COLUMBUS OHIO NEON

Kosher pork? And a trip to the dentist

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:59:00 +0000

So it appears a former Jewish bakery is now home to a....bbq place? On James Road, just north of Broad on the east side. And yesterday I took my daughter to the dentist and two pieces of good news: My daughter has ZERO cavities. And they have an uber cool neon sign. It is inside the office and would look great in their street level windows (yep, it's in the basement of a medical building). I already caught Dr. Martinez' window sign over a year ago, but this would be a very cool addition. The BBQ pics were taken the night of Tue. 12/1 and the tooth on Thu. 12/3.

Yes, I've been lazy..two new tours though!

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Yes, I am aware, I have been lazy about this lately. Well, not really lazy. Have had some personal issues come up over the last month or two. Too bad, too, because I missed out on my favorite season for neoning. But winter can be fine too..that's why God invented coats! The second anniversary of this project quietly passed earlier this month. The second year has not been as fruitful as the first, but with all that has gone on, including near fatal illnesses, breakups, financial woes, I still consider it a good year. Added at least another 100-200 photos and new neighborhoods. The third year will have some new material, finally some road trips, and revisits. It is amazing how much an urban landscape can change in such a short period, especially when it comes to commercial signage. It's as if I have tracked the entire recession through neon signs. So many businesses, especially small ones, have closed up shop since I started this blog, it is sad. I'm definitely hoping the next year is a better year for all. I'm counting the days til New Year's Eve, so that as this year limps to the finish line, a new decade, a new era welcomes us all.

So I ended the month of November and the season with a couple small tours. Included are a small section of cool neon along Sinclair Road on the north end, and a small but cool cache of neon in the Roberts/Rome-Hilliard area. A few strip malls with ethnic shops that embrace neon! For December I hope to get at least one new tour in, a few revisits/missing links, and maybe 1-2 estalishment specifics. And like last year, I am on the hunt for holiday neon! SOMEONE has to have a neon Santa or Christmas tree around somewhere! All pics in the two shoots, my first photos of the third year of this blog, were taken the evening of Sun. 11/29.

SINCLAIR ROAD (between Morse and Lincoln):

ROBERTS/ROME-HILLIARD:

Sequoia Pro Bowl/a newbie on Morse

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Yes, it sure has been a while. Fall is now here and I should be on track to start getting in some good neoning. Last month was hard to find time, energy, and automobile related issues certainly didn't help that. So in the last week I did get to take a few photos. I hope to get an actual tour in very soon..possibly the long awaited neighborhoods I have yet to cover like the Campus Gateway or Grove Tucky..er..City. The market' picture at Morse and Cleveland Avenues was taken the night of Mon. 10/5 and the two pics inside Sequoia Pro Bowl the night of Tue. 10/6. Sequoia is a nice bowling center! I haven't bowled since before my hospitalization and hope to get practicing soon, with the goal of a short "Warm up" half season league starting in January, followed by a summer league, then back into it for real in the fall of 2010. Sequoia (the exterior signage was covered in one of my first tours almost TWO years ago now!) is the only PBA stop now in Columbus, they usually are here in late February or early March. That lounge is really nice too btw! And they have Keno!

A small "ethnic" market in a strip center near Cleveland Avenue and Morse Rd. This business appears to cater to local immigrant communities, mostly Mexican and Somalian (this side of town has large populations of both these nationalities).

The 7-10 Sports Bar & Grill inside Sequoia Pro Bowl in the Forest Park neighborhood on the north end of Columbus.

E. Broad corridor new/forgotten/missing links

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:27:00 +0000

I have covered E. Broad extensively, at least from about Reynoldsburg to the far west side (so yeah, most of E. Broad in the Columbus area), but a stretch from Bexley to near downtown had a few stragglers which I do not have images of from previous photo tours. So after work earlier this week I took a short drive of E. Broad from Bexley to home, essentially downtown. All photos were taken the night of Monday 8/24.

Bexley Centres sign, near E. Broad and Harding. A small strip center in Bexley, I have photos taken of a few of the businesses in this center from a previous tour.

Apple Vacations neon sign, at a travel agency in another small strip center next to the Bexley Centres, at E. Broad and Broadleigh.

The Old Bag of Nails pub, actually on N. Nelson Rd. at E. Broad at the edge of Bexley, by the railroad bridge. Looks like some cool neon inside since their remodel..will have to check it out inside for an establishment specific photo tour/cold beer.

An attorney's office at E. Broad and S. 18th Streets, just east of downtown. Pretty cool sign. Lawyers are not really known for their use of neon signage to advertise their practices.

Coming soon: summer phone dump..the lazy days of summer neoning mostly taken with my rather low quality camera phone..always a pain in the butt because I have to send a text/picture message to my email since my phone doesn't have peripherals to just upload images onto my PC..but I have a few images taken over the summer, mostly in August, that I need to post. Also, with fall approaching, the campus gateway and short north should be alive with neon again soon..two long awaited areas I have yet to cover! Watch for those soon!

Indianola revisit/Fitzwilly's Irish Pub

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Since I have had a few car related issues, I have been driving home via the surface street of Indanola Avenue instead of I-71 the last few nights. I covered the area a little less than a year ago, but there were a few spots I didn't get for whatever reason, or maybe a few new additions since then. I don't use this stretch of Indianola too often so maybe a few things have changed. I also captured the little neon that adorns Fitzwilly's Irish Pub at the 161 and Karl strip center, next to After Hours Sports Bar, which I have already covered. The Indianola redux pics were taken the evening of 8/10 and the Fitzwilly's last night, 8/11.

