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From The Dispatch:
Mapping the past – The King Lincoln District
By Mark FerenchikMapping the King-Lincoln and Mount Vernon neighborhoods on the Near East Side turned out to be more than just an academic exercise for Ohio State University geography students. They also mapped 24 points of pride for the neighborhoods, including the Alpha Building on E. Long Street, the first black hospital in Columbus, and the St. Clair Hotel, which provided rooms for black people when white hotels would not.
I think the article did a pretty good job of assessing the neighborhood fairly: loads of potential, lots of progress being made in the past few years, but still a long way to go. :D
Exciting to be a part of it!
This is a nice article. I’m happy to see the area bounce back and glad that the great small businesses were all mentioned and seem to be thriving.
Great area and glad to see the positive press. Urban Spirit is a nice little place along Long. I need to check out some of the others.
Oh, now what’s this? King-Lincoln has shrunk and now neighbors the newly dubbed Mount Vernon neighborhood? According to the plan KL reaches up to Atcheson, I don’t see why the border wasn’t just extended to 670 instead of moving it back and carving out a new neighborhood.
I’m guessing this was done because Mt Vernon Ave and the surrounding area, including the projects, is something that some people in KL would rather not be associated with to encourage development which has only slighty taken place. I guess they figure MV is too large of a hurdle and too big of an eyesore. Better to be next to an iffy area than live “in” it. At the same time, both neighborhoods combined had little to offer, now even less since they’ve been separated by who, I don’t know.
As far as the KLD plan goes, it was drafted in 2002. Seven years have passed, and the city did not “create a roadway system that promotes the District as a destination spot and as an area for successful economic and residential development, rather than as a neighborhood of pass-through streets.” (italics mine). The city already knows how to do this as evidenced by Gay St just down the road, but hasn’t. Nor has the neighborhood association lead grassroots efforts to take on smaller, still important tasks like converting grass lots into gardens, putting a fresh coat of paint on run-down buildings, and enforcing design codes. Of course, solely focusing on revitalization within the neighborhood is a problem too. Long St down to High has several gaps that need infill to draw people east and Broad St serves as a barrier, not a link, between KL and OTE.
I’m glad to see the Dispatch did a balanced take on the area and pointed out the good along with the bad. Hope the article nudges some people check it out.
I don’t believe the borders defined in the Dispatch article are anything more than what the students/classroom were defining them as. I’ve never seen anything else labeling these areas as such with those boundaries.
Has anyone tried Creole Kitchen (mentioned in the article)? I’ve eaten dinner there, and it’s worth checking out. They dish up tasty vegetarian, meat, and seafood dishes all at a reasonable price. I’m looking forward to trying their breakfast some day this summer!
Oh, yes. Creole Kitchen is awesome! :D
- Creole Kitchen Review
- Breakfast at Creole Kitchen
- Beignets at Creole Kitchen
Great stuff, but haven’t been by bike since it is in a strip mall. Would be nice to have other unique, high quality offerings here. Just give people more reasons to go and they will.
The neighborhood maps included in the actual story are not done by the students in the class. The student maps do not make a distinction between the two neighborhoods. They focus on the Near East in general. The maps in the article were made by the Dispatch; the maps on the geography.osu.edu/maps2serve site were made by students.
Well that’s pretty weird. I wonder why they did that. I’ve never seen anything from the city showing it mapped like that. Most take the area from Broad to Atcheson and Jefferson (on the other side of 71) over to 20th.
There are several maps of that area in this PDF file: http://assets.columbus.gov/development/planning/kinglincoln.pdf
Columbusite, what the hell does being in a strip mall have to do with getting there on a bike? I think the road still goes right by the strip mall. They probably have little paved bits to get you from the road to the strip mall.
Kickstart is in a strip mall. Do you go there?
WOW – This Theater with Maurice Hines will be written up nationally (constantly)and should be another reason to draw investment to E Long Street and surrounding streets – think housing renovation, new appropriate infill and commercial, coffee shops, galleries and eateries. We are creating finally like Mr. Wexner a brand that tells a story and sells – hurray! This is another great example of the positive changes in KLD and Olde Towne -anyone check out the great new sign at Parson’s and Broad – very, very cool – folks this is called branding a community and is the one thing Columbus does not do well.
On another note – I’m still proposing that one “single” albeit major change could jumpstart major housing and quality of life improvements in the KLD neighborhood “overnite” not 10 years from today – I’m advocating pedestrian friendly matching decorative lighting between E Broad and Mt Vernon – from Hamilton Park East to N 22nd Street and from E Broad North to Mt Vernon Ave – think N Monroe, N 17th, Miami, N 20th, 21rst and Spring should all have decorative period respectfutl lighting – keep the cobra heads or replace them with the German Village historically sensitive green tear drops and supplement with new lighting close to the ground like on E Long – so we get more light on these streets-
Why can the Mayor spend millions in the University District for temporary residents i.e OSU strudents – who don’t even pay taxes on lighting to deter crime and not make it a priorty or find the funds to do it here – lighting deters crime, vandalism, statistics tell the story – who out there can write a HUD grant to get some of those “infrastructure stimulus” dollars invested here in Columbus in KLD???
Lets all call Boyce Safford and the Mayor’s office – maybe 1000 phones calls might get their attention – Roxyanne Burrus is another person to call and use 614.645.7671. This will also compliment the theater and keep it filled and sold out, as well help folks feel safer coming into this area
Not to be negative about everything but that OTE sign at Broad and Parsons looks like hell. I’m not a fan of the logo in general and that’s terrible placement for it. I’m honestly surprised that it hasn’t been run down by a drunk driver or stolen yet.
Those OSU students do pay taxes if they are working their way through school, which most end up doing. Their city income tax is going towards infrastructure and improvements throughout the city. Indirectly their rent pays their landlord who in turn pays the property tax.
Trying to play the “they don’t pay taxes” card is nothing more than a BS cop out.
This is the problem I hear all too often with neighborhood revitalization efforts… one neighborhood pointing at another and complaining that they’re not getting their fair shake. We shouldn’t be looking to take away from one neighborhood to help another. Every area in Columbus indirectly benefits another. No need to make it cannibalistic.
Walker – you are right on both counts. I stand corrected – I also agree that OSU students do directly and indirectly pay taxes. Regarding the sign I like it – very, very cool. Although perhaps the placment might be problematic - Nevertheless – street lamps from E Broad N to Mt Vernon – is an extremely good idea and would make a significant impact on the revitalization efforts in KLD!!!
I have very high hopes for this neighborhood. I am one of the few purchasing a house on 20th ave. I believe the area is on the up and coming and lots of progress is being made. I believe there are 8 houses being built at this moment on 20th and 21st street with more planned for this summer.
Very cool. Welcome to the neighborhood! :D
Mt. Vernon Avenue re-naming attempt born out of hope
BY STEPH GREEGOR
Published: Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Rev. Melvin Steward has always been inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—so much so that he’s spent much of the past year trying to spark a new beginning for the blighted Mt. Vernon Avenue area by suggesting that historical stretch of road be renamed Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd. to honor the slain black leader.
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