Short North Closings and Openings

By: Walker

89 Comments

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  whackamullet January 16, 2007 8:03 pm

  Referring to the Short North as a “gallery district” is a misnomer, and becoming even moreso with each new gallery closing. Sad but true. A town that doesn’t support the arts financially doesn’t even deserve to have a “gallery district.” Don’t get me wrong, I love the Short North for what it is, but calling it a “gallery district” is a far stretch.
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  Walker January 16, 2007 10:03 pm

  I think the arty aspect of the Short North has peaked, and now that we’re seeing it becoming more commercialized it’s going to get “worse” for the artists before it gets better again. It’s part of the cycle for any neighborhood. We’ll probably see more new galleries, studios, and other art-related peoples setting up shop in cheaper and more bohemian-friendly areas like Olde Town East, Franklinton, and the King-Lincoln area.

  We’ll probably continue to see a rise there as far as stores and shops and things go, especially with many new housing developments under construction. Perhaps it wont be the plethora of locally-owned boutiques anymore, with a mix of chain-stores as well.

  And so the cycle continues.
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  whackamullet January 16, 2007 10:34 pm

  Walker wrote I think the arty aspect of the Short North has peaked, and now that we’re seeing it becoming more commercialized it’s going to get “worse” for the artists before it gets better again. It’s part of the cycle for any neighborhood. We’ll probably see more new galleries, studios, and other art-related peoples setting up shop in cheaper and more bohemian-friendly areas like Olde Town East, Franklinton, and the King-Lincoln area.

  We’ll probably continue to see a rise there as far as stores and shops and things go, especially with many new housing developments under construction. Perhaps it wont be the plethora of locally-owned boutiques anymore, with a mix of chain-stores as well.

  And so the cycle continues.

  You’re absolutely right about this being cyclical. The most prominent examples of this are SoHo and Chelsea in NYC. Soon it will happen to Williamsburg there. Also, in Chicago it was the Wicker Park area. The writing was on the wall for Wicker Park when MTV Real World posted up there in, I think, 2001. The artists in the area defaced that house daily. :)

  I won’t get on my soap box, but city’s love how cool and interesting artists are and how they tend to gentrify areas. So, city officials offer them financial incentives to populate destitute areas, ostensibly to show their appreciation for the creative class. BUT, when the area becomes trendy and appealing at the hands of the artists, all the young professional hipsters want to live there, rents are jacked up accordingly, and the career artists are forced out. A disheartening cycle. :?
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  art lyfe January 17, 2007 7:39 am

  Walker wrote
  

  Closings and Openings

  The Short North Insider

  Sadly, retail and galleries still seem to be moving or closing in the Short North.

  Art Impressions at 714 N. High St. is closing, as is Cowtown Art at 668 N. High St. This added to the list of Curio A Go Go failing at it’s second location and Friday the 13th next to Little Brothers recently closing, although you can still get some of their items from Joel Treadway’s Cringe shop online.

  Although, a little farther up the street at 1116 N. High St., What The Rock?! is taking a stab at a variety of different items based on musicians. Europia is now a full fledged state liquor store, while a Vino 100, a chain wine store, opened at 789 N. High St. Two new shoe stores, Shoe Classics at 765 N. High St., and Little Shop of Shoes at 664 N. High adds to the other shoe store, Legs Diamond already in the area. The Lamp Shade at 990 N. High St. also opened recently.

  Next to the Shoe Classics spot is a Segway store, although I personally enjoy walking in the Short North, so I doubt they will be getting any business from me.

  READ MORE

  You would think that a publication aout the short north that is doing a story on the short north would at least investigate enough to give the stores the intended name. It’s not SHOE Classics people it’s SOLE classics. anybody up for a orbit smoothie and a trip to dr. major x. rofl
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  Brewmaster January 17, 2007 7:53 am

  whackamullet wrote BUT, when the area becomes trendy and appealing at the hands of the artists, all the young professional hipsters want to live there, rents are jacked up accordingly, and the career artists are forced out. A disheartening cycle. :?

