One of the arches over High Street in the Short North neighborhood.

The Short North is one of Columbus, Ohio's most colorful neighborhoods, centered on the main strip of High Street immediately north of downtown and extending until just south of the Ohio State University campus area.

The Short North is heavily populated with art galleries, specialty shops, pubs, nightclubs, and coffee houses. Most of its tightly packed brick buildings date from at least the early 20th century, with traditional storefronts along High Street (often with brightly painted murals on their side walls), and old apartment buildings and rowhouses and newer condominium developments in the surrounding blocks. The city recently installed lighted metal archways extending across High Street throughout the Short North, reminiscent of such arches present in the area in the early 1900s.

The Short North is also known as a substantially gay neighborhood, and even the local businesses that do not explicitly cater to gay clientele typically sport the gay pride flag.

Its reputation for diversity and artsy, somewhat bohemian atmosphere have made the Short North a very trendy and expensive neighborhood to live in since its revitalization in the 1980s. Prior to that, it had suffered serious decay and crime as many Columbus residents relocated to the suburbs during the 1960s and 1970s—the name "Short North" actually comes from the shorthand term used by the Columbus Police for the area.

The Short North hosts the "Gallery Hop" every first Saturday of the month, when its numerous art galleries open their doors until late at night to hundreds of visitors and the sidewalks are commonly populated by street musicians and bands.

External links

• The Short North Business Association (http://www.shortnorth.org/)
• The Short North Neighborhood Foundation (http://www.snnf.org/)