Sorry about the quality of the "light bulb". This is the City of Columbus electric complex, and it was hard to get very close to the entrance of this building..looked like some security guards were watching me as I stopped the car with the emergency flashers on Indianola and walked up a grassy knoll and got as close as I could. Plus I didn't have a better camera on me, just the phone. I will probably be back for a retake for flickr maybe.

The neon of Fitzwilly's Irish Pub. Definitely stop in for a drink and see the lovely and beautiful Tracie who tends bar there most Tuesday nights!

Dead abandoned bowling alley

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:39:00 +0000

This short photo shoot comprised of three of my lifelong interests: bowling, abandoned/decaying buildings, and neon signs. Mr. Bills was a longtime favorite bowling center located in the Northern Lights shopping area from the 1950s til the early 2000s. Almost directly across the street was another bowling center, Amos Lanes. Amos Lanes closed I believe around 2001 or 2002, leaving only Mr. Bills and it's cool animated neon entrance sign. Sadly, not too long after Amos' closure, Mr. Bills suffered a fire which caused extensive, if not irreparable damage to the interior. So Mr Bills decided to move to the now vacant Amos Lanes building across the street. Though I believe it has had a formal name change in the last couple years, locals still refer to even the new center as "Mr. Bills". A foot note to the bowling alley, when Mr. Bills purchased the still intact but closed center across the street after the fire, there were rumors going around from other bowling centers management and from local pros, that once the renovations to the new center were complete, that they were going to install a few candlepin lanes to go along with the traditional tenpin. This was like a dream come true for me, but unfortunately, they were either just rumors or the ownership chickened out. Either way, I would love for the idea to be revived. I grew up in New England and bowled only candlepin until coming to Ohio, and while I love tenpin, I miss candles and always bowl a few strings (games) when I am back east. A lifelong dream of mine is to own a candlepin/duckpin/tenpin center. With the recent sad closure of AMF Main Lanes, I saw possibilities...so if anyone has a few million dollars they could loan me, let's bring candlepin out of it's New England hiding place! All pics were taken a few weeks ago (were taken on my camera phone, so don't expect much in way of quality), on the afternoon of Sat. 7/4.

I know, I know, the second sign ( B O W L )is not actually neon. But it is a great sign nonetheless. And it would have been SO much nicer if the overhead wires were not there, but oh well, that's life.

Two long awaited S. High missing links

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:47:00 +0000

I wish these two businesses would keep their neon on after dark, but now having lived close to this area for almost a year, I am resigned to the fact they close up shop and turn the lights out early. Even during fall and winter the signs seem to be off anytime after dark. Now in summer it is unlikely I will catch the signs at night, so I snapped a couple pics on a mostly cloudy mid afternoon. If I ever do have a camera on me, have the time, and I see them lit up while dark, they are going for retakes. Both pics were taken Tue. 6/16.

Bluegrass Music Supply, near S. High and Moler. Love the semi-amateur neon work! Awesome!

Dr. Jenkins Chiropractic office. This sign would look absolutely wonderful at night. Unfortunately the shadows don't do this great sign justice. Maybe one day the doc will keep some late office hours and while he fixes spines, I will get a better image of his sign.

Kroger on Parsons Avenue

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Living in German Village, but spending a lot of time on the east and north sides, I have a wide variety of grocery shopping options. I like my share of Trader Joe when I am in that area (Easton or Dublin..and would be nice to have a store in German Village or downtown, but that's a pipe dream for now). I go to Aldi for many of the basics, rather than pay for other store's advertising. For the 'regular' stores, I definitely prefer the Brewer's Gate Kroger..definitely the nicest plain old Kroger store in the area. The Giant Eagle (a former Big Bear location) on Whittier is maybe a few feet closer to me than the Kroger, but the G.E. is so small. Nothing wrong with it, just smaller selection and higher prices, but possibly fresher lobster. On occasion, I venture over to the "other" side of German/Merion Village, Parsons Avenue. I have done neon photo tours of the area, but only recently did I go inside the Kroger at the corner of Moler. WOW! It is a time capsule from the 1990s. While I am sure somewhere there are grocery stores, even chain stores like Kroger, that may not have been extensively remodeled since the stone age days of the 70s and 80s, I have noticed that MOST older stores have been given a 21st century makeover, and that the newest ones have that same toned down but pleasant look of the 2000s. The Kroger on E. Broad in Town and Country was recently remodeled, but they kept their entrance neon (there is a pic way back at the beginning of the blog). The Parsons store..it is still in full 90s goodness. In the early to mid 1990s, grocers and other retail establishments started using neon extensively IN the stores (while sadly, taking down their classic outdoor neon signs and replacing them with cheaper alternatives). The neon is really nothing breathtakingly exciting but...it is neon, and nice to see some still around. Big Bear also went through a neon phase in the 90s, in what would ultimately be their last new look before death. The Neil Avenue Giant Eagle of course, reflects that era. The following pics were taken the morning of Mon. 6/1. With my phone, so quality is not as great. But I wasn't kicked out by some arbitrary manager!

North End missing links and newcomers/SR 161

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Commercial strips like State Route 161 (called E. Dublin-Granville Road in the northland area of Columbus) is like most retail oriented areas, prone to constant retail change via closures, takeovers, openings, and anything else that is part of the normal business cycle in the retail industry. This road is lined with the sorts of businesses liable to quick openings, even quicker disappearances, and property owner/tenant turnover. Restaurants, small ethnic shops and markets, used car lots, etc. So I am always on the lookout for new neon, changed neon, as well as sadly, newly dark neon. Here are a few examples of some neon that has changed, added, or been relit, or otherwise missed during previous tours of the area. I work in this area so I am able to get to the area fairly regularly. All pics taken the night of Fri. 5/29.

