Columbus, Ohio USA
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Dis 'n' Data
By Margaret Marten, Editor
email margaret@shortnorth.com
NOVEMBER 2009
A popular Cleveland boutique selling quality men’s and women’s apparel is branching out and opening a second store in the Short North neighborhood. Brigade, based in Coventry Village in Cleveland Heights, offers everything in contemporary sportsware from suiting to T-shirts. According to owner Brian O’Neill, the inventory fluctuates from middle-of-the-road to high-end apparel for the Midwest shopper. “It’s more about the fit and the durability of the clothing,” he said. “It’s quality clothes that you’ll have for your lifetime.” O’Neill said his frustration scouting out stylish attire after graduating from Xavier University in Cincnnati 10 years ago and returning to Cleveland is what got him into the business. “There was nowhere to shop. I was a 21-year-old man shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue buying Hugo Boss and Armani,” he said. “It’s not right. You should have boutiques and cool fashion hubs to make your own fashion decisions.” With the support and guidance of his five older brothers (all knowledgeable businessmen) O’Neill managed to make his mark in the fashion retail world beginning in a small downtown warehouse district. The young retailer eventually moved his boutique into an exclusive mall at Beechwood Place and made an impact there before changing the name and focus and eventually making his way into the trendy Coventry Village district five years ago. The shop’s move from a European emphasis into Americana workwear – styles that are more rugged – includes O’Neill’s personal fashion line Wrath Arcane, as well as a plethora of independent design labels: Nice Collective, Rag & Bone, Nudie Jeans, Diesel, Nom de Guerre, Shades of Greige, Wings + Horns, Seneca Rising, and Filippa K to name a few. Brigade is located at 607 N. High St. in theYukon Building next to Three Dog Bakery. Visit their Web site at www.clothingbrigade.com
Funky and Functional, a used furniture, collectibles, and antiques store opened at 685 N. High in the space left by An Open Book two years ago when owner Jim Criswell moved further north to the corner of Fifth and High. (Criswell’s one-stop shop for gays and lesbians did not survive the relocation and closed a year later.) Funky and Functional promises to keep the substantial floorspace at 685 filled with a wide selection of merchandise. Owner, Mark Miller, 37, a native of Pickerington, fell into the occupation five years ago when his mother suggested he acquire some goods at auction and sell it online. His full-time fiction writing career wasn’t paying the bills, so he followed her advice and eventually caught the bug, amassing enough excess inventory (pieces not selling online) to be placed and sold at antique malls, including Grandview Mercantile, a particularly successful side venture that introduced him to the neighborhood and provided the motivation to become an independent retailer. Miller opened Edith’s Antiquities in Baltimore, Ohio, a year ago, and he relates how the name of the Short North shop was born there: “A lady came in, and I had a couple of odd items because I have eclectic taste. She said she really appreciated how fun the stuff was, and I said ‘Well I try to keep functional in here because that’s what pays the bills. No matter how bad the economy gets, people still need to put their underwear in a drawer or eat off a table.’ She said, ‘Yea, but there’s a lot of funky in here, and I like funky.’ So it just stuck. I already had functional in mind. She threw the funky out there, and I’m like ‘OK, well guess what my name’s going to be if I ever open a store in the Short North.’” Look for a grand opening at 685 N. High during the November Gallery Hop. Regular hours are Monday to Thursday 11-7, Saturday 11-9, and Sunday 12-6. They can be reached at 614-220-4590.
Due to poor sales, Rosendale’s Restaurant closed its doors at 793 N. High in the old Winders car dealership building at the corner of Hubbard and High last month. Richard Rosendale opened the business in March 2007, later adding Details, a small-plates restaurant next door. His entry into the neighborhood was accompanied by much fanare due to his reputation as a classically trained chef and winner of the American Culinary Federation’s 2005 Chef of the Year award. Rosendale left Columbus this summer to return to the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Spring, W. Va., where he served as executive chef before arriving here.
The proprietors of Planet Smoothie at 765 N. High have never won the Culinary Federation’s Chef of the Year award, but many of their customers have relied on the place to provide a periodic mini meal or pick-up during the day and are probably mourning its recent closure as much as the finely attired folks frequenting Rosendale’s regret their loss. The smoothie franchise, owned by Matt Hernandez, Brian Lawrence and Matt Hamparian opened in February 2004 and closed its doors a month ago. According to Hernandez, they were halfway through the franchise agreement with an option to end it or face costly upgrades. They enjoyed having a shop there, he said, but remodeling to accommodate current standards was not cost effective for the franchise trio. They chose to end it.
A long-standing member of the Short North community passed away on October 30 at the age of 58. Robert “Beau” Wylie, beloved by many, was a passionate supporter of the Doo Dah Parade, Comfest and Olde Towne East Festival. He collapsed outside his home on the way to work. A gathering to celebrate Beau’s life will be held at Zeno’s, 384 W. 3rd Ave. in Victorian Village, on Sunday, November 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. Visit the Doo Dah Web site to learn more about this fabulous man who was “special to every person and animal he met.”News about upcoming events in the neighborhood can be found in Community Events and the Bulletin Board.
Email the Editor margaret@shortnorth.com
©2009 Short North Gazette, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.
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