The Future Nightlife of Downtown Columbus (living, club, shops)

[OhioNightlife]

I have an idea. Why don't we start shifting the nightlife to be more vibrant downtown? I think we actually aren't supportive/ well organized enough in this town to actually support nightlife in a healthy way other than brewpubs....and this aspect of entertainment in the city (specifically downtown) should be taken seriously. It's how alot of people that are going to be moving here like to spend their free time.

I'm not kidding.

I'll first quickly say I think the Short North has reached a point where it really has become something it was never meant to be. What was an LGBTQIA+ centric arts district with some posh bars and unique shops (from the late 90s to the early 10s) has become an overcrowded tourist trap with no soul. Now I know it would be very difficult to completely turn this around...however...

I think it would be a great idea to let the Short North calm down a bit and let the actual core handle the actual nightlife again. The Short North can correct itself if it sits next to a healthy downtown. Throwing so much of the main energy at the Short North has left downtown like a big giant concrete "what if".

Post pandemic research suggests that dance clubs are going to be making a rebound in the coming decade as music and arts shift back towards this culture. Bigger cities are already latching back onto the rave and circuit scene. People are wanting to have things to do that aren't just technology based, but integrate nightlife and entertainment in real life with their current technology. As a DJ and someone looking at investing a new gay dance club downtown, I am confident (as is my team) that we are gonna be an anchor for this scenery in the coming years.

There is also evidence that with proper security cities actually fair well by creating well activated (even small) 24 hour spaces. Spaces with purpose all hours of the night. Millennials and Gen Z have different hours and prefer this type of round-the-clock living. Why not embrace it in real life?

Bring back the 24 hour coffee shops. The 24 hour bodegas. The 24 hour diners. Allow bigger dance clubs (and not just brew pubs) trickle down the streets of Columbus.

I think it will make it more walkable, attractive, and colorful.

Before anyone decides to make this a "why we can't" thread, I really want to challenge even the naysayers to list a few reasons as to how you would make it work (yes....even if you think it wouldn't). So let's not do that thing Columbusites do where we list everything getting in the way to the point that no one is excited about doing anything ambitious anymore.

Be imaginative, excited, and creative. How would you make this happen? What type of spaces would you like to see along High Street, Gay Street, around the Capital, the riverfront? What would keep you downtown later (even if you didn't live downtown)? Let's really imagine that we are going to hypothetically have the security requirements in place that safety isn't an issue. What do you think would make downtown Columbus feel more like a busy district, even at night?