Posted September 9, 201014 yr W Broad is poised to be an urban business district that will be a miniature version of High St. Franklinton alone has around ten continuous blocks of urban commercial storefronts. Thanks to the efforts of the Franklinton Development Association and Franklinton Arts District there have been many improvements made and attention is being turned to main business district located here. While not on W Broad, there is a new bike co-op that opened up in the neighborhood and a South Philly influenced restaurant-bar is in the works by the same owner of some of the most popular joints in Columbus. Franklinton Columbusite bike racks: you'll see no more of my requests become reality since a former ODOT employee was made director of the transportation department and he put an end to public input on bike racks. Good to see that progressive ODOT attitude tainting our city governments. Stopped in for lunch at Tommy's Diner, which is always busy. I've wondered why others don't notice the thriving businesses that are already here. I dare not set foot in Dudley's Bar. I'm guessing the fact that it looks like a small town bar out of southern Ohio is because it basically is. When you can see sunlight coming through the roof that's probably not a good thing. Not sure if this place is still open or not, but eww. Once you cross the highway you enter Highland West, whose dense commercial stretch on W Broad is just too great to ignore and was the subject of a recent blog entry of mine with some of the same photos here highlighting the available storefronts.This is one of the densest urban business districts around with a handful of blocks, but together holds several retail spots. Walking down here felt like I was in a bizarro version of the Short North.The Highland West Neighbors Association formally asked me to help out with revitalization efforts in the area.I'm hoping to raise attention on the potential of W Broad among other things. I'll keep you all posted! Highland West I never knew there was still a business in this building until walking right in front of it. Only open on Saturdays. Another business that I couldn't tell was open and this time I saw an employee inside and the front door was open, so yes there is an active tortilleria here. If you're looking to buy the entire commercial block there's a number. I think it's going for $850,000. One of the few new businesses here so far. Meters coming soon. Some great housing stock. Now yet another cell phone store. Boo!
September 9, 201014 yr The westside (much like the westside of the other two C's) needs some work but I think the immigrant population over there can help re-build that area. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 10, 201014 yr Looks rough around the edges, but I can definitely see the potential for Columbus in this area. The rents in this area are probably super cheap. Good place for some galleries and start-up restaurants and clothing shops to pave the way.
September 10, 201014 yr Precisely what I'm thinking. While I wouldn't mind seeing the large Hispanic population take over all of the empty urban storefronts (like Brazilians did in Framingham, MA) I just don't see it happening since they've established themselves further west and would have made a larger presence here already if they were going to. Some sort of effort to engage the community may work to get a little more going on here though. There was a restaurant/market/bar called "Tu Casa" in the right hand building under the Oasis drive thru & Renner building photo. The establishment was a public nuisance that attracted fights and shootings at night. It became a short-lived bar called "Buchanan's Bar & Billiards" and now empty as you can see.
September 10, 201014 yr I just don't see any potential or likenes to High St. It's not even the difference in vibrancy or the stores and restaurants that are there (or not there in this case), I just think this area has a very different structural look to it. It looks more like urban fringe/ start of suburbia than an inner city neighborhood like High St. I don't know if this will mean anything to Columbusites, but I get kind of a Bond Hill or Carthage (Cincinnati) vibe to these neighborhoods. This is also not to say that these areas don't have potential, because they certainly do. There are some good structures in these photos, and rehab is definitely possible, I just don't know if comparing it to High St (arguably the most complete and healthy street in Ohio) is fair.
September 10, 201014 yr Think of it more like Glenway in Price Hill (older 30's commercial strip filled with car dealerships and Wendy's). "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 10, 201014 yr I just don't see any potential or likenes to High St. It's not even the difference in vibrancy or the stores and restaurants that are there (or not there in this case), I just think this area has a very different structural look to it. It looks more like urban fringe/ start of suburbia than an inner city neighborhood like High St. I don't know if this will mean anything to Columbusites, but I get kind of a Bond Hill or Carthage (Cincinnati) vibe to these neighborhoods. This is also not to say that these areas don't have potential, because they certainly do. There are some good structures in these photos, and rehab is definitely possible, I just don't know if comparing it to High St (arguably the most complete and healthy street in Ohio) is fair. Start of suburbia?! You would have to go down Broad St. about 4-5 miles before that happens. It was established in 1797. It's just as urban as the Short North, the only difference is that there's more abandoned properties and a couple car dealerships. The second or third wave houses are cheaply made because of the past constant flooding and poor immigrants who lived there. At one time the housing stock was just as old as what was built in the Short North - if not older. Very few of the older buildings are left though, unfortunately. If you went there in person you definitely wouldn't get a Bond Hill vibe. Bond Hill looks like a GI Bill suburb to me. Like Colday said, it's more like Price Hill, but it's a lot bigger. I wouldn't include Covedale because that's more suburban. Just imagine a larger E. Price Hill, with some of the E. PH housing replaced with the Light Industrial in Lower Price Hill and you have Franklinton. Demographics are probably almost exactly the same as Price Hill, too. It's scary how similar the west side of Columbus and Cincinnati are in a lot of ways.
September 10, 201014 yr W Broad is poised to be an urban business district that will be a miniature version of High St. Franklinton alone has around ten continuous blocks of urban commercial storefronts. Thanks to the efforts of the Franklinton Development Association and Franklinton Arts District there have been many improvements made and attention is being turned to main business district located here. While not on W Broad, there is a new bike co-op that opened up in the neighborhood and a South Philly influenced restaurant-bar is in the works by the same owner of some of the most popular joints in Columbus. Franklinton Didn't that sign get knocked down and broken? lol. Maybe some drunk guy ran into it, since it's right off of the exit ramp. I guess they fixed it?
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