  Lets not make them out to be such victims. I know plenty of people who made killings in the Short North and Vic Village through appreciation. In many cases, it wasn’t them not being able to afford living there, it was them not being able to turn down offers.
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  Coremodels January 17, 2007 8:10 am

  The other side of this too, some other areas are starting to see a boost in their art offerings…particularly the Exchange area of Main St.
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  Walker January 17, 2007 9:31 am

  art lyfe wrote You would think that a publication aout the short north that is doing a story on the short north would at least investigate enough to give the stores the intended name. It’s not SHOE Classics people it’s SOLE classics. anybody up for a orbit smoothie and a trip to dr. major x. rofl

  I dunno if you followed the link or not, but this came from a personal blog about the Short North, so it’s not really a professional publication. I’m not trying to excuse them from messing up names, but I know I’ve made my fair share of mistakes while typing on Columbus Underground. :lol:
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  art lyfe January 17, 2007 9:47 am

  whackamullet wrote Referring to the Short North as a “gallery district” is a misnomer, and becoming even moreso with each new gallery closing. Sad but true. A town that doesn’t support the arts financially doesn’t even deserve to have a “gallery district.” Don’t get me wrong, I love the Short North for what it is, but calling it a “gallery district” is a far stretch.

  Yeah I have to say I’m feeling this statement. The short is more like vanity shops that have a few squares of art up on the wall amungst a bunch of retail items.
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  whackamullet January 17, 2007 9:54 am

  Brewmaster wrote
  

  whackamullet wrote BUT, when the area becomes trendy and appealing at the hands of the artists, all the young professional hipsters want to live there, rents are jacked up accordingly, and the career artists are forced out. A disheartening cycle. :?

  Lets not make them out to be such victims. I know plenty of people who made killings in the Short North and Vic Village through appreciation. In many cases, it wasn’t them not being able to afford living there, it was them not being able to turn down offers.

  Please expand on this, if you don’t mind. Made killings through appreciation? Not being able to turn down offers?

  Coremodels wrote The other side of this too, some other areas are starting to see a boost in their art offerings…particularly the Exchange area of Main St..

  I don’t know about “art offerings”, but, yes, you’re right in that the Exchange is now trying to cater to artists, as are many parts of OTE….which is exactly my point. It’s cyclical! They’re given short-term incentive to populate destitute areas, which will quickly become revitalized and unaffordable for them. This isn’t some sort of conspiracy theory among artists. It’s a fact, with a wealth of case history to support it. Generally speaking, independent career artists can now no longer afford the ridiculous rents in the Short North, the so-called “gallery district,” so they’re forced to re-establish themselves in another area. Hell, the galleries themselves can no longer off-set the overhead in the Short North! In 5-10 years, you’ll see very few artists in Exchange and OTE areas. Next stop: Hilltop Arts District?
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  Coremodels January 17, 2007 10:44 am

  LOL…don’t know about Hilltop, but don’t be surprised if it is Westgate.
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  Walker January 17, 2007 11:36 am

  I doubt Westgate will become an “Arts District”. It’s too residential and doesn’t really have the building structure for art galleries to set up anywhere except maybe the commercial strips along Broad or Sullivant. It would take a lot of major change though as a lot of those buildings are the “set back” structure that people complain about with the few in the Short North (UDF, Swan Cleaners, etc).

  I’d say Franklinton has a very good chance of becoming a new artisit community. There’s some interesting buildings there, the area is still dirt cheap right now, and it’s proximity to downtown and other existing neighborhoods is more appealing for that type of setup than with Hilltop/Westgate that sits a little further out.

  I guess it all just depends on the artists. :wink:
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  Likes Old Houses January 17, 2007 12:34 pm

  I think we will just see the galleries moving further north on High Street.
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  whackamullet January 17, 2007 12:52 pm

  Walker wrote I doubt Westgate will become an “Arts District”. It’s too residential and doesn’t really have the building structure for art galleries to set up anywhere except maybe the commercial strips along Broad or Sullivant.

  I was j/k about Hilltop :wink:

  However, I’m interested to see what becomes of that stretch of Parsons with this upcoming revitalization.
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  Walker January 17, 2007 12:57 pm

  Likes Old Houses wrote I think we will just see the galleries moving further north on High Street.

