Many Changes in Short North storefronts

The Short North is the most volatile it has been for many years. Businesses are closing and opening right and left while new storefronts are being made available in large numbers in the North Short North. Even the OSU South Campus Gateway development is repositioning part of it as an "art alley" with the Ohio Art League moving up there. Above is the most unnerving of the closures as the chef Rosendale shutters his restaurant with three different themes and rooms (Modern Bistro, Details...). He himself went back to the Greenbriar Resort in West Virginia and they took the luster off of his Short North operation and the customers found other places to eat until he did something to bring them back. Now it is empty.
Old Work, New Home (above) and the Columbus Haberdashery are opening next to each other in the North Short North bringing the style of the past back to life.
Bakery Gingham (above) is a bakery that does everything from cupcakes to wedding cakes. It has opened a second location, this time in the Short North's Victorian Gate buildings at Russell and High. Yeh, we have a sweet tooth, but this is mostly about the many shops that cater to weddings in the area.
Funky and Functional has opened their large resale shop of collectibles from estate sales. Bargains and great "just looking" times.
Basil is a second Thai Restaurant for the Short North strip. This one is right out of Chicago and will offers Thai food from Chicago sources.
The above two temporary shops are in the former Ohio Art League space as they wait for a liquour license for Yusef Riashi"s wine and cheese store in 2010. Badcock clothing, of course, is available at Dr. Mojo and wouldn't need a second shop two block away. The bakery part will probably be part of this French wine and cheese concept that Yusef is bringing to Ohio.

Below you can see the papered-over former Starbucks in the Yukon Building. It wasn't a good fit for the Short North. They join another coffee chain called Cuppy's Coffee that closed in the Dakota Building. Yet, new coffeeshops spring-up. Cuppy's space is now occupied by Impero Coffee that brings an upper-crust style to your latte experience. Also, Travonna Coffee House (below two pictures) brings a large space into the caffeine-a-sphere.

November Gallery Hop 2009

The northern and southern most arches now have lights on the word "Short North". As more and more neighborhoods get arches over their streets, one cannot rest in identifying yours.
Big Rock and Little Rooster (above) ran a fashion show of their wedding fashions in their window. They're still looking for an appropriate mens shirt, apparently. The Short North is offering a lot of businesses that cater to the wedding industry and Big Rock is trying to be the central focus.
Mahan Gallery (above) continues with three thought invoking artists
Rebecca Ibel Gallery (above) showed some delightful paintings of women and girls swimming that look almost like photographs from a distance.

RoyGBiv (two pictures above) showed two abstract, minimalist, installation style artists. The bottom photo shows the rare event when one artist pulled one of many strings along the wall and released orange colored powder.
above is the Charlie Owens show at Rivet Gallery. He has shown his drawings of fashionable but stylized women here before.
Above three scenes are typical Gallery Hop scenes in late 2009. The top red window display of Flower Child is ushering in the holiday season. The middle shot shows a Hummer with LCD TV's on its roof displaying advertisements as it drives in the normal bumper to bumper traffic. In contrast is the lower shot taken at Late Night Pizza's outdoor lot where a bicycle rickshaw awaits customers.
That new lingerie shop in the Body Shop (Undone) has live models most gallery hops to please and interest the gallery hoppers.
Mindless Matter (above) continues to find cheap old furnishings that continue a 15 year old tradition at the Greystone Apartment building. The Painted Monkey used to do the same with artist painted small furniture in the the 1990's.
LOOT (above) has been showing the most interesting of antique collectibles at the corner of Russell and High for many years. The November window was particularly interesting
Hotel Lilly is really a barbershop, but its large art shows are increasingly worth a stop and look. However, it is never open for gallery hop and doesn't provide much information.
The Surly Girl Saloon is always quick to decorate for halloween.
The Segway Store was demonstrating a Segway wheelchair that seems to be able to demonstrate itself. It slowly moved its double wheels to keep balance while doing a wheely.
Phia hair salon continues to try one promotional gimmick after another. November (above) is all about Thanksgiving and nothing says that like a turkey box with multicolor feathers.

Upstairs at the Body Shop Building, 772 N. High, there continues to be a regular show of pop image paintings under the banner of the 772 Gallery (below).