Columbus, Ohio USA
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Dis 'n' Data
By Margaret Marten, Editor
email margaret@shortnorth.com
November 2007
Tiger Woods and Jim Riedel in Orlando, Sept. 2007 Anèw: Fine Consignment Furnishings closed in October after a dozen happy years in the Short North at 650 N. High St. offering an eclectic mix of fine furnishing, antiques, original artwork, Oriental rugs and other home décor items. With an emphasis on the extraordinary rather than the ordinary, owner Linda Franz was greatly admired for her tasteful and sophisticated selection of beautiful goods. During a recent phone conversation, she explained that the business was doing fine, but retirement was on the horizon and when her manager quit, she felt it was time to move on. The October Gallery Hop, her final day of operation, was surprising and heartwarming. “People were really shocked and they were visibly upset,” she said. “I knew I had run a good business, and that just reinforced it. It really was a very rewarding experience.” Franz is not only retiring but moving out of state, dividing her time between homes in Naples, Florida, and Chatham, Massachusetts. “I feel a great sense of relief. I knew it was coming at some point, and now that it’s here it’s okay.”
Jacqueline Mahan, who will reach retirement age in 30 or 40 years when I’m no longer around to write about it, relocated her gallery from 1042 N. High to 717 N. High (where the former Legs Diamond Shoe Salon operated before closing in September). According to her press release, Mahan is enthusiastic about the new location’s larger gallery space and has organized a special show for the November opening featuring the illustrations of Cleveland-based Derek Hess, best known for his art on underground concert posters. Her move further south into the heart of the Short North is certainly welcome, perhaps courageous. The new gallery number is 614-294-3278.
Less welcome is the news that Gary’s Gallery, located at 636 N. High St., permanently closed its doors August 31, 2007. Wells Landing, the larger part of the business operation, was phased out in July after owner Gary Harper realized the venture was not only unprofitable but seriously compromising his finances. The gallery section, formerly housed in the back of the shop, was moved to the front space in July in an effort to maintain a presence through the December lease and to offer artists an opportunity to sell their works. However, Harper was unable to continue the final gallery project.
Attractive and inaccessible as a runaway model, the Cap at Union Station with its parking problems has proven inhospitable to retailers but more favorable to restaurants who are able to offer valet parking in the evening hours and keep the coffers full. Cold Stone Creamery closed at 591 N. High on September 11. Owner Robert Horton, one of the first to commit to the Cap in April 2005, said that business was very good at first but became sluggish. Horton runs Cold Stone branches at Polaris Parkway and in Pickerington and has been with the franchise for three years. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, flourishing at the corner of Goodale and High, will be expanding into the Creamery space as well as that entire side of the Cap to accommodate demand for banquets and private dining. Anna Stossel, owner of Schakolad Chocolate Factory, 591 N. High, said her store, targeted for the Hyde Park expansion, had to be cleared out by the end of October. The business has relocated inside the Polaris Mall for a few months, then will move into the new outside addition under construction at Polaris. “We are sad to be leaving the neighborhood,” said Stossel. “Let everyone know that we will miss them and wish them the best – and please come and see us at our new location.” The neighboring P.J. Cap Deli & Brew at 587 N. High folded last year after briefly occupying the storefront vacated by Quiznos Subway. That space will be included in the Hyde Park expansion.
Across the street, two other retailers are jumping ship. Tropical Trends, 576 N. High St., will move to Gahanna. Jeffrey Thomas , an apparel store, closed in October, merging with their other operation at the Kingsdale Shopping Center. Owner Jeffrey Ross said the experience on the Cap was not a bad thing because it was incredible exposure. “We’ve been around 20 years, and after 20 years, the last three years, people are talking about Jeffrey Thomas a lot more – ‘I know your store. I’ve seen your store’ or whatever.” Although Cap-sponsored valet service exists for all retailers there, it is only available after 5 p.m. “If you pulled up and said ‘I’m going to Jeffrey Thomas,’ you had valet service,” said Ross. “But people just don’t think in terms of going to Jeffrey Thomas to valet park – I’m going to run in here, get my alterations, and then wait for valet to bring back my car? No, it just didn’t work.” Space limitation was another critical factor. “There’s nowhere for you to expand. There’s zero storage space. There’s all kinds of things – build up, build out or under or whatever – but, no, you’re locked in there. What you see is what you get.”
