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Authentic Edge: Don't forget to look outside in
After all the unstable weather we’ve had lately, spring is here and it’s time to get outside. Columbus has done a great job of offering more parks, open space and recreational opportunities. The other day I ate lunch at Milestone 229, a restaurant located at the Scioto Mile Riverfront. The scenery was nice and the food was good, but it made me think what will unfold over the warmer months. As a person who recently moved to the downtown area, I find it very rewarding with the exception of one thing - retail shopping. Columbus Commons took the place of the old City Center Mall, and while I believe it’s serving its purpose, there is not much alternative or variety when it comes to retail shopping. In order to shop at Macy’s, Sears, Kohl’s, Best Buy or any of the other well known stores, I have to get in my car and actually drive to the outskirts of the city. If we wish to attract tourists with the building of Hollywood Casino and the new parks and recreational opportunities downtown, how will these individuals bring retail revenue, when they have to drive so far to simply go shopping? I mean, once they arrive at the airport we don’t have a shuttle to get them downtown simply for business, isn’t that a downfall in itself? As we continue to explore Columbus and expand its potential, it is imperative that we not only look at the city as a whole from the inside, but from the outside looking in, too. People like to shop. Let’s not get too far away from the basic things.
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