High Street in Columbus

Yappi

Go Buckeyes
I went down to downtown Columbus this past weekend and drove up High Street towards campus. Completely shocked at all the new buildings that have been built in that corridor between the campus and downtown.

I went to school in the late 80s and there was basically a few businesses, many dilapidated buildings, and abandoned lots when walking from campus to downtown. Everything is new there and the road is incredibly busy. Any Columbus people know when this transformation took place? The only thing I recognized on the road was the Greek Orthodox Church. Interestingly my apartment on West 9th Street looked exactly the same...
 
 
I went down to downtown Columbus this past weekend and drove up High Street towards campus. Completely shocked at all the new buildings that have been built in that corridor between the campus and downtown.

I went to school in the late 80s and there was basically a few businesses, many dilapidated buildings, and abandoned lots when walking from campus to downtown. Everything is new there and the road is incredibly busy. Any Columbus people know when this transformation took place? The only thing I recognized on the road was the Greek Orthodox Church. Interestingly my apartment on West 9th Street looked exactly the same...
There was quite a bit of construction going on in 2015/2016. Not from Cbus but have been watching that area for past 15 years.
 
I went down to downtown Columbus this past weekend and drove up High Street towards campus. Completely shocked at all the new buildings that have been built in that corridor between the campus and downtown.

I went to school in the late 80s and there was basically a few businesses, many dilapidated buildings, and abandoned lots when walking from campus to downtown. Everything is new there and the road is incredibly busy. Any Columbus people know when this transformation took place? The only thing I recognized on the road was the Greek Orthodox Church. Interestingly my apartment on West 9th Street looked exactly the same...
It's been going on for 10 years or more. It's expanded from Downtown to the Short North Arts District, and down through campus. If you head to the 'Campus Partners' website, you'll see the vision, as they've been responsible for most of the "urban revitalization" toward OSU. Speaking to a number of students and alumni, they're none to happy to see a ton of traditional mom & pop businesses make way for luxury apartments, parking garages, and chain stores. You gotta gentrify it though, right?
 
Most of High Street on campus was very different too. Only things I recognized there were the McDonald's and Newport. Long's Bookstore is in the same location but a very different building.
 
As Cleveland and Cincinnati slowly die. Columbus has exploded with money and population. The Bengals should move to Columbus in 2026
 
There was quite a bit of construction going on in 2015/2016. Not from Cbus but have been watching that area for past 15 years.
That was the bulk of it, I think My son took us to the fancy grilled cheese place there around 2015 - when we went back in 2019, I didn't recognize High St. Was actually intimidated by the huge apartments and condos lining the street, along with the lack of parking. I guess the city is pushing folks to get a parking app for their phone so they can ding your credit card every time you want to use a meter. Much younger vibe for that area, which means I must be old, lol.

The past five years I've been reading about the Columbus boom in web-based companies that consolidated older-type business models, like Root Insurance and CoverMyMeds, and how they were attracting younger talent from all over. Guessing many of them have moved to the downtown area, along with north on High St up to the campus. Booming developments nearby in Grandview - you should see the new White Castle HQ campus - and the housing developers are also pushing the homeless out of "The Bottoms" on W. Broad and gentrifying that area because of it's proximity to downtown.
 
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As Cleveland and Cincinnati slowly die. Columbus has exploded with money and population. The Bengals should move to Columbus in 2026
Interesting that you say that. What struck me about the city was the vast difference in wealth walking/driving around the streets together. Some of the worst drivers I have ever seen. Blamed some of it on them being really wealthy and not worrying about the cost of an accident and some of them dirt poor and not worrying about the cost of an accident. Some stop signs must be invisible to certain kind of cars down there...

Driving The Goldbergs GIF by ABC Network
 
Long's Bookstore is in the same location but a very different building.
I haven't been on campus for a while, thought Long's was long gone. Did you mean the Barnes & Noble/OSU bookstore on N High at 11th Ave? Or did they bring back Long's?
 
I haven't been on campus for a while, thought Long's was long gone. Did you mean the Barnes & Noble/OSU bookstore on N High at 11th Ave? Or did they bring back Long's?
I stand corrected. It was raining (hard) when I was driving down High Street at the time. Saw the bookstore and just assumed it was Long's.

This is what I saw:
1620678306508.png


Looks like they have the old sign out front for us oldtimers...
 
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That was the bulk of it, I think My son took us to the fancy grilled cheese place there around 2015 - when we went back in 2019, I didn't recognize High St. Was actually intimidated by the huge apartments and condos lining the street, along with the lack of parking. I guess the city is pushing folks to get a parking app for their phone so they can ding your credit card every time you want to use a meter. Much younger vibe for that area, which means I must be old, lol.

The past five years I've been reading about the boom in web-based companies that consolidated older-type business models, like Root Insurance and CoverMyMeds, and how they were attracting younger talent from all over. Guessing many of them have moved to the downtown area, along with north on High St up to the campus. Booming developments nearby in Grandview - you should see the new White Castle HQ campus - and the housing developers are also pushing the homeless out of "The Bottoms" on W. Broad and gentrifying that area because of it's proximity to downtown.
Impressive.

 
As Cleveland and Cincinnati slowly die. Columbus has exploded with money and population. The Bengals should move to Columbus in 2026
Yeah, you can be proud of the expansion of government. That certainly is a growth industry. While Cincinnati's population begins to grow, especially downtown, and we manage to do it without tearing down all of our 19th century architecture and our history. Oh, that's right, Columbus doesn't have much in the way of history (or culture, or architecture).
 
