columbus ghettos)

[122 posts] [59 contributors]

Topic Rating:

(Total Ratings: )
Rate this topic:

Started 4 years ago by Motorist
Latest reply from futureman

Tags:

« Previous 123…7 Next »

Walker
The KLD / Downtown
Login to Send PM

somertimeoh wrote I think it's less about keeping the neighborhood dirty and unsafe and more about sadness for the places they had some of the best times of their lives in being gone.
I just really don't think there's a very high percentage of people who want to re-frequent the old south campus dives for nostalgic purposes. You can feel nostalgic at home just as easily whether the old dive bar still exists or not.
somertimeoh wrote I'm sure if you think about it you've got connections to places like this and if they were gone you'd be bummed too, even if it meant a greater good.
The campus spot where my wife and I hung out quite a bit back when we first started dating has changed names several times and is temporarily closed and may end up being permanently closed, and I could honestly care less. Neither of us ever plan on going back there anyway. What for? To hang out with college kids? Listen to shitty music? Drink pitchers of shitty beer? I can think about the good times we had while going somewhere else. 8)

Posted 4 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
Login to Send PM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11930172@N02/1988422155
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26841299@N00/453455494
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11930172@N02/1389178080/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11930172@N02/1989255690/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dania_h/325320180/

Posted 4 years ago #
Motorist
The Trots
Login to Send PM

Mercurius wrote
Sadly, this building looked much better than what replaced it.
Are those all OTE pictures?

Posted 4 years ago #
HeySquare
German Village
Login to Send PM

Walker wrote I can't believe some OSU alumni still cry out for the days before South Campus Gateway. I mean look at those photos... would any self-respecting 30+ year old alumni seriously considering hanging out in or around those buildings or businesses?
OK, so we traded for an Ugly Tuna Saloona? Clearly a destination of choice. :) I can't wait for the freshmen of today to wail that lament 20 years from now: "I remember back in the day, we had the Ugly Tuna Saloona there. I'll never forget that place."
I need to interject here to say, I don't remember South Campus prior to the Gateway. I know it was the dumpy epicenter for drinking and the associated wonderfulness that comes along with a row of bars near one of the biggest universities in the country. I just think there were trade-offs with this development. I never underestimate the power of a former Ohio State football star to pull in the alum, so I'm sure Eddie George's is doing well, but at least acknowledge that, run down or not, the area did have character. And dumpy or not, it was an incubator for small businesses-- something that the current Gateway is not.
Is the new development terrible? No. I think it serves the purpose. The Drexel is a highlight, and the fact that they have an integrated mix of stores (grocery, retail, restaurants, bars, bookstore, etc) is a big selling point, and speaks to a thoughtful development plan. But I don't think that the rents in the new spaces are going to provide the right balance of rent-income for a new business to survive. I expect to see a high turnover for the start-up retail in this space.
Most of the buildings in the old South Campus area were comparable to what is in the Short North. Look at the photographs. So I have to think that, with the right combination of legislation and investment, the area could have been rehabbed rather than razed. Would we have gotten Eddie George's Grill? Probably not. Would other small businesses had the opportunity to start-up? Probably.
But hey, we got a pretty sweet parking garage out of the deal. :roll:

Posted 4 years ago #
BUTerrier
Grandview
Login to Send PM

UHHHHH the gateway does not support small business? I think their intentions were not to support small business, but being that they could not lease a bunch of the space to national chains, look at all the small businesses that pack the gateway, I would guess you have never been to the gateway

Posted 4 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
Login to Send PM

Motorist wrote Are those all OTE pictures?
No, there are some short north and weiland park.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
Login to Send PM

HeySquare wrote And dumpy or not, it was an incubator for small businesses-- something that the current Gateway is not.
You might want to do some homework on that.

Posted 4 years ago #
drewtoothpaste
upper arlington
Login to Send PM

Mercurius wrote
I do truly miss the "Cock And Balls" building. I used to spend hours there, incubating my business.

Posted 4 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
Login to Send PM

I'm not sure where these come from other than Columbus (I would imagine still ghetto areas south of main and Linden?

Posted 4 years ago #
BUTerrier
Grandview
Login to Send PM

2nd picture is 4th street.

Posted 4 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
Login to Send PM

1st pic is at 4th and king(I think)
2nd is along 4th between 5th and 11th

Posted 4 years ago #
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
Login to Send PM

I can't believe someone broke into a building, brought a can of spray paint and then thought, "huh, what to write? Got it! Cock and Balls!!"

Posted 4 years ago #
vestanpance
Harrison West/at work OSU
Login to Send PM

and I'm glad I wrote it too! :P

Posted 4 years ago #
vestanpance
Harrison West/at work OSU
Login to Send PM

sheyanicole wrote more high street.......also try this website http://www.columbuslibrary.org/cmlohio/photohome.cfm
and for anyone new to the area that there in the shadows is where skullys was before it moved to the SN.
I forgot all about Colors barber shop.