Johnny Oak's BBQ, now Shrimp Shack and Pizza, next to Lane Carryout, between Maple Canyon and Beechcroft Roads. This sort of inexpensive faux southern food has become quite popular around Columbus. Gotta try it sometime. This is probably one of the newer more interesting signs in this area, only having appeared in the last month or so. Gotta love a business who still believes in investing in neon!!!!

Accent neon adorning the corners of the Sharon Woods Center, a small strip center that dates probably to sometime in the 1970s.

Interesting that this place has electricity flowing through it. This nightclub, site of the former seafood Shells restaurant, has not been open for years, and was dark for a LONG time. Shells closed in early 2001 I believe and a nightclub went in not long after, but it was not open long and it's long been closed. Maybe new owners have taken over and have plans??

This medical office, which appears to specialize in hair restoration, seems be run out of an actual residence, in this small house tucked behind some trees off a service road at 161 and Ponderosa, near Northland Plaza. Trust me..I may need to pay them a visit soon!!!

Whiskey Dick's bar, on an outparcel of Columbus Square at 161 and Forrest Hills Blvd, across from Northland Plaza. Awesome super atomic hot wings here. So hot, you need to sign a waiver upon ordering them. I've had them..delish!

Lisska

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Lisska is an old bar and grill on E. 5th Avenue at the corner of Cassady Avenue in an area called "the East Gateway". Not far from Bexley and not far from the airport, the area has seen worse and better days. Definitely working and lower middle class, but not the hardest of hard core ghetto. Very little neon graces the area despite many older buildings and businesses. Other than some very run of the mill stuff on some of the convenience stores and a few ghost pieces, there is practically nothing of neon interest here. With one very big exception, and that exception is Lisska. I happened to take this pic despite the fact it was late morning because a. it was lit. And b. I am rarely in this area late at night. I will make it a point to capture the sign at night if I can, but that may be hard since I have rarely seen it lit very late and some of the characters hanging around the area make taking pictures of a neon sign a bit tricky. The neon needs some work and retubing, but the sign really isn't in bad shape, despite it being there probably close to 60 years. According to property records, the Lisska family has owned the property since 1944 and the building itself was built in 1950. I have never been in the place. The pic was taken the late morning of Mon. 5/18.

More from the south side

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:15:00 +0000

The south side of Columbus, I have discovered, is for some reason a tough place to shoot neon. Either I have bizarre hours or the businesses on this side of town do. Or they only feel like having their neon signs lit when the mood strikes them. I can never just seem to do one good photo tour of the area. When one sign I want to capture is there seemingly waiting for my camera's lens to grab it, another one is out cold. And then when that sign finally is on, I discover another hidden gem that is lights out. Anyway, I felt like getting a pretty good tour in of the area of S. High street below German Village. Yeah, I already do have some from this area in previous posts. But I never fully committed to the area as of yet. Lots of ghost neon in this area, which I did cover, but was ghost specific. All the pics were taken the evening of Tue. 5/12 except for the daytime pic of the "rainbow" which I took just this morning.

This business is rather unique. If you ever need to wash your 93 Camaro and your pit bull at the same time, while grabbing that 6 pack of Busch, this is the place! Gotta love the south side!

This is actually inside the DOTS store at Great Southern shopping center, on the back wall. I think every old strip mall, regardless of how well or poor business is, has a DOTS. Kinda like the GNC or Radio Shack for women's clothing.

One side of this tire place is pretty much the norm..one or more letters out. This is a "Fires One". But lo and behold, the other side of the building features a 100% functioning Firestone sign!

Mexican Restaurant on the outlot of Southland Mall. Nice "abierto" sign, even if it is for decoration over function. Very few multilingual neon signs are to be found in Columbus, even with the large increase in the Spanish speaking population. Even establishments that are run and patronized by speakers of languages other than English, most of the neon is English.

Bob Evans Restaurants corporate headquarters are located on a small campus in this area of S. High. I am not the hugest fan of neon covered by other signage (where the neon basically is shadowed by a metallic overlay), but it does look nice and does count as neon.

Buy here/pay here used car lot on Parsons Avenue near Frebis Ave.

Is a lit up Bluegrass Music sign in my future?? A sign I want to capture but eludes me is next door to this Victorian house turned into psychic parlor.

The Rice Bowl sign lit up before it goes to bed. I covered this sign last fall, but it wasn't quite as dark.

Wow! The Chatterbox is NOT dead! I covered this sign a few months back and had it as a dead sign. It is dying and on life support it seems. I wish they would fix it though..it's a wicked cool sign!

Crater's Restaurant on S. High and Morrill Avenue. A comfort food kinda place. I would think that Miller Lite sign means it is gay or gay friendly. I know of a few cool rainbows in the short north area that when I finally cover will be a part of this diverse blog. I am straight but not narrow, by the way.

RIP Wonder Bakery Columbus 1916-2009

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:38:00 +0000

The Wonder Bread bakery on N. 4th St. near E. 1st Avenue in Italian Village closed after decades of wonderful smells and a wicked cool neon sign. It was announced back in March that it would close later in the spring and indeed, the bakery's last day of operations was this past Saturday. The sign seems to have went dark prior to the closing of the bakery though, as I have not seen it lit up in weeks. I snapped this picture in the early evening while the building was still open and was not turned on. This picture, which looks as sad and dark as the now former employee's moods might be, was taken the early evening of Sun. 5/3. A link to the story of the bakery closing can be found here

Establishment specific: Afterhours Sports Bar

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Afterhours is a small bar on the north end of Columbus, in a strip center at SR 161 and Karl Road. It's simple and not snobby and that is what I enjoy about the place. Dollar domestic drafts every day is also a good thing, including one of my favs, PBR. Several TVs, not huge but good enough for the bar, a couple pooltables and dart boards, Golden Tee, a pretty cool bowling game, pinball, and the usual jukebox. The staff is great and meaghan just might be the most beautiful bartender in the city. She is awesome. The neon is pretty run of the mill, typical beer and alcohol stuff, but it is a bar..so umm, that makes sense. All pics were taken the evening of Monday, 5/4. Was pretty busy for a Monday night.