Meanwhile, further north, a passion for fashion continues to fuel the entrepreneurial energies of new business owners. Manelle Raghib, 30, opened her first retail store, Re-N-Vintage, at 1108 N. High on October 6, the day of the Gallery Hop. A former model and life insurance underwriter, Raghib says she not only loves vintage clothing but loves to reinvent the old with the new, piecing together parts of history by combining vintage with updated accessories which are included in her inventory. When asked about the store name, she said she wanted to come up with something that said “vintage” but also would reflect the updated accessories that she encourages her customers to work into creative combinations. “I try to show my customers how they can update vintage clothes with modern trends – how they can wear a newer belt with an older dress.” Re-N-Vintage is open Wednesday through Sunday at noon. The number there is 614-294-9494. The last tenant at that location was the Moorish Art Gallery owned by Fares Khalid Selmane who occupied the space for a only few months. He was kind enough to give us a book containing his artwork, Spirit of the Circle: Decorative Motifs, and mentioned an upcoming exhibit in France. The gallery was vacated shortly after our meeting.
Ivy Hill, a women’s clothing and gift boutique, opened at 716 N. High, on September 15 in the former space of None Other Too (also known as Diamonds & Designs by None Other Goldsmiths) – across from the new Mahan Gallery. Owner Hillary Dutcher, 28, moved here from Boston with her husband after his job transfer. While living in Boston, she designed jewelry, sold jewelry to boutiques and worked in a boutique, so the concept of opening one here in Columbus made sense. And she clearly has managed to cultivate some expertise on the subject of fashion, expressing genuine enthusiasm about the designer clothing and accessories carried in her shop. British designer Orla Kiely holds a special place in Dutcher’s heart. “Well-made, fun, whimsical” are words she uses to describe the bags, accessories and clothing of Kiely. This spring, Ivy Hill will carry designs by vineyard vines®, a line started on Martha’s Vineyard, a label well-known all over Boston and the East coast but currently unavailable in Columbus, according to Dutcher who describes the line as “very preppy.” She admits she likes to be preppy sometimes, but emphasizes that her store carries an eclectic mix including bohemian styles. The name of the shop, Ivy Hill, reflects her love of Beacon Hill and her affection for the word Ivy, suggesting grace, femininity and sophistication; the derivative of her own name, Hillary, also played a part in her decision in naming the store. Ivy Hill is open seven days a week at 11 a.m. (noon on Sunday) with some late hours. The phone number is 614-297-9925.
Columbus Power Squadron musician Mark Wyatt (and brother of Gazette cartoon contributor Matt Wyatt) celebrated his 50th birthday at the Carabar on Parsons Road in Olde Towne East last month. A dozen bands each presented a “1-2-3” performance – a Ramones song especially for Mark followed by the band’s favorite song, and finally a song that they’d never played live before, which was for the crowd. Mark said it was so much fun, and the bands seemed to have so much fun, the sentiment was “Well, let’s do it again next year!” He even got a few gifts including an old (but barely used) School Kids Records T-shirt and an 8-track tape of Lou Reed’s Sally Can’t Dance.
The Columbus Symphony’s first-ever Great Columbus Sing-Off! was held last month in hopes of finding the best undiscovered popular singer in Central Ohio. Short North resident Deb Colvin-Tener won a semi-finalist spot. You may recall her portrayal of Mae West/Jo in CATCO’s production of Dirty Blonde, which garnered her “Best Actress” in the 2004 Central Ohio Theatre Critics Circle Poll – or you might have seen her working the floor at Europia wine and gourmet food shop in the Short North a few years back. The second audition for the finalist round will be on March 21, 2008, during a concert featuring Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan. The audience will be asked to vote on the finalist for the competition, so the opportunity is there for anyone reading this article to purchase tickets, attend the concert, and cast their vote. Visit the Columbus Symphony Web site to view an excellent YouTube video of Deb Colvin-Tener’s audition and the other semi-finalists at www.columbussymphony.com/singoff.html
Another Short North resident and neighbor, Jim Riedel, entered a Nike-sponsored contest and won a free trip to play golf with Tiger Woods in Orlando during September. Riedel was one of 24 winners out of a potential 1000 contestants in a nationwide promotional contest. A full-page story about his experience appeared in the Sports Illustrated insert Golf Plus. The article “My Shot: Tiger and Me” is available online at the Golf Magazine Web site www.golf.com and can be found by typing in his name, Jim Riedel. Riedel is director of the Rainbow Golf League, possibly the longest running GLBT league in the nation founded here in Columbus 10 years ago. An article on the Rainbow Golf League was featured in Sports Illustrated in 2003. Incidentally, it was Riedel’s partner Stephen Weed who purchased the Nike golf balls (for Jim’s birthday) that contained the contest registration. Presumably Riedel taught the neophyte Woods a few tricks.
Next month we’ll touch on recent bar closings – B. Hampton’s, 8 (on High) – as well as the murder of Georgia Morgan. More on the Gilded Age, which opened at 847 N. High St. in the Dakota Building selling jewelry and gifts, and Flower Child, the vintage goods co-op retail store at 989 N. High.
News about upcoming events in the neighborhood can be found in this issue on pages 18-19 as well as among the classified listings on pages 32-33.©2007 Short North Gazette, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.