  True, some may head that way, but there’s only a limited amount of space between the commercialized central area of the Short North, and the commercialized south end of the Campus Gateway. And if that corner of the Weinland Park plan gets underway soon, it will make that gap even smaller.
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  gramarye January 17, 2007 1:03 pm

  Brewmaster wrote Lets not make them out to be such victims. I know plenty of people who made killings in the Short North and Vic Village through appreciation. In many cases, it wasn’t them not being able to afford living there, it was them not being able to turn down offers.

  Only if they owned. If they were leasing their gallery space and renting an apartment, the increase in property values did nothing for them. The people who made out like lottery winners were the ones who bought the cruddy old houses in southern Victorian Village and Italian Village when people would practically pay you to take them off their hands.

  Coremodels wrote The other side of this too, some other areas are starting to see a boost in their art offerings…particularly the Exchange area of Main St.

  Indeed. As our resident Machiavellian big-picture utilitarian, I have to say that I consider this a good thing for the city even if it does make life tough for the artists. From the artists’ perspective, they’re being successively chased north in the Short North and then out of the district entirely, then likewise into Market Exchange, the Discovery District, King-Lincoln, Franklinton, wherever and in whatever order that happens to happen.

  From the city’s perspective, of course, all of a sudden that migration has left a trail of revitalization through four or five neighborhoods, where it would barely have affected one had the city began propping up the community in one specific location with tax dollars.

  Also, in fairness, the Short North has been heading upward since the early 90′s. That means that it’s been fifteen years, or thereabouts. Most people end up moving much more often than that. If the arts community enjoys a similar run in the Discovery District/Market Exchange area, that pegs the next exodus from there at 2020. That’s hardly destabilizingly rapid change.
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  Brewmaster January 17, 2007 1:04 pm

  whackamullet wrote
  

  Brewmaster wrote
  

  whackamullet wrote BUT, when the area becomes trendy and appealing at the hands of the artists, all the young professional hipsters want to live there, rents are jacked up accordingly, and the career artists are forced out. A disheartening cycle. :?

  Lets not make them out to be such victims. I know plenty of people who made killings in the Short North and Vic Village through appreciation. In many cases, it wasn’t them not being able to afford living there, it was them not being able to turn down offers.

  Please expand on this, if you don’t mind. Made killings through appreciation? Not being able to turn down offers?

  15 years ago that area had more prostitutes and drug dealers than retail shops. People who invested in the area saw a huge appreciation in thier property values. Perhaps the word “offer” was too strong. Maybe it would’ve been more accurate to say that thier rising property values provided a huge incentive to sell.

  Perhaps there were a few artists who rented space that were priced out by landlords, but there had to be at least as many who benefitted than were victimized.
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  kitoba January 17, 2007 2:39 pm

  April and I have noticed this trend for a while now. It’s hardly worthwhile to go south of Buttles anymore if you’re looking for art and not commerce.

  But I can’t see any of this being a bad thing as long as the artists don’t abandon the inner city altogether. There are plenty of depressed neighborhoods that could benefit from the old artistic makeover.

  Not to mention the fact that there are a number of really interesting, meaningful or quirky galleries, restaurants and shops up near the north end of the Short North –just like there used to be further south…

  Of course, the best scenario would be if the artists would move down into downtown proper, and liven that place up a little…
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  Coremodels January 17, 2007 3:06 pm

  OH yeah, make no mistake, growing up here when I was young the Short North was “the hood” filled with serious gangs like the Short North Posse, which was even the target of a multi jurisdictional task force that ended up putting out like 30 life sentences for racketeering.

  you just didn’t go there.
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  Paul January 17, 2007 3:14 pm

  What exactly is racketeering?
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  Coremodels January 17, 2007 3:21 pm

  Basically it’s organized crime, or in this case an ongoing pattern of criminal activity that could be defined for RICO statutes, which is a broad kind of vague act that enables you to bust a guy for, say, selling a gram of coke…but turn it into a HUGE deal by connecting it to a pattern of crime and then handing down a life sentence.