One of my favs..This was my grandmother's beer when I was a kid, now here I am drinking it! Over the last 5 years or so this has become cool and hip and 20somethings fell in love with it, after having a grandparenty image for decades. While still cheap, it's only a matter of time before they raise the price when a beer has been "cool" long enough. A 6 pack is typically $4.99 for six PINT (16 oz) cans or bottles and here at Afterhours it is $1.00 for a tall glass.

Another one of my favs, though I don't always need the girly orange slice. Not on the dollar domestic draft list at Afterhours though.

Yep, it's been a while../Grocery store neon

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Ahh, good to be back. I have tried to do some neoning and post on here at least a few times a month since starting this project back in late 2007, but March was my first postless month. A pretty major illness that landed me at Grant Medical Center in late February and well into March sidelined me for a while. I am doing much better now and hope to get back to full strength over the spring.

So my first neon tour since before I was put on the disabled list I was with my daughter and shot a few photos of somewhere I had wanted to for a long while. Yep, the grocery store. An unusual place for good neon, admittedly. But, for me, there is some meaning and memories behind it. The actual place where I shot these was the Victorian Village Giant Eagle, on Neil Avenue near Thurber Village. The location has not always been a Giant Eagle, however. This was once the location of the now defunct Big Bear Chain, which was started and headquartered in Columbus. I got my 'real' job was at the Big Bear Plus location on E. Main street in Whitehall when I was 16, and worked there for over 4 years. Big Bear was considered my Columbus old timers to be the hometown store and the nicest of the major chains which also had a presence in the Columbus market. Cincinnati based Kroger has been in the market for decades, with Pennsylvania based Giant Eagle entering the Columbus market around the turn of the century (I think it was November 2000 when they built their first Columbus store up on Rt. 161, and I was probably one of the first few hundred customers to shop there since I lived almost across the street from it). Meijer and Wal-Mart have also been considered major players in the Columbus supermarket arena. Anyway, to make a long story short, Big Bear began to lose market share as they focused more on value than on quality after being acquired by a larger grocery operator called Penn Traffic. That move didn't work as Kroger began to expand aggressively thus enabling even lower prices and bigger selection. Bad management from the new parent company combined with the expansion of Kroger and influx of new chains and specialty stores led to Big Bear's collapse, as the last stores closed in early 2004, though the writing was being written on the wall even when I was still working for the company. Big Bear was known in the industry for it's many innovations in the supermarket world, many of which we take for granted such as price scanning and private labeling. Another thing the chain was known for, especially within it's home base of Columbus, was it's use of color and paint schemes, as well as signage. Many of the older stores retained their 1950s and 60s era large NEON signs until their very end. Their warehouse on W. 3rd Avenue had a large neon sign which was a local landmark seen easily from Rt. 315 heading toward downtown Columbus. When the chain went out of business, many locations were acquired by Giant Eagle, including the Victorian Village location. Some still sit empty, as the store on E. Main street where I once worked does. Most of the converted Giant Eagles have been remodeled, but this particular location really retains it's Big Bear elements, including the interior neon signage, which was extensively used by Big Bear in 1990s remodels and new builds. Honestly, except for the name and some of the merchandise, being in this location feels little different from being in the same store 12 years ago. Kroger also uses neon extensively in many of it's 90s and 2000s era stores, and I will get some pics sometime soon. Anyway, I have provided some links about the interesting history of this former Columbus institution.

These are not my best pics, as they were taken on my phone and I didn't have a lot of time to stand there and snap pictures of their signs, something businesses like to frown upon anyway. They were taken the afternoon of Wednesday, 4/15.
Now that I am "back", I have some catching up to do. I have some retake/missing links I have noticed while driving around that I want to get to. Some establishment specific locations I have in mind. Also, at the end of the month, road trip! My first ever since starting this blog. While it is a non-neon related trip, I will definitely be focusing SOME of my attention on the neon of the area I am going to. Happy springtime to all!

GO JACKETS! They play their first ever postseason tonight in Detroit against the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings! We can do it! Carry the Flag!!!!

Wikipedia has a good entry for Big Bear: en.wikipedia.org/Big Bear

Thurman Cafe and Nationwide Arena

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:08:00 +0000

I've been to both these places numerous times. Yesterday I hit both in a night. Started off as a trip just to get a cupcake at Bakery Gingham turned out to be a complete night out. I wasn't in the mood for a giant burger so I had the fish dinner with my Blue Moon. Yummy. Then my friend who works at Nationwide was working the Jackets game so he let me know seats were still available. Never had a bad time at a Jackets game. Only been to one losing game ever, and the two that I've been to so far this year, both thrilling wins. Last night got me a bit nervous but Mason held it together at the end to help The CBJ get a 4-3 win over St. Louis. They have struggled somewhat against lesser opponents but are having their way with the Detroits and San Joses of the league. In sixth place in the west now, they may finally be ready to make a playoff run, especially if they keep playing the way they have. So I supported the local Columbus economy by: my Mint cupcake from Bakery Gingam..fish and beer at Thurman Cafe..took COTA up High Street to the game, and supported our CBJ. Of course, the NHL is headquartered in Toronto, but I still consider Nationwide to be local. Go Ceebus! I took these with a camera phone I just got a couple weeks ago, so they are of so-so quality. Nothing like my JVC. Anyway,all pics taken the evening of Wed. 2/18.

