Escape

For the last post of the year I bring you the sign from the Escape "gentleman's" club, seen at the corner of E. Dublin Granville Road and Spring Run, near Cleveland Avenue on the far north side of Columbus. This used to be Dockside Dolls and the sign has been there less than a year, just haven't had a chance to snap it. It was a darkish cloudy morning yesterday when I happened to be in the area on the way to work and had a few extra minutes. It's a cool sign..not the greatest but hey, it's neon! Taken the morning of Fri. 12/30. Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year and 2012 is prosperous and full of neon!!

AHH! It's a Monster!

Well, a Monster energy drink neon. Snapped this while doing some last minute shopping at Tuttle Mall. It's a cool sign. But seriously..the name of the store where this is displayed is "Damaged". Damaged?! Who would shop at a store with that name?! Kids these days! Taken Fri. 12/23.

Oh and this caught my eye. I'm not in the area often and it probably closes by sunset, so while I was at Trader Joe I thought I would shoot this while I was here. A bead shop, at Sawmill and 161 in Dublin. Taken the late morning of Wed. 12/28.


These are likely my last photos and my last post of the year. Hope everyone has had a great holiday season and has a very Happy New Year! Let's go 2012! My New Year's resolution? Shoot more neon!

De-Novo Bistro&Bar..the old Kyrie sign!

Driving down South High Street in downtown Columbus by the statehouse I'd always try to get a better look at what appeared to be a very cool 60s or so vintage neon RESTAURANT sign. Unfortunately, it was dark/dead. Perhaps even ghost status. But thanks to the development of the Scioto Mile and Columbus Commons Parks (along with the death and burial of City Center) in this area, the once sorta listless stretch between the Statehouse and Franklin County government center seems to be coming alive. Hope those parks work out for the city..this city needs downtown activity. This upscale aka pricey restaurant appears to have recently opened up in the space of several other restaurants which have come and gone over the years. And the owners or operators appear to have taken an interest in rehabbing this gem of a sign. It's now lit and looks absolutely beautiful, set against the towers of downtown. I went to the Columbus Commons for the Holiday Fair..which was small but a LOT of fun..my daughter loved it! And noticed this sign actually in operation. So of course, I had to catch it. I took 3 pics from 3 angles. This is easily one of my top signs in the city now. Hope the place stays open though generally it's not a place I could afford. All pics taken the late afternoon of Sun. 12/18.
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If I don't get to post again before, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

A tide over

I have been shooting some neon. No tour as of yet but it is coming as soon as I can get some time to do it, after work. With the sun setting barely after 5PM on these cold December days, it shouldn't be a problem. This is a small set taken on my phone since about the beginning of the month:






-Steak Escape: Taken at the corner of Dublin and Grandview, near I-670 and Grandview Ave. Newer sign but cool and street/sidewalk level, like most of Grandview already is. This property used to be the site of a very nasty Knights Inn motel that was raised a few years ago and redeveloped. Taken the evening of Fri. 12/2.

-Haircuts for Men. Taken at the Major League Haircuts on Sawmill Road in Powell, not far from the zoo. Taken the evening of Sat. 12/3.

-Schlitz. That and PBR, two of my favorite beers are now sold at Nationwide Arena, and while no PBR sign is present, a cool Schlitz lights it up. At $6.50 for a 16 ounce can or draft, it's the cheapest beer at a Blue Jackets game. Taken Sat. 12/10.

-Hydrofarm: A brand name of gardening and hydroponic equipment sold at the Garden Indoors location at Indianola Avenue and Morse Road. So you can ummm..grow your umm..vegetable garden. Taken Mon. 12/12.

-That last one..just a cool scene..not exactly a neon specific pic, but the combo of neon signage, a bar, beer, Chinese food, and Christmas lights..up my alley! Taken Tues. 12/13.

Watch for a Christmas vacation tour soon!!!

Just a few photos I took last week

Nothing major or great. But a few things I found interesting I took last week.



