Archive for November, 2014
Winter Beerfest brings in the New Year right
Join us as we celebrate great craft beer from down the street & around the country at the 5th Annual Columbus Winter Beerfest! Breweries and beer enthusiasts from across the region will gather on two Winter evenings for a sampling of fresh beers of all colors, styles, and tastes and a whole lotta fun! Over 225,000 square feet of Craft Beer Awesomeness in the Greater Columbus Convention Center! Come join the fun!!
Breweries and beer enthusiasts from across the region will gather on two winter evenings for a sampling of more than 350 fresh beers of all colors, styles, and tastes. The 5th annual event will take place again at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, only a few blocks away from our Columbus Downtown Apartments. Advanced purchase tickets are now on sale and range from $40 to $75.
Partners Gordon Biersch, Columbus Alive, Leinenkugel and CD102.5 will be there passing out sweet swag and playing beer games all day.
Ever wonder about the Columbus music scene?
Every night in Columbus, a different band hooks up its amps and pours its hearts out to bar audiences. Some might be playing for the first time, and others have been playing for years and are still considered underground. Some have said that the music scene in downtown Columbus has remained static for the past 20 years, with little hype and attention. But that is just one opinion.
If you know where to look there are lots of live music events going on all over the city. A new independent film, “Indie” by Pete Vogel was just released, and takes a look at some of the up and coming bands located right in the heart of it all – Columbus, Ohio. The documentary chronicles the Columbus music scene that has slowly come into the spotlight as more and more bands and musicians begin to emerge from the city. Matt Monta & The Hot Coal Band, The Shaw Brothers, Joey Hebdo, Donna Mogavero Band, Phillip Fox Band, Salty Caramels, Throat Culture, Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons and Oswald & The Herringbones are among some of the musicians featured in the documentary.
The film was independently produced and shows an inside look at the Columbus music scene in 2010, early 2011.
If you want your own copy of the DVD, contact me at [email protected] and I will get you a copy for $15 apiece.
Are you a LittleEater? You should be
The North Market, located across the street from Arena Crossing Apartments on Vine St., is once again a full house. It (generally) doesn’t have too many openings and the last vacant spot was taken by LittleEater, a pop-up restaurant that has seen the inside of the Hills Market. Run by Chef Cara Mangini, LittleEater is set to open in January. The shop will have salads, sandwiches, soups, quiches and more. “I have dreamed of opening Little Eater at North Market for a long time. It’s a great honor to have this opportunity to serve downtown Columbus and its visitors, and to be in the mix with so many talented merchants and food artisans,” says Mangini in a release. This new location will be very convenient for all downtown Columbus apartment dwellers!
LittleEater, is the acclaimed foodie heaven, featuring produce-inspired and locally-sourced dishes. The menu is fun and flexible—designed to give you a little bit of this and a little bite of that. You can mix and match scoops like local cherry tomatoes and sweet corn with quinoa and basil vinaigrette, mixed melons and pickled onions with chile and mint, and beet and farro salad. You will also find a special crostini, frittata and sandwich on the menu each week. The produce is delivered directly from the local farmers who grew it. They prep it, slice it, cook it, dress it and plate it, often within 24 hours of harvest. That has us pretty excited (and hungry).
Hot Chicken Takeover – Get in my belly
If you haven’t heard of them yet you will soon, especially if you live in downtown Columbus apartments.
Hot Chicken Takeover (HCT) literally took over (pun intended) Columbus, Ohio with the highly viewed and participated in Kickstarter campaign. HCT was hugely successful and raised enough funding for a mobile trailer. HCT didn’t want to go the food truck route but instead wanted to be able to take their trailer to different neighborhoods like Grandview Heights, Dublin, and other cities near Columbus and “takeover” for a few days.
But the news gets even better as HCT is taking over right across the street from the Arena Crossing apartments to North Market. The temporary opening is on the upstairs portion of the market in the North Market Kitchen space. Their Olde Towne East location has a few more weeks until its last day on Nov. 23. Their North Market space will then soft launch in December, open on Friday and Saturday.
“I have personally been following Joe and the buzz he has created with Hot Chicken Takeover not only in Columbus but nationally through his Kickstarter campaign,” said North Market Executive Director Rick Harrison Wolfe in a release. “His story is inspiring and his business is local and best-in-class and that is what we are always looking for to compliment the merchant mix at the market.”
The location in North Market will be temporary though as owner Joe DeLoss looks for a permanent location.