Not easy to take pics in here, since it is elbow to elbow crowded. We got there early, just before 5 pm, and only had to wait about 10 minutes. I have waited as much as two and a half hours on a Wednesday night before. The key is to get there early, before 5! This place has a lot of cool, divey decor like old newspaper front pages, traffic signs and signals, old license plates, tips (literally..probably a couple thousand bucks in singles taped all over the walls, ceiling, bar, tables, etc), and of course, neon signs. Many of the signs are run of the mill beer signs, which is why I don't have a ton of pics from inside, but it is definitely an atmosphere that is right up my very strange alley. Check them out:Thurman Café If you are in the mood for sweets before your giant burger, check outBakery Gingham.

Now pics of neon inside Nationwide Arena. Of course the district was covered on a tour back in November:

US 62/OH3 South/Grove City

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:21:00 +0000

Am I the only one here ready for spring to arrive? Didn't think so! While February, now amazingly half over, has not been nearly as harsh as January was, I think we can all use a good dose of warmth and sunshine! I was hoping to have a pretty active first half of the shortest month but a pretty miserable chest cold/bronchitis derailed those plans, so any time I was not taking care of the little one or working was basically resting. I still am recovering but feeling much better than I did about this time last week.

A month or so ago I had to run an errand in a part of town I am probably least familiar with, the southwest side. I have lived in Columbus well over a decade and can probably count on my hands how often I have traveled this stretch of road, on Harrisburg Pike, which runs concurrent with US Route 62 and Ohio State Route 3. Those same roads zigzag through various streets in Columbus itself and then wind up again on the northeast side near the I-270 Outerbelt. I have mentioned before how Columbus is somewhat different from larger cities, in that one can find urban, suburban, and almost rural areas within blocks of each other. This side of town is the epitome of this phenomenon, and since this area has been the slowest to develop in Franklin County, it is still quite pronounced. Some areas that were like this when I moved here have changed as those areas grew and developed into a more typical metropolitan pattern, with a more gradual shift from urban to suburban to exurban or rural. But this side of town retains that feeling of rural/urban blendedness. In just a couple short miles along Harrisburg Pike, one starts in a gritty urban neighborhood. The scene shifts very quickly to an almost rural setting with some barns and farmhouses still standing (the Columbus skyline still visible in the background). Then just another mile or so south, by the I-270 interchange, we are in typical midwestern suburbia, complete with a multi-lane strip of retail.

Being an older almost rural area, I was not sure what to expect in terms of neon signs. This was a well traveled road in the days before the interstate system was built and was the main drag into Columbus from southwestern Ohio. I only went as far south as Grove City, so it is possible on another day I will go farther south to see if any remnants of the old road and roadside businesses remain. In any case, one will find gems when least expected. I only covered Harrisburg Pike/Broadway stretch from Mound Street south through the southern edge of Grove City. The rest of Grove City (Stringtown Road, etc) and other parts of this road will possibly be covered on future tours. All pics were taken the evening of Sun. 2/15.

Nothing too remarkable about these signs, adorning a laundromat at Central Point shopping center, next to one of the many abandoned Big Bear stores. But the relative rarity of a neon "CLOSED" sign made it worth catching.

A pawn shop at a somewhat major intersection. I love pawn neon, and often provides some of the most intricate and cool modern neon. No, it's not quite a classic gem, but I have rarely seen pawn shop neon that was not pleasing to my eye.

What a gem! Probably dating back to when the road was used more for long distance travel from southern Ohio and other points south. The sign is as cool as the hotel signs found on W. Broad and E. Main, but sadly this sign needs a visit to the neon doctor. It is double sided and sadly, both sides were in the same state. Here is a pic I took by day when I happened to be in the area sometime last month, and filed it away in my head for future nighttime neoning:

This is a "pool store" near I-270 in Grove City. While the business specializes in pools as in swimming pools, they also sell pool tables. Interesting double use of a single word.

Talita's, a Mexican restaurant in a strip center in GC. Not sure if they are related to the Talita's that used to be on N. High in Clintonville that closed a while back. I love the older Miller Lite sign.

Simple neon along Broadway in Grove City.

Not so simple neon along Broadway in Grove City! I didn't expect to find this orgasm of neon, but then again, I am only rarely in Grove City. Jolly Pirate was once a fairly large chain of coffee and donut shops in the Columbus area, but now down to only two that I know of. One in Whitehall (with no neon as long as I have known the area) and this one in Grove City. Most are still standing as independents or as completely new businesses. Can't blame Dunkin Donuts on this one since until now Columbus only ever had a few DD locations. Blame Tim Horton's!

Deader than a doornail. I actually took this by day last month and hoped to return at night to see it lit. Sadly, the sign is deader than a doornail, as is the actual tire business fifty feet below. The sign doesn't look in too bad shape so it could possibly see rehab.

Ghosts of the south side

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:07:00 +0000

As I have mentioned before on this blog, there are several general categories of signs one may find on any given street. Of course, there is active neon. That can be divided further into "new", "old", "classic"..whatever. A generic red and blue OPEN sign is quite different from say, the Ho Toy or 40 Motel sign. Any neon is better than none though, right?! There is also dark neon, neon which is still physically intact but for whatever reasons is no longer lit up on a regular basis. And there is another category, ghost neon. Ghost neon may be hard to spot at first, and admittedly, it is often difficult to determine whether a sign is ghost neon. The south side abounds with dark and ghost neon, especially along S. High Street and Parsons Avenue. Last weekend I hit the road with my camera on a sunny but cold day and looked around for some of the ghosts and "bodies" of neon past. Seeing these makes one realize how much we have gotten away from neon as art, and "progressed" to boring plastic incadescent signs, and how the streets and storefronts of the 50s and 60s must have been much brighter than those today. All pics were taken on Saturday and Sunday, 1/24-1/25.

