WalkerEvans

<b>Pera Brings Fresh Istanbul Food to University District</b> By: Walker <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/pera-02.jpg"> After a decade at Easton, Cafe Istanbul is rapidly expanding into other neighborhoods. Owner and executive chef Faith Gunal opened a second location last year in Bexley, and recently launched Pera, a fast-casual concept spin-off in The University District. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/pera-brings-fresh-istanbul-food-to-university-district

Published on March 13, 2012 1:00 pm Edit this post <b>Dinin’ Hall Brings Food Truck Food Court to Franklinton in May</b> By: Walker <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/dinin-hall-01.jpg"> Beloved are our Columbus food trucks. They’ve had an interesting and evolving impact on the local dining scene in just a few short years, and 2012 promises a new round of innovation with the official launch of Dinin’ Hall in May. Dinin’ Hall will be the first “street food pod” in Columbus (San Francisco is also getting their first one this Spring) which provides additional amenities to food truck dining, including indoor seating, a centralized checkout system, and a built environment more welcoming to newcomers who have previously been on the fence about eating out of mobile vehicles. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/dinin-hall-brings-food-truck-food-court-to-franklinton-in-may

The core of Downtown is the city's "Central Business District". Every large city has one, and it's largely a 9-to-5 M-F work zone. Downtown was formerly a very mixed-use kind of place, as were most cities. Office towers and parking lots/garages were a dominant addition and housing and retail were downplayed for several decades. Downtown Columbus really bottomed out in population between 1990 and 2000, and retail bottomed out during a similar timeframe, ended with the closure of City Center Mall. Since 2002, there's been an upswing with several thousand new residential units added, and a smattering of retail (mostly restaurants and bars) re-emerging. There's still a very long way to go, but the dent made in the last 5 years was quite noticeable. I have a feeling there will be another small surge in the next 18-24 months with the completion of new apartments at The Atlas Building, Leveque Tower, Neighborhood Launch and Discovery District Commons, added close to another 1000 new residents into Downtown with some additional retail units in between, including the new Hills Market Grocery Store at Gay & Grant. So, onward and upward. And in the meantime, it's not hard to walk, bike or bus to the Short North or Arena District when you want to go out for a drink or dinner. ;)

Photo update of Commons at Third (March 18): <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/construction-march-12.jpg">

Couple of updates... FBI Building (March 18): <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/construction-march-06.jpg"> Nationwide Office Building (March 18): <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/construction-march-04.jpg">

Hotel Bar? There's not one right now, so Subway will have to suffice. ;)

I was really impressed to see how quickly these Weinland Park homes are sprouting up. There's at least two dozen in a row along two blocks of Sixth. And many more to come.

Yeah, really impressive to see these buildings going up so quickly. It's going to be a great neighborhood in itself when finished. I just wish it didn't feel so disconnected from Downtown from a walking/biking/transit standpoint.

This was a really fun interview to do. They're obviously very committed to walkable neighborhoods and believe strongly that the best is still yet to come for the Short North.

Thanks for posting all the links to [M]. ;)

The Woodland Meadows site certainly isn't as central as the current Africentric location. Wonder if that will be a detriment to current students attending...

Sounds like a good reuse for that building.

<b>Midway Replaces Former Bento Go-Go</b> By: Walker <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/midway-logo.jpg"> <i>Bento Go-Go is no more-more. The former restaurant and bar has been renovated for a new restaurant and bar called Midway on High. The new restaurant comes from the same family of owners, who also own and operate Haiku in the Short North.</i> READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/midway-on-high-replaces-former-bento-go-go

<b>89 Fish & Grill Opens Downtown</b> By: Walker <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/89grill.jpg"> <i>Do you still find yourself mourning the loss of R.J. Snappers in the Short North? Well, mourn no more. Restaurateur Richard Stopper is back in action with the new 89 Fish & Grill, located at 89 East Nationwide Boulevard in the former Michael O’Toole’s space.</i> READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/89-fish-grill-opens-downtown

Yeah, they've fixed the road through there several times already... and it continues to shift. :O

Thanks for posting the links. This area is really making some progress lately. Not quite the party-zone central that it was a decade ago, but definitely more people back in the area thanks to Shadowbox, World of Beer, Double Happiness, etc.

This place is really looking good. Will have more info soon about the business moving in there. ;)

Thanks! Glad you liked the interview! ;)

Construction has begun! <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gay-street-construction.jpg">

I've heard rumors that they're taking the other outdoor food space within the park itself. Last summer it was only used for special events. Not sure what the concept will be.

Good to see The Arena District continuing to fill in and grow upward! :D

Really excited that the news is finally out on The Hills Market. First hear about it in December of 2010 and had to keep quiet a looooong time. ;) This new store is going to in the dead center between where I live and where I work. 10 minute walk from either one. Perfect! :D

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Took several months worth of meetings, interviews, photo shoots and followups (and a heavy dose of procrastination on my part) before I got that finished and published. Really happy with how it turned out. And even happier with the progress made in Weinland Park. I truly believe that neighborhood will look and feel vastly different in another three years. Set your countdown clocks! ;)

If the developers who own this property don't own similar property on High Street, then they can't go building whatever they want wherever they want. Real life development doesn't work like Sim City.

<b>Columbus Museum of Art Breaks Ground on New West Garden</b> By: Walker <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/west-garden.jpg"> The Columbus Museum of Art is growing once again with the development of a new outdoor garden space. The West Garden is one piece of the CMA’s expansion plan, following the completion of last year’s major indoor renovation. This new public garden is being completed in collaboration with the City of Columbus and The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-museum-of-art-breaks-ground-on-new-west-garden