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| Walking Tour |
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 Welcome to the Short North Arts District
In addition to great art, fine dining and fabulous shopping, the Short North is overflowing with sights, excitement, history, and community. Here are just a few of the highlights...
Welcome to the Short North Arts District
North Market 59 Spruce Street
 The North Market has a long history dating back to before 1876. Originally, there were four city markets (North, East, West, and Central). Fire and foreclosure ended the existences of the three sister markets. In 1948 the North Market itself, then located at 29 Spruce Street, caught fire, ruining the building. The City of Columbus, then in charge of the North Market, decided not to rebuild. The market’s merchants, however, protested by banning together to purchase a portable hut. The merchants sold their goods out of that hut for nearly fifty years, surviving the introduction of the supermarket, month-to-month lease negotiations with the City, and other tribulations.
Around 1988 the North Market Development Authority (NMDA) was formed to protect the market from the looming fear that it would be torn down to make way for additional Convention Center parking.
In 1992 the North Market moved to its current location at 59 Spruce Street. This move allowed the market to expand, growing sixty-percent larger than the portable hut they had been operating out of. After pre-move renovations, the market re-opened in November 1995. Now more than one-million people a year enjoy the historic market’s traditional butcher, baker, fishmonger, and green grocer goods along with its newer ethnic and gourmet specialties.
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral 555 North High Street
The Short North harbors a great Greek community. At the heart of that community is the Annuciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The existing cathedral was built in 1990 around a smaller 1922 chapel. Much of the funding for this project came from the Kontogiannis family. The elaborate architecture is based on traditional Byzantine style. This style incorporate much symbolism and is characterized by having a Greek cross-shaped floor plan capped by a dome. It is also noted for its interior and exterior magnificence.
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral hosts the annual Greek Festival and also serves as a banquet facility for up to six-hundred people complete with carpeted floors, chandeliers, a dance floor, a stage, and a built in bar. The first Short North Arts District Gala was held here.
The Cap At the corner of Goodale and North High Streets
Built in 2002, The Cap is the strip that rejoined the Short North with the North Market and the Convention Center. Consisting of specialty retail stores and restaurants, The Cap is reminiscent of Union Station, a railway depot designed by Daniel Burnham and built in 1897. Union Station was pivotal in attracting early Columbus city-dwellers to neighborhoods like Italian Village.
Walking or driving on The Cap, few would realize that it is actually a bridge over I-670. In this respect, The Cap “heal[ed] the gateway into downtown Columbus,” which was previously an eyesore (Ball.)
The Cap is noted for its large arches, roofed walkway, and ample lighting.
Thanks to the ingenuity of Jack Lucks, who spearheaded the construction of this landmark project, The Cap not only acts as a literal bridge over the interstate, but also as a bridge between the Short North and downtown and between the past and present.
High Street Arches From Goodale Street to _____
In the early 1900s, Columbus was known as “The Arch City.” This name was derived from the dozens of wooden arches, built in 1888 that spanned High Street. Back then, the arches were used to light the roadway. Later they became responsible for providing the electric power needed to run the city’s streetcars.
In 1914 the famous arches were torn down and replaced with cluster lights. For decades, the arches went unthought-of until June 1997 when district property owners petitioned for area improvements. Amongst the requests were repaved sidewalks, new flower planters, street furniture, and rebuilt High Street arches.
In 2002, nearly ninety years after their removal, the arches reappeared. Seventeen metal archways now line the Short North. A special light ceremony was held on September 1, 2007 to commemorate the arches’ return.
The new arches blend tradition architecture with modern wiring. This modern wiring allows the lights to be programmed to pulse, fade, and flicker in a variety of colors. Unique programs are created for holidays and special events.
The realization of these modern arches was made possible by a collaboration between the City of Columbus and the Short North Arts District, particularly the Short North Special Improvement District (SID).
The Train Mural/Basic Training & Union Station Mural 630 & 612 North High Street
These neighboring art pieces are located on the East Village Food + Bar and Utrecht Art Supplies building. These two murals are linked, paying homage to the district’s former life. Union Station, a train station that was pivotal in attracting early Columbus city-dwellers to neighborhoods like Italian Village, and the trains that lined its rails are reminders of our ancestors who made this area a beautiful and popular place to live long before it was the Short North.
Union Station was painted in the 1980s by Greg Ackers who went on to become the founder of International Murals and Graphics Enterprises, Inc. The Train Mural/Basic Training was created by Greg and Jeff Ackers in 1989.
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Posted on Wednesday, August 01, 2007.
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