Old used car dealership on Parsons Avenue near Whittier. Status: ghost (neon tubing remains but holes in sign show how the installation was housed onto the sign itself)

Nail salon on Parsons Avenue near the car dealership. Status: ghost

A masterpiece of a sign. A small tire shop on S. High near state route 104. What this must have looked like lit up decades ago! Amazing! Isn't a plastic backlit sign that just says "tire shop" SO much more interesting??? NOT! Very sad, but looks like it could be restorable? Status: dark (but definitely dying).

Dan's Diner, on S. High Street. The diner and sign have been here for years, but is no longer a neon sign, sadly. Status: ghost

German Village Beer and Wine. Again, the business is still open, but the sign hasn't glowed with neon in a while.
Status: ghost

Caskey, a supply company, located on S. Front Street south of Greenlawn Avenue. It's former life as a neon sign is obvious with the numerous holes. Status: ghost

R&R Bait, on S. Front Street near Columbus Street. With a "live bait" vending machine in front of the building, this may be the only large city not near the ocean where one can buy worms through a machine in the middle of the city. Awesome old sign. Too bad it's "gone". Status: ghost

Old elongated sign on Parsons Avenue. Status: ghost

Along Parsons Avenue, a cool old tavern sign. Status: ghost

Many signs are indeterminable if they are neon, were neon, ghost. If anyone can help me out, please contact me. The following signs I just can't tell from looking at them:

West far and near

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:58:00 +0000

While I have covered the west side before, I had not yet gotten to a few neighborhoods surrounding those areas. W. Broad Street is undoubtdely the main drag of the west side of Columbus, and the main thoroughfare which leads one from the west side to Downtown (I-70 and I-670 for those in a hurry). When I did my original photo tours I did not really venture south of Broad nor west of about Philippi/Georgesville Rd. So I thought I would cover some of that. Believe it or not I still have some west side yet to cover, even after this small tour (Central Point/Harrisburg, etc..but I can cover those on their own or in combination with Grove City..oh and I can't forget those small tiny former towns like San Margherita near Hilliard and Upper Arlington..again, separate tours). I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed by the volume of neon far out on W. Broad. Overall W. Broad is one of the best stretches in Columbus for neon, but a lot of the roadside goodies are now gone in an area which switches almost immediately from high density urban to almost rural in an instant. Of course that area now is becoming "suburbanized" with generic chain businesses which use generic plastic signage. Anyway, one of the old crown jewels of the far west side was undoubtedly the Frisch's sign on W. Broad. The location had been there for decades but closed sometime in the last few years. One of it's hallmarks was it's large neon sign that abutted the road. The neon is gone of course. But out of the ashes may rise a Phoenix (or however you say it). One of those aforementioned chains, this time a pharmacy, has purchased the property, raised the old restaurant and built one of their almost prototype buildings on the property. The good news? They have decided to keep the original sign's structure and designed their own on the old! It was unlit when I drove by and did not take a picture, as it was quite dark. But I have to admit it looks good! It is definitely modern day neon, but with a very retro feel. This could become the Camden Yards of Columbus, Ohio neon signage! I am not sure when this location is due to open, but when it does I will definitely get a pic or two. If they light this sign and keep it on good working order maybe this chain will be in my good graces. I am not boycotting them or anything, I just of course have a general disdain for anything cool and old (meaning, what, anything over 15 years old these days?!?) being replaced by the cookiecutter model, and this chain has a history of doing this. Anyway, here is a small sample of some of the neon of W. Broad and Sullivant Avenues. All pics were taken the evening of Fri.1/23.

Some neon from one of the many strip centers located along W. Broad Street near Westland.

The New Rome Motel. New Rome was a town (that is a stretch..was a few houses and a few businesses along a stretch of W. Broad Street lasting about two blocks) which was soley created for the purpose of making money via a speed trap. The fact that 99.9% of their revenue was through traffic tickets, and that the reduced speed limit was later deemed illegal, and a lot of other things led to this "town" being disestablished by the state. Google "New Rome, Ohio" sometime. Absolutely amazing that they got away with this for so long!

Pretty cool addition to what is normally a generic and pedestrian neon sign. Found on a Burger King on W. Broad, in what used to be New Rome.

Western Lanes, near the corner of Georgesville and Sullivant Avenue. One of the few places in Columbus I have never bowled in. Nice sign, but definitely no Hillcrest!

Westgate Cocktail Lounge. The place and sign probably date to the 1950s or 60s. Very cool, even though the sign needs some work.

Just a Papa John's sign, across the street from the Westgate Lounge. What I like about Papa John's is that they at least invest in some neon, at the same time they realize the pizza business is competitive and need to be frugal. Of course an all neon sign would be MUCH better, but at least they have some.

The Columbus Coal and Lime building, very close to downtown at the end of Sullivant Avenue near Gift Street. This area is known as "the Bottoms". A large housing project building is very close to here.

Read this

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:05:00 +0000

This article appeared in the Columbus Dispatch on January 7. Nice article! And I and kick myself for not getting back with Ms. Gibson back when she read this blog. In any case it is nice to hear about fellow neoners!
Cool Dispatch neon article!
Interestingly, I lived (and my parents still live) about 50 yards from the Silent Woman, and I have never photographed their main sign on E. Main Street! When I started the blog I hadn't yet covered dark or ghost neon. When I visit my folks tomorrow, I will pay much more attention to the old headless woman sign. Sadly, it is in bad shape, but I know it is a living history exhibit of U.S. Rt. 40 and Columbus from the 1950s! Didn't know it was once neon though!

