The Short North

The Short North
Neighborhood of Columbus
The trademark arches of the Short North
The Short North Show map of Ohio The Short North Show map of the US
Coordinates: 39°58′47″N 83°00′17″W / 39.97972°N 83.00471°W / 39.97972; -83.00471Coordinates: 39°58′47″N 83°00′17″W / 39.97972°N 83.00471°W / 39.97972; -83.00471
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Franklin
City	Columbus
ZIP Code	43215, 43201
Area code(s)	614

The Short North is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, United States, centered on the main strip of High Street immediately north of downtown and extending until just south of the Ohio State University campus area. It is an easy walk from the convention center or Nationwide Arena district to the north. The Short North is often crowded on weekends, particularly during the monthly "Gallery Hop" and other local and downtown events.

The Short North has been described as "colorful", "offbeat", and "trendy". The district 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 installed 17 lighted metal archways extending across High Street throughout the Short North, reminiscent of such arches present in the area in the early 1900s.

The area is also known to be a very gay and lesbian friendly neighborhood which contains numerous gay nightclubs and bars and hosts the annual Columbus gay pride parade

The name "Short North" traces its roots back to the vernacular used by police for the area during a period of decline, namely as the neighborhood that—from a suburban commuter's perspective—had fallen 'just short' of the central business district's north end—both physically and economically. A reputation for diversity and an artistic,Bohemian atmosphere has marked the Short North, with land prices and local rents rising steadily from the humble beginnings as a squatter’s neighborhood in the 1980s. Prior to this gentrification of the neighborhood which originated from artists, it had suffered prolonged decay and from latent, street-level crime and gang violence as Columbus affluent residents followed the economic bubble outward—into the suburbs—during the 1960s and 1970s.