COMMENTARY

Next haven for retirees could be Downtown

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

ANN FISHER

Columbus Dispatch

 

State development planners have predicted that Franklin County will be home to about 1.3 million people by 2030. Onefourth will be at least 55 years old. Where will we put them? I mean us. The number of options has grown in recent years, from remote and all-inclusive communities that cater to that age group to suburban complexes designed with retirement in mind.

 

Ann Fisher is a Dispatch Metro columnist. She can be reached at 614-461-8759 or by e-mail.

 

[email protected]

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/09/27/20060927-B1-00.html

Downtown what?  :wtf:

 

Downtown "what" what?

^Noozer originally didn't have Columbus in the headline, no one knew what downtown the thread was about.

Oh, that what is what.  :-D

Downtown what?   :wtf:

 

 

Hell, I've been saying "Downtown what?" for years and I work in the damn place.

Downtown what?   :wtf:

 

 

Hell, I've been saying "Downtown what?" for years and I work in the damn place.

 

3 weeks = years?  You on butterfly time?

I've been working downtown longer than 3 weeks.

 

And I was referencing living here.

^^I think you meant "What downtown?"

I thought you meant "what, downtown?'

What, (CMH) Downtown?

What?

SHUT IT, FOLKS!

I've been working downtown longer than 3 weeks.

 

Ok...4 weeks.  Studies at OSU don't count towards DT C-bus employment.

 

And I was referencing living here.

 

Then say "living here" and not "worked here."

Your omnipresence over the state of Ohio doesn't work here. :-P

Ok...4 weeks.  Studies at OSU don't count towards DT C-bus employment.

 

What the hell are you talking about?  I WISH I could study for OSU here!

 

Then say "living here" and not "worked here."

Your omnipresence over the state of Ohio doesn't work here.

 

When I said "I work in the damn place," that doesn't necessarily mean I worked here the entire existance of me living in Columbus.  Think of it as two seperate sentences:

 

Hell, I've been saying "Downtown what?" for years!  I work in the damn place too!

Ok...4 weeks.  Studies at OSU don't count towards DT C-bus employment.

 

What the hell are you talking about?  I WISH I could study for OSU here!

 

Of course you can't study while you're working.  That's why they call it work study.

Now then, if you are on the OSU campus that mean you are not DT.  You already mentioned in another thread that you only started your current job recently. Unless you're counting your time landscaping in Lancaster as "Downtown time."

 

Then say "living here" and not "worked here."

Your omnipresence over the state of Ohio doesn't work here.

 

When I said "I work in the damn place," that doesn't necessarily mean I worked here the entire existance of me living in Columbus.  Think of it as two seperate sentences:

 

Hell, I've been saying "Downtown what?" for years!  I work in the damn place too!

 

Just remember to write like in that second sentence, when you work on term papers and your thesis.  You'll get better grades when your professors don't have to jump to conclusions over your writing.

 

Of course you can't study while you're working.  That's why they call it work study.

Now then, if you are on the OSU campus that mean you are not DT.  You already mentioned in another thread that you only started your current job recently. Unless you're counting your time landscaping in Lancaster as "Downtown time."

 

A). I've been working at Cowtown Art before the "downtown" gig.  And it's close enough to downtown.

 

B). My landscaping job wasn't in Lancaster but southeast CITY of Columbus.

 

C). It isn't a work-study nor internship.  I THOUGHT it would be an internship (which I didn't get) but I was hired as a part-timer with the state.  AKA NOT affiliated with Ohio State, as I simply needed a "better paying" job.

 

Just remember to write like in that second sentence, when you work on term papers and your thesis.  You'll get better grades when your professors don't have to jump to conclusions over your writing.

 

Uh...it's an internet forum.  It isn't that serious.

Uh...it's an internet forum.  It isn't that serious.

 

And that's why you're nice....Honestly.  :evil:

 

...Umm, what was this thread about again? :)

My job, apparently.

ColDayMan doesn't work...

This is random, but you people haven't exactly made this the most productive thread.  I am going to Columbus on Oct 15 for the marathon, but I need some place to go for dinner the night before.  Is there a good place that is downtown or close to downtown that has meals with well over a thousand calories preferably in the form of complex carbohydrates?  Italian restaurants are typically the norm, but they are always packed the night before a marathon.  Any suggestion?  Also it has to sit well with my system... stopping in a port-a-let really hurts your time.