Upcoming Projects

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:01:00 +0000

This year will be an exciting year for my blog. In addition to my usual photo tours involving still images of lit signs, I want to do some video projects, perhaps a whole video production involving neon signs in the capital city. I also have planned a few different type photo tours. Back when I started this blog, my aim was to capture the artistic beauty of neon signs, specifically the neon tubing itself, mostly in it's lit up form. Of course, that is the basic aim of neon signage, to advertise XXX (insert almost any noun or even verb) in dim or lowlight environments. I have found though that the actual sign itself, not limited to the lit up gas in glass, is often times also a work of art, especially those dating to midcentury. I have already done a few such posts which deviate from my default norm (still images of lit up signs taken at night), and those type posts will actually increase throughout the course of this year. I have captured over six hundred images of lit up neon of all types, ranging from the usual and ordinary to the extraordinary and brilliant (think blue and red "open" signs vs. Peking Dynasty..and everything in between). But I also need to include, if I am going to be true to the spirit of neon as art AND function, those which may no longer grace our cityscape with light. An example was my "in memoriam" post last fall, which showcased a few examples of dark neon, or neon signs which still exist in physical form, but for whatever reason are no longer actively used for non-daylight advertising. There are yet other categories of neon signs which I have yet to cover, and of course, would violate my rules stated when I started this blog (evolution is good of course, right?).

Ghost neon, is arguably one of the three categories of neon signage found in urban environs such as Columbus; the others being "active neon" and "dark" or "dead" neon. Like active neon seen on any given evening, examples can be found in the city, in the suburbs, and in ruralia. Ghost neon is basically a neon sign which has had it's neon tubing removed, either purposely or through years of weather extremes, pollution, vandalism, or other wear and tear. When done purposely, it usually is removed by a new owner or operator of a business so that a new sign may be retrofitted over the usually much older neon installation. Most of the time, the original business which installed the neon sign has been long gone. On occasion, an original owner or operator of a business may remove neon tubing just to do it (also known as "save money by switching to plain white lighting or LEDs"), or on rare occasions, for safety concerns. While like I said it can be found anywhere, ghost neon abounds in older urban neighborhoods, often in areas which economic conditions fluctuate greatly. In Columbus, the near east side..the west side..and urban south side. I live in an area now which has relatively healthy neon installations (German Village/Brewery), but I am not far at all from probably the most ghostly area of the city for neon. The south side has a LOT of ghost neon. I intend on doing a daytime tour of Parsons, South High, Lockboune..and capture some of the ghosts of neon past. Here is an example of ghost neon, taken in December on Parsons Avenue:
It may be hard to tell from that photo, but one can tell ghost neon from the round holes on certain parts of the sign which housed the neon tubing which covered the signs' facade. Lots of examples like this exist on this side of town. Definitely makes you think about just how neon saturated this area must have been on a cool evening fifty years ago. Yes, most ghost neon signs are VERY old, dating to pre-1960. I can't wait to start this tour, perhaps even today if possible.

Also coming up, like I mentioned, the beer project. I am not sure what the details will be, but basically, I am going to spend one entire day covering one of neon's greatest champions: beer. Beer has to be one of the top two or three uses of neon advertising, especially when one considers just how much neon is used for outdoor, as well as indoor art and advertising inside drinking establishments. Being a fan of both neon and beer, I will combine two of my loves. I have yet to go neoning while intoxicated, so maybe another first is about due?! I will have my walking shoes on for that tour. I am not sure if I will just post stills on blog post; perhaps slideshow form is what I am considering. Similar to the original slide show I did way back when I started this. This country does not have a 'national beer day' like Iceland and Germany do, unfortunately. We have lots of candidates which already function as beer day, like St. Patty's, Cinco de Mayo, New Year's Eve, Christmas..etc..but I want to designate a day for beer, not corrupt another holiday. So possibly a day late this month, or in February or March, when not much else is going on. Psychologists who have studied seasonal affective disorder (appropriately acronymed as SAD) have suggested that January 24 is the bleakest day of the year in North America. Perhaps this weekend I should start my beer project? We shall see!

Famous for Steakburgers (and missing links)

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:49:00 +0000

I remember my first ever visit to a Steak N Shake. It was around 1998, in Indianapolis. I thought, what a cool, retro sorta place. Would be nice if Columbus had one! Well a monster was created. They are pretty well represented here. With some coupons I had (the food has for some reason or another gotten a little pricey compared to when they first entered the market) I decided to take the kids there after a doctor appointment which featured a few of the-not-so-favorite of childhood experiences: vaccinations. With the coupons and a somewhat remodeled menu, it was a reasonable price for lunch for three. One of their new menu offers is "unlimited fries". Unless that is all one was ordering, I have no idea why anyone would want or need this! The original plate offered a LOT of fries. Everyone, including myself, had more than enough food on the first plate. The free shake I had was enormous and there was no way I could finish it. Same goes for the free sundae...way too big, even with both kids eating it. Anyway, as anyone who has been in a Steak N Shake knows, they feature a pseudo-1950s motif. The hats..the 'classic diner' look..the greasy unhealthy (but tasty!) food..and NEON! Sadly, none of the neon is very original, especially in the new fashioned ones which popped up in the last ten years. But I like that they still keep it around, like greasy hamburg...err..STEAKBURGERS..relics from a bygone era. Of course my hope is that neon never disappears and we have a 21st century revival. But those plastic coverings and LEDS..man are they cheap. Anyway, this photo is an example of what nearly all Steak N Shake units offer. Taken Tues. 1/20.

This picture is a missing link from the east/southeast side, on E. Livingston Avenue. This is not the best neighborhood and I may not have had a good opportunity to photograph the sign at night on previous attempts, including my Livingston stretch tour last March. Here is the Vogue, taken Thu. 1/15 on a VERY cold day.