I haven’t been in years so not sure what it looks like now but there was definitely some newer building (apartments/retail) when I visited friends around 2010
 
I went down to downtown Columbus this past weekend and drove up High Street towards campus. Completely shocked at all the new buildings that have been built in that corridor between the campus and downtown.

I went to school in the late 80s and there was basically a few businesses, many dilapidated buildings, and abandoned lots when walking from campus to downtown. Everything is new there and the road is incredibly busy. Any Columbus people know when this transformation took place? The only thing I recognized on the road was the Greek Orthodox Church. Interestingly my apartment on West 9th Street looked exactly the same...


Most of its been the last 15 years.


Much of its unrecognizable from when I was there in the early 2000’s.
 
As Cleveland and Cincinnati slowly die. Columbus has exploded with money and population. The Bengals should move to Columbus in 2026
Obviously will not happen. The only possibility would be the Cavs moving to Columbus, but I don't see the BlueJackets and especially OSU ever allowing it to happen. My real fear is the Indians moving to Nashville in 2023. The Indians lease ends in 2023...the owners are pleading poverty...attendance is weak and the ownership group is hated...Nashville is building an MLB ballpark and going hard after a team...and the Tribes owners announced a delay on the team name change. I think MLB would like it to be the Rays, but I fear the cheapo owners of the Indians are looking hard at it.
 
Obviously will not happen. The only possibility would be the Cavs moving to Columbus, but I don't see the BlueJackets and especially OSU ever allowing it to happen. My real fear is the Indians moving to Nashville in 2023. The Indians lease ends in 2023...the owners are pleading poverty...attendance is weak and the ownership group is hated...Nashville is building an MLB ballpark and going hard after a team...and the Tribes owners announced a delay on the team name change. I think MLB would like it to be the Rays, but I fear the cheapo owners of the Indians are looking hard at it.
Cavs would be a good fit in Columbus
 
Cavs would be a good fit in Columbus
As crappy as the Cavs have been since LBJ left again, if they hit the draft lottery this year and get a Cunningham or Mobley they could vault to playoff level and interest would be fairly high. It's a long, cold winter in CLE. A respectable Cavs team helps pass the time.
 
As crappy as the Cavs have been since LBJ left again, if they hit the draft lottery this year and get a Cunningham or Mobley they could vault to playoff level and interest would be fairly high. It's a long, cold winter in CLE. A respectable Cavs team helps pass the time.
The owner of the cavs is an idiot. They will always suck under him
 
I stand corrected. It was raining (hard) when I was driving down High Street at the time. Saw the bookstore and just assumed it was Long's.

This is what I saw:
View attachment 17157

Looks like they have the old sign out front for us oldtimers...

If that's the Barnes & Noble I'm thinking of that was there when I went in the early 2000s.
 
It's been going on for 10 years or more. It's expanded from Downtown to the Short North Arts District, and down through campus. If you head to the 'Campus Partners' website, you'll see the vision, as they've been responsible for most of the "urban revitalization" toward OSU. Speaking to a number of students and alumni, they're none to happy to see a ton of traditional mom & pop businesses make way for luxury apartments, parking garages, and chain stores. You gotta gentrify it though, right?

I was there for grad school in the early/mid-90s. Hated to see some local places replaced by chains (e.g. Cornerstone bar replace by a Panera, etc.)
 
Do the North and South Heidelberg bars still exist on High St, lol
Both gone sometime in the last 20 years, more victims of the Campus Gateway.

Was driving by there with my dad 30 years ago, he sees a “South Berg” sign and asked if that was the Heidelberg South. I asked how he would know that. He said he used to go there with his GI buddies when he was stationed at Lockbourne AFB in the 1950’s.
 
We used to go to a restaurant on the North end of campus called the Blue Danube. I didn't see it this time down there but did read that it had closed a couple years ago but was supposed to have already re-opened. It was kind of a cool place to go because it was a little walk from the dorms so it felt like a local restaurant but close enough for some students to go there.
 
I went down to downtown Columbus this past weekend and drove up High Street towards campus. Completely shocked at all the new buildings that have been built in that corridor between the campus and downtown.

I went to school in the late 80s and there was basically a few businesses, many dilapidated buildings, and abandoned lots when walking from campus to downtown. Everything is new there and the road is incredibly busy. Any Columbus people know when this transformation took place? The only thing I recognized on the road was the Greek Orthodox Church. Interestingly my apartment on West 9th Street looked exactly the same...
Both of my boys recently relocated. I have not been down in roughly 10 years other than to drive through. It is amazing how much the place has reinvented itself. The price of real estate in places that were run down 20 years ago is unreal. I think I counted 16 tower cranes around OSU. No other city in Ohio has seen that kind of boom since Cleveland and Cincinnati in the first half of the last century.
 
Both gone sometime in the last 20 years, more victims of the Campus Gateway.

Was driving by there with my dad 30 years ago, he sees a “South Berg” sign and asked if that was the Heidelberg South. I asked how he would know that. He said he used to go there with his GI buddies when he was stationed at Lockbourne AFB in the 1950’s.

Good times at both North and South Bergs. South was in a basement. North was further up N. High, ground level. In the 60s, the booze flowed and the women were hot. Could write a book about both.
 
We used to go to a restaurant on the North end of campus called the Blue Danube. I didn't see it this time down there but did read that it had closed a couple years ago but was supposed to have already re-opened. It was kind of a cool place to go because it was a little walk from the dorms so it felt like a local restaurant but close enough for some students to go there.

I have also been to Blue Danube. Popular back in the day. Lots of characters there.
 
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