For Italian there's Due Amici on Gay St, Buca di Beppo in the Arena District (large portions, family style) I don't recall any stomach problems, I like Basi Italia in the Short North, hell, here's a Google map so you can check out all the restaurants you want Downtown http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Columbus,+OH . All you have to do is click "find business" and type in "Italian" and that'll bring up the aforementioned restaurants and a few more. Just remember to click "next" to see more results since they don't all show up at once on the map. Have fun!

And related to this thread, why aren't gays being specifically targeted to move downtown? I see young professionals and empty nesters, but nothing about gays. You'd think after the changes we've seen in a hefty chunk of urban neighborhoods, especially the Short North, that the city would try to woo more gay people downtown. Just something I was wondering about.

The neighborhoods around the CBD definitely have strong identities and seem to be thriving but the CBD, for the most part, is just corporate. I guess that's not a bad thing but a lot of those surface lots should definitely be some nice mixed use buildings. Anything to make downtown Columbus look more cohesive. Whenever I go to downtown Columbus I just don't feel like anything connects.

And related to this thread, why aren't gays being specifically targeted to move downtown? I see young professionals and empty nesters, but nothing about gays.

 

Because it makes more sense from a marketing standpoint to target numerically larger demographic groups with high disposable incomes.  Gays are small community percentage wise, and really are not that well-off (contrary to stereotype), so wouldn't be as good a target market.

 

Besides, it would be politically controversial to target market to an unpopular minority.

 

Anywhoo, I think it makes a lot of sense to target to an empty-nester older market, particularly since these people may have had some famliarity with urban living when they where younger...sort of a"Come back home to the City" type of pitch.

 

 

 

 

And related to this thread, why aren't gays being specifically targeted to move downtown? I see young professionals and empty nesters, but nothing about gays. You'd think after the changes we've seen in a hefty chunk of urban neighborhoods, especially the Short North, that the city would try to woo more gay people downtown. Just something I was wondering about.

 

Gays are about the best at gentification.  They just have so much disposable income, love the arts, and pretty much turned short north around.

Is there a good place that is downtown or close to downtown that has meals with well over a thousand calories preferably in the form of complex carbohydrates?

 

Due Amici might not be the best option, since it's rather expensive and the portions don't seem all that large, though honestly I've never been there before. Cameron Mitchell's Martini's might be a good option. It's across from the Convention Center in front of the North Market. Good dinner menu, not incredibly expensive, and you can get a nice big bowl of pasta with a creme sauce that's gotta be loaded with calories, not to mention bread and wine (though alcohol might not be the best idea the night before a marathon). If the draw of alcohol is not an issue, the Elevator Bar downtown or Barley's across from the Convention Center might be good choices. Get the nachos for an appetizer followed by a pasta dish or other carb-loaded entree, which, since it's a bar, they specialize at. If you go early enough, there's a Vietnamese kiosk in the Short North that has a killer pad thai, loaded with noodles and peanut sauce. I think it'll cost you $6.00. On the other side of downtown in the Brewery District, there are several restaurants that could fill your carb needs. I would strongly recommend Claddagh Irish Pub. Anything Irish-themed has got to have an overloaded carb menu. Or you could overload on German Potato Salad, Pretzel Nuggets, Cream Puffs and other carb-loaded foods at Schmidt's in German Village. Basically, there's a lot to choose from in and around downtown. If you get desparate, there's a Subway on Gay St., close to Due Amici... ;-)

I really don't see why they should target any specific group... Everyone is competing for the retiring baby boomers (thats why theres all of these golf course communities going up in the south) but you have to think 20-30 years down the line. You develop to cater to retirees and when the babyboomer generation dies out you're going to have all of this development and not the same demand for it that you once had.

For carbs and huge servings, I'd go with Buca di Beppo.  Also, a really underrated italian place downtown is Tony's in the Brewery District.

I just want to thank everyone for their suggestions.  Columbus is a great town, presently maybe the best in Ohio.  If Cincinnati had the court decision you guys got, then Columbus would be number 2.  (Footnote: Columbus was grandfathered in to allow providing water and sewer service as a condition for automatic annexation.  Thats why Columbus is in like six counties.  Cincinnati lost its case and cleveland is surrounded by incorporated jxds.)  Anyway, you guys have the best boston qualifier in the country and the second most fun marathon in Ohio. (the flying pig is a blast).  Can't wait to visit.