Bethel Rd/Olentangy

I was in the Bethel Rd. area a few nights ago so I thought I would take a few pics. For some reason I thought there would be more neon. Not much really. So going down 315 south the roads were somewhat icy, but I didn't think too bad. BUT, I guess by Riverside Hopsital it was bad enough to cause people to slam into the jersey barrier and skid off the road. So they closed it and was forced off at Olentangy/Broadway. So on Olentangy I thought I would snap a few more photos before heading to my friends house to drink and eat. Not a huge collection here, and had it been earlier and better weather I probably would have done some downtown stuff or maybe Grandview. Enjoy. All taken on Tuesday night, 2/26, with both cameras.


Some neon from the many strip centers on Bethel Road.



Johnny Rockets is a cliche diner type place in the Lenox Town Center, which opened when I was a student at Ohio State in late 1996. A lot of chain stores, a Target, a 24 screen AMC theater which was the largest in the city at the time, and I think one of the largest in the state back then, before Easton and the likes came along. The actual enterance sign is one of few high placed neon advertising around here, so it is visible from Rt. 315.



More Olentangy River Road neon, in the area around King and W. 5th Avenue.


The Buffalo Wild Wings on Bethel Rd. It's hard to do indoor/inside a business neon photography, so they usually don't come out good. They didn't seem to mind me takin these pictures so maybe if I am in another BWW I will take better stills. And of course, with camera phones, it is easier.

Random stuff

Some photographs which I either forgot to post, just noticed while driving somewhere, or just otherwise don't fit in any above post.
1. Bowties Nightclub, inside the Ramada Inn on Sinclair Rd. by Morse and I-71. I can be found there sometimes late on Saturday nights. This sign is indoor, and taken with my phone, though I don't think larger digital cameras are disallowed.

2. Lane's Carryout, E. Dublin Granville Rd., north Columbus.

3. Club X, Sunderland Drive, north Columbus. An adult club owned by the same folks who own the Doll House.
4. Fantasy DVD, E. Dublin Granville Road, North Columbus. Located in a former Chi-Chi's restaurant as well as pawn shop.


5. Chinese Buffet in the Graceland Shopping Center, taken Sunday 2/24. I love old fashioned Chinese restaurant signs, and with so few remaining, I better get to them soon. Signage such as the one pictured here are OK..but the signs like the one at Ding Ho (they recently relocated I am told and pray that they kept the sign and reinstalled it!) on the west side are treasures. Nothing looks better than a Chinese restaurant sign at dusk! Nothing tastes better than Chinese food and a beer, at dusk either!

Westerville/Westerville Road

Westerville is one of the weathier, old surburbs on the northwest part of Franklin county at the Delaware county border. A lot of old money here, but the area grew a lot in the late 1990's and early 2000's. The central part of the city though is actually called 'uptown' rather than downtown, both reflecting geography and attitude. Otterbein college is near uptown Westerville, and I spent a lot of time here 10 years ago when I was dating my now first ex. I got a parking ticket for parking in a no parking zone in front of the Theta Nu sorority house, even though I parked there..a lot. All pics taken on a cool Monday night, 2/24..it was cool and starting to rain and foggy. Perfect neon weather if you ask me!

















Most of the pics were taken in Westerville, on the main drag of Westerville through uptown called "State Street" in this stretch. South of the I-270 interchange it is called Westerville Road but is not really in the city of westerville anymore, and the further south one travels, the 'seedier' it becomes. Westerville Road goes all the way down to Cleveland Avenue in the northern lights/ North Linden area, in the 'hood'. The second photo from the top in this series was from Jordan's diner, just north of Morse Rd. The "bar open" was next to an office for Titan insurance, which not so ironically maybe, offers SR-22 (special, expensive car insurance for drunk drivers!).

Clintonville/Beechwold

Clintonville and the Beechwold areas are two of the older more urban areas of the city, in what used to be that far north side of the city and area. There are several books and websites describing this neighborhood (Beechwold is sometimes considered a totally separate neighboorhood from Clintonville and sometimes considered part of it), it's charm and history. It's probably one of my favorite areas of the city. It is not a huge hotbed for neon signs, but, it has some beauties and leads as a gateway of sorts to the urban core of Columbus. The further you travel south down High Street from about Broad Meadows Blvd. to Hudson Street, you go from a suburban landscape to a true inner city urban area. This is the start of the long tour of high street, which travelling south will go through the largest concentration of neon once we hit the campus area, short north, downtown, Brewery district, to German Village. Of course, there are several areas off High street, but High street contains the largest density of businesses along this corridor.