Arlington (and an update)

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:30:00 +0000

It has admittedly been a while since I did a tour of neoning, so I thought last night I would do a small one while I had some time. Upper Arlington is an upper middle class suburb of Columbus, on the northwest side. It is surrounded by several smaller "microburbs" like Marble Cliff, as well as Grandview, Hilliard, and many streets actually belonging to the city of Columbus and Franklin County. It is primarily residential, but has several commercial strips, such as Lane, Fishinger, Tremont (pronounced TREEmont, not TRE-mont as in Boston), and Northwest Blvd. While not exactly a treasure chest of neon art, it is no Worthington and one can find a few nice examples. I am not very familiar with the area as I have little reason to go here, but can find my way along the major streets. I did not really capture the western boundary of Riverside Drive, but I can save that for a future post. All pics were taken the evening of Sun., 1/18.

AN UPDATE: Last April I covered the area of Grandview, specifically Grandview Avenue, which may be considered the main drag of the suburb. One of the businesses which I covered has a new sign! Check out the difference:

NEW (taken 1/18/09)

OLD (taken 4/8/08)

Which one do you like better? Wonder what Gina did to her old sign since getting a new one? Another update out of Grandview. This one sad. A large portion of the business district, which I covered in the Grandview Avenue walking tour (which the old Gina's pic comes from) evidently was gutted in a large fire. I had heard about it on the news, but the devastation was obvious once I drove past. It happened on Saturday, when the low temperature was about -12, so much of the surrounding area has a large coating of ice enveloping it from the water used to fight the fire. I believe a couple businesses I covered on my April tour were in this block, including Accent on Nature and the optical center. Maybe the physical therapy place too? We thank the brave firefighters for limiting the damage, and our hearts go out to those who suffered loss of their livelihoods due to this tragedy. Hopefully they can rebuild and get back to doing what they do. A link to the story can be found here:

href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/01/19/gv_fire.ART_ART_01-19-09_B1_3PCII1H.html?sid=101">

WANTED!

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:55:00 +0000

WANTED! I know I should be neoning and posting photos, and as soon as the weather improves a bit, I will be getting to a few neglected areas. I also have a few projects underway, including ghost neon, the beer project, and maybe some now and then. The "now and then" requires some help. So by now you are wondering, what do I want? ANY old pictures of Columbus, Ohio street scenes, that contain neon signage in the pic. I am a history as well as neon buff, and would love to see what some of what I see now looked like back in the day! Basically, I am looking for pictures and scans from about 1940-1980 roughly, which includes the heyday of neon. They can be businesses still operated, ones long gone and physically deconstructed, or ones that still have a building, have changed hands, such as bars and restaurants. I will not keep them as my own and will not take credit, but would love to take a ride in the time machine and see what neon was like in Columbus of the past. The city has changed a lot I am sure since the 'old' days, and neon is no exception. Unfortunately, mostly not for the good, with the decline of neon usage since the glory days of the mid 20th century. PLEASE e-mail me or otherwise contact me if you have something to share! Be on the lookout for a new tour and/or project! I'm hoping to make 2009 a great year here!

Welcome to the new year

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Happy New Year ! I did not get to do too much neoning over the holidays, as was expected. I have a few items to post here. A missing link, and I captured an absolute gem. Problem with this gem is that it appears to be dark. There is a story behind it as well.

This Planters Peanuts sign is a restoration job. From what I can remember from reading the local paper, the Peanut Shoppe, a small candy/nut store in downtown Columbus, had moved from their original location after some forty years, back in the late 1970s. During that time, the sign was left to decay. Many cities and towns have a store with a Planters neon sign, and Columbus was no exception. Many were well kept up, but many suffered the fate of darkness, decay, and disposal. A few years ago a local preservationist group, dedicated to the preservation of recent historical artifacts (roadside memorabilia..think neon and such from the 1940s-70s), persuaded the owner of the sign to have it taken to a neon museum (now located in Cincinnati I believe?? Roadtrip coming soon then!) for restoration. Well the sign was restored to almost it's original glory and placed near the shop's original location on N. High street, just a few blocks north of Broad. I am not sure of this is the exact story, but this is what I seem to recall. Please let me know if I am incorrect. The sign is there now, but I have never seen it lit. Was this restored without the purpose of being lit? It appears in good working order, but like I said, it is dark. Anyone with any more information on this sign..please contact me! I was driving down High Street the afternoon of 12/27 when I snapped this at a red light, so of course it is slightly obscured by trees. I hope to get a better picture of it, but I know other photographers have posted pics on flickr and photobucket. I hope sometime to see this gem lit up over High Street!

This missing link is not really anything eye catching. I just wanted to include it, since there is extensive neon on this place. The 14-0 Carryout on E. Hudson Street was so named after the Ohio State football team won the 2002 National Championship and finished without a loss. I remember that season well, and the Buckeyes could have easily dropped a few games that year. But our defense held up and beat Miami in overtime to win it all. That was when the National Championship game was rotated among 4 major BCS bowls. Now the location of the game rotates in the same manner, but it is a separate game from the actual bowls. In 2002 (January 2003 actually) Ohio State won the Fiesta Bowl to win the BCS title. In 2007 and 2008, of course, we know how Ohio State fared in National Championships. But including that championship game, Ohio State is 3-0 in Fiesta Bowls in the last 6 years. And trying to make it 4-0 tonight against Texas. It won't be easy, but I think it's possible to beat Texas..possible, not probable. Go Bucks! Pics were my first of 2009, taken the evening of Sunday, 1/4.

ColumbusNeon@gmail.com (ColumbusNeon) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:05:00 +0000

For only a few hundred bucks I can have the real thing of this! Is there really not a Santa?? Anyway, Merry Christmas to all!