Macarons to make your heart swoon
Fall is the season for eating. It’s proven that as winter draws near, people get hungrier and eat more. Are you getting a case of the Winter Munchies? You are not alone. And we know of a place that have the treats and sweets you have been craving for.
Located only a few miles from our fabulous apartment communities in German Village there is a pastry kitchen and cafe called Pistacia Vera. This quaint little shop makes foods that really pack in the flavor. It makes the perfect stop right now because as the weather gets colder, this shop stays happy and warm and fool of sweet treats and savory eats.
Are you planning on having family visit for the holidays? Save yourself the hassle by taking them to brunch for the delectable Bacon, Swiss Chard and Onion Quiche. Using double smoked bacon and onion confit this little breakfast bite will usher in peach and quiet as everyone enjoys each bite.
Perhaps you need to get some treats to impress your boss this Christmas. Look no further. Pistacia Vera’s pastry chef Jessica Bryant does magic in her kitchen. Her Pistachio Honey Nougat is full of honey, orange blossom water and the feels like a hug for your mouth. They also offer perfect cocoa truffles that are hand-rolled and have the slightest hint of Cognac. If your mouth isn’t watering, read this paragraph again.
If you are in the need of baked goods for Thanksgiving you simply can’t go wrong. Try the Madeleine, a lemon French tea cake. Or the Cannele which is a tea cake with caramelized baked custard infused with rum. And finally, you have to try the Macarons. There are a variety of flavors but it seems that the pumpkin chai is the most popular.
If you can’t get to their German Village location, you can walk across the street from the Arena Crossing apartments to North Market to visit them there. Get them the treats that they crave and visit Pistacia Vera today!
Getting around Columbus Ohio
One of the benefits of living in the Arena District at Flats on Vine, Flats II or Arena Crossing is that you can walk almost everywhere. And with the Columbus transportational guide, you may not even need a car in this city.
You can walk, run, ride, bike or even rent a car. With how well Columbus is organized it’s easy to find your way around.
Way Finding Sign System
Thanks to a partnership between the City of Columbus and Capital Crossroads SID, pedestrians can find map kiosks throughout downtown Columbus. Have you seen the kiosk near Arena Crossing? Look for the blue information “i” signs, which include restaurants, retail stores, hotels, parking garages and surface lots, theaters and churches all within a five-minute walk of the sign.
Two-Wheeled Vehicles
Motorcycles, mopeds and motor scooters may legally park anywhere cars and trucks park according to current City Code, and there are specially designated locations just for two-wheeled motorized vehicles that display a special permit.
Transit/COTA
Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) offers dozens of bus routes converging downtown, and will even help plan a route that includes express service. Make it easy—ditch the keys and ride the bus.
Bikes
Columbus is bike-friendly with multi-use trails converging downtown giving visitors a fun, scenic and healthy way to see the sights and get around the city.
Make it a day riding the 12.75-mile Olentangy Multi-Use Trail, which connects Worthington, Clintonville, The Ohio State University, Harrison West and downtown. Watch the blue herons at the Audubon Center or just ride along the breathtaking Scioto Mile.Cycling is a great way to go.
Rentals are available at downtown’s bike shop, B1 Bicycles. The Mid-Ohio Planning Commission (MORPC) even provides maps to plan a route.
Or you can use CoGo, the network of more than 300 bicycles and 30 stations located throughout downtown Columbus. Available for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with unlimited 30 minutes trips. 24-hour passes ($6) and annual memberships ($75) are available.
Use the Cycle Finder app for iPhone and Android to help located a CoGo bike or bike station near you.
Bike Trail Information:
Car Rental
Looking to rent some wheels? Rental facilities are conveniently located, making it easy for to get on the road.
Budget
104 E. Long St.
(614) 228-1058
(800) 527-0700
Enterprise
33 E. Nationwide Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 225-1035
(800)261-7331
Taxi Service
Downtown offers reliable, 24-hour taxi service. Taxis park and wait for fares near major hotels, including the Sheraton on Capitol Square, Columbus Renaissance and Hyatt Regency.
Parking
In the event that you do have a car or that you have rented a car, you will need to find parking. See below for tips on how we can help.
- View maps for downtown Columbus parking garages, some of them just steps away from our premium downtown Columbus apartment communities.
- View monthly parking rates and locations
- Check out our Park and Dine Program
- Use Pre-paid parking and secure your space before you even get to downtown Columbus