Posted 4 years ago #
HeySquare
German Village
Login to Send PM

BUTerrier wrote UHHHHH the gateway does not support small business? I think their intentions were not to support small business, but being that they could not lease a bunch of the space to national chains, look at all the small businesses that pack the gateway, I would guess you have never been to the gateway
Walker wrote
HeySquare wrote And dumpy or not, it was an incubator for small businesses-- something that the current Gateway is not.
You might want to do some homework on that.
OK... here's the homework. South Campus Gateway website itemizes 4 mixed uses: retail, restaurant, entertainment, and office.
retail: 16 businesses
restaurant: 11 businesses
entertainment: 3 businesses (2 of which were actually the Drexel, the third was the skye bar)
Offices: 2 OSU offices.
talking retail and restaurant, of the 27 businesses listed, by my count, a whopping 9 of them can be considered independent Columbus businesses-- (Au Moda, Lave, Le Luxe, Status, Y Boutique, No Tan Lines, Eddie George's Grill, Pesto, and the Happy Greek)and I'm being generous, since I'm including Pesto, which has plans to expand as a chain restaurant, but since they are developing their "flagship" restaurant at the Gateway, I'll throw that in, and the tanning salon. Not sure that the product in a tanning salon can be distinguished from salon to salon, but it is a locally owned company. It's decent number, but it's not exactly the Short North-- I just don't think you can claim that this project was anything but a push to eliminate a strip of problem bars. And say what you will, but the bars are small businesses-- places like Skullys, record stores-- they put us on the map in the independent music scene. You talk about destinations-- well, I seek out the cool independent music scene when I travel, and dumpy bars with bad-ass rock bands are a legit destination, even in my 30-somethings. When I look back on the coolest clubs I've been to... well, the neighborhoods sucked. The 930 club. BCBG. Mercury Lounge. Khyber Pass (Ok, well, Olde City never really sucked, but it wasn't what it is today...) South Street... and the multiple locations in Pittsburgh that I could never find again, even with GPS modern technology... anyway, I digress... I just think there is a place in the world for crappy bars and rockin music. And in a row, near a college campus, seems pretty logical. You can clean up an area without having to raze the built envorinment wholesale.
I hope that all the businesses in the Gateway do extremely well, and that it proves to be a location where small businesses thrive. But like the Cap, I know what rent in new construction can cost. I just hope the location proves to be worth the price of admission.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
Login to Send PM

HeySquare wrote talking retail and restaurant, of the 27 businesses listed, by my count, a whopping 9 of them can be considered independent Columbus businesses
So 33% of the businesses there are small, local, and independent.
What do the percentages look like at Easton or Polaris or any other retail/shopping destination?
I've talked with some of the people in charge of running the South Campus Gateway. They've turned down several chain stores in favor of small businesses. Sure, the rent is somewhat high, but the college foot traffic is also extremely high for businesses that can cater to that demographic successfully.
So yes, the South Campus Gateway is an incubator for small businesses.

Posted 4 years ago #
Motorist
The Trots
Login to Send PM

HeySquare wrote [I just think there is a place in the world for crappy bars and rockin music. And in a row, near a college campus, seems pretty logical. You can clean up an area without having to raze the built envorinment wholesale.
I hope that all the businesses in the Gateway do extremely well, and that it proves to be a location where small businesses thrive. But like the Cap, I know what rent in new construction can cost. I just hope the location proves to be worth the price of admission.
I would normally agree with you about not tearing everything down and starting over but when I first moved to Columbus (just as they started the demolition for the Gateway), I couldn't believe what a festering shithole OSU's campus area was. I would like to see them move their way up High Street, tearing shit down as they go. I'm sure there are some buildings worth saving in there but I don't go to campus enough to know where they are. I really like that the Gateway puts more housing right on High Street.

Posted 4 years ago #
BetsyB
Westgate
Login to Send PM

this pains me to agree, but most of the buildings that were at South Campus were in pretty bad shape, and I am not sure if they were worth saving...I think what was put in place works for the generation of the kids that are there now, but one of things I enjoyed about going to the same school that my mom and aunt did, was that the same places that were there 45 years ago, were there when I went. ex. The original Long's Bookstore, not al's, south heidlberg
Too bad Max won't have that same thing in common with his parents (if he decides to go to OSU)

Posted 4 years ago #
sheyanicole
Grove City, Ohio
Login to Send PM

vestanpance wrote
sheyanicole wrote more high street.......also try this website http://www.columbuslibrary.org/cmlohio/photohome.cfm
and for anyone new to the area that there in the shadows is where skullys was before it moved to the SN.
I forgot all about Colors barber shop.
And behind the photographer (which we can't see) is where Manolia Thunderpussy once was.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
Login to Send PM

BetsyB wrote one of things I enjoyed about going to the same school that my mom and aunt did, was that the same places that were there 45 years ago, were there when I went.
There's still a lot of tradition in and around campus. It didn't all go away with the SCG.

Posted 4 years ago #