These nighttime shots were taken on the eastside. The 'bluish' accent neon was a club in a rough neighborhood, but enjoyed the neon anyway. The bailbond ad was maybe a mile south, in a rough but not as rough, area on E. Broad near Town and Country.These were taken the evening of Wed. 11/23.



These daytime shots would be better at night of course, but I am pretty sure the Adkins Barber shop doesn't keep his sign lit at night. In Old Hilliard near where Main becomes Avery. With the barber pole and the soda machine this looks like it could be out of the fifties or sixties. Very cool. The slot machine 7's are in the front of another one of those "Internet Café"/gambling centers that have sprung up around the state. And that brush stroke is a tattoo shop on N. High St. near Graceland shopping center. I believe that one stays on at night so one night soon I will do a re-shoot. That place was an art studio/gallery, and if you look back to one my first posts of 2011, I have pics of the cool butterfly neon. That is now brush strokes. Both great though. These 'daytime' pics all taken the afternoon of Mon. 11/21.

Look for more neon soon! Hoping for a full fledged tour in early December!

Short Eastmoor-Whitehall revisit

Last night I had a few extra minutes after work and felt like neoning back in the old neighborhood. The neighborhood hasn't changed that much since I started doing this over 4 years ago, but of course there are a few businesses that have came and went over the time period. I shot a few places that were newish in the Eastmoor area..the area between Bexley and Whitehall that centers around James Road between Broad and Main. And a pizza place in Whitehall. All pics taken the evening of Fri. 11/18.






















The first three pictures were from a Pawn Shop located on E. Main Street a few blocks east of S. James. Cool neon but unfortunately due to the criminal element alive in the neighborhood, the signage is covered with bars thus somewhat obscuring the view. The fourth picture is from a car stereo/audio shop in the same area. Pictures 5-7 were taken at Happy Pizza, located at the corner of E. Main and Collingwood Ave. in Whitehall, part of the "Shoppes at Collingwood". In the same building as Joy to Go Chinese restaurant, which seems to have been successful since it's open in 2007, this part of the building has not...so far. It's been at least 3 different burger joints in the last 4 years but Happy's is good food (had it once) so hoping it lasts..because this modestly sized chain, based in Michigan, LOVES neon. The photos here only scratch the surface. Next time, I'll be a paying customer and go inside and take more..it is a nice little cache of neon!

Well again, Happy Thanksgiving..hoping to do some more touring soon!

Finally, some new material!! Happy 4th! And a new guest blogger, of sorts!

Let's just say 2011 has not been the most productive year for this blog. I hate to say it, but it's true. With some crazy situations, completely different job and work hours, 3 crazy kids, it is hard to find the time to get a good tour in. However, I should be finding some time shortly to get some good tours in and of course my belovèd missing links (which I usually spot while just driving somewhere, with no specific neon photo shooting in mind). But for the occasion this week of the 4th anniversary of this project, I do have some new material that I have taken over the last couple months. I am using a few different cameras now too that are somewhat frustrating to operate so hopefully I can work out some of those kinks and get back to neoning! Hoping this upcoming FIFTH year of this project is fruitful! But for now, enjoy the "new" stuff!













Sign 1: A wedding/prom photography company on Obetz Rd. just east of S. High Street. A very nice and unlikely sign..how often do you see a name like that in neon? Taken the evening of Sun. 11/13.
Sign 2: A pretty cool sign for an auto repair shop on Refugee Rd. near Berwick. Taken the evening of 11/13.

Sign 3: The blue/green version of a Yuengling sign (which has been in Ohio since Oct. 3..damn good beer!). Most around here that I see are the blue green or the red "Ohio" one. Both nice. This was taken the late afternoon of Thu. 11/3.

Signs 4-5. A sign company located on Johnstown Rd. (62) not far from the airport! It's a pretty cool sign but never really saw it lit at night and am rarely in this area. Taken about 20 minutes before the above Yuengling sign.

Signs 6-8: All taken at the Hooters in Newport, KY. My second road trip to the Cincinnati area this year. Saw a Bengals/49ers game earlier with Brian and Dan. Good wings and ok neon. Taken the afternoon of Sun. 9/25.

Sign 9: The "Ohio" Yuengling sign. These started to appear leading up to the debut of Yuengling in Ohio. This pic was taken Sun. 10/2 at the Buffalo Wild Wings on E. Broad St. in Whitehall and now can be spotted in several locations. I love both this version and the blue green one that is seen in some spots. Taken the afternoon of Sun. 10/2.

Signs 10-11: Actually not taken by me, but by Ramah M. Myers, at the Ohio State Fairgrounds while setting up the Ameican Quarterhorse Congress that comes to Columbus every October. I believe this was taken also on Sun. 10/2. Very cool to see horse related neon.

Well hopefully more posts and pics on the way soon! Happy Thanksgiving if I do not get to post again before then!

I'm back!

Yes, I am aware that I have not posted any new material of any kind in several months. It's been a hectic life, with a baby son, kid in school and such. But summer is here and hopefully slightly less bustle. While I have not actually done a photo tour since January (yikes..), I have had some occasions to take snap some neons. This post is a 'phone dump' of pics I have collected since my last tour. I do hope to get back to touring soon. I definitely miss neoning, and with summer coming up, a little extra time to do it. Yes, the nights are long, but I stay up late!
After posting these photos I will provide short descriptions of them.








1. The 'Nails' sign is located in a strip center near Morse and Maize Roads in North Columbus, near the former Toys R Us. Taken Tue. 1/25.
2-3. Were taken at the Trabue Tavern, a bar on Trabue Road, east of N. Wilson on the west side of Columbus. Taken the night of Sat. 4/30.
4-5. These 2 photos were actually the first 2 pics ever taken outside of the Columbus area for this blog! They weren't even taken in the state of Ohio, but my first "road trip", taken in Newport, KY, just across the river from Cincinnati. I hope to get back there alone some time for a more extensive tour. Taken the evening of Sat. 4/16.
6. This really clear Pabst Blue Ribbon sign can be found inside the Hooters restaurant on Rome Hilliard Rd. I have covered this previously, last summer, but this seems to have been installed since that occasion. Taken the afternoon of Tue. 5/10.
7. Just a Columbus Blue Jackets 10th anniversary sign, seen at Hooters, taken back on Thu. 2/10.

PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES VERY SOON! HOPING TO DO A NEW NEONING PHOTO TOUR WITHIN THE WEEK, and hopefully get back on track here! Thank you for your patience and enjoy the summer, and if I don't post on here again before, have a safe and happy 4th of July!

HOT COOKIES! A first for this project!

Well I don't know if this is the first ever photo of cookie neon, but this is the first time I have allowed a guest photographer some space on here. Props to Megan R. Pease for sending me this awesome shot from inside a Max&Erma's restaurant.

A neighborhood revisited. Happy 2011!

For the first post of the new year, I decided to do a revisit while on my way home from work. One of my favorite neighborhoods for neon signage: Clintonville. This minitour covers specifically the northern part of the area, also known (partially) as Beechwold. A few newbies and missing links comprise this first post of 2011. Hope everyone had a great holiday season!
All pics taken the evening of Sun. 1/2.

Ok, the wicked cool butterfly is at the Art Pad gallery on N. High. The Qdoba Mexican restaurant is just north. The Pierce Cleaners is one of the top ten signs in the city that dates to the classic era of neon (1960s). I have shot it before, but not at night and never the whole sign. The Pork City sign is north of Pierce Cleaners. oink! The Tower Centre is a small strip center on the east side of N. High almost directly across from the Iron Pig.

Hoping that 2011 is a good year for neoning! Lots of missing links, and some new neighborhoods, and definitely some road trips this year! Enjoy!