Places Now & Then

Mike reflects on the evolution of downtown Columbus, noting changes like the elimination of the City Center Mall and the rapid construction of residential highrises throughout the city in recent years.

This is Mike George coming at you live from the Franklin County Courthouse in Downtown Columbus. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, and the flowers are in full bloom. It feels like Columbus really pulled out all the stops for all the events happening this weekend. These flowers are non-filtered and absolutely stunning.

This courthouse is one of my favorite buildings in Columbus. It’s unusually gigantic for a county courthouse. In fact, this isn't even the main building; that's set behind this one and is at least 30 stories tall.

My recent trips to the courthouse brought me back to 2002 or 2003, which was my very first time in Columbus. I was a junior in high school, and I came here to compete in the state High School Mock Trial Competition. I was involved in mock trial all four years of high school. My junior and senior year, I had the honor of representing Steubenville High School as an attorney.

It’s fascinating to stand here and ponder what this exact spot looked like back in 2003. The courthouse is a longtime relic of the area and was definitely here back then. The Weston Hotel down there is actually where I stayed to compete in that mock trial competition. That hotel is part of the Southern Theatre complex. As you can see, behind it are some of those new, "ugly" modern buildings that have popped up in the last six to eight years. Columbus is a great city to observe its evolutionary stages, almost block by block. The courthouse was here, the Weston was there, but the big thing that's missing now is the Columbus City Center Mall, which occupied the area behind the Weston, between it and the Fifth Third building you can see in the background.

As I walk around Columbus, I’m fascinated by the changes. I've always wanted to work on a project, a mobile app, that's inspired by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. That game, and the whole Zelda franchise, holds a very special place in my heart as a milestone of my upbringing and my video game obsession. Inspired by games that play on the idea of a singular spot having multiple versions across different points in time, I envision an app where you could see how a location, like your childhood home, has changed over 20 years. It’s interesting to see areas in Columbus that have remained intact for 10, 15, or even 20 years, and others that have undergone radical change, and how the city has managed to weave those old and new parts together.

I'm currently on my way to Kroger, and I thought I’d take you all with me. I didn't even do my usual intro, so for the record, this is Saturday morning on 20 July 2024 at 8:36 am EDT.

One noticeable absence today is WANDA. I actually sold it off for $40 cash. Some guy came up to me at 4 am with cash on had and wanted her. I probably should have gotten $60, but Wanda was in lousy shape anyway, so I'm happy I got $40 instead of zero. This is the first one I've managed to hold on to and not have broken or stolen, which has been the fate of every previous WANDA.

I do miss having WANDA to play a theme song during these walks, like "Good Morning Baltimore." But I’ve played that song so much, sometimes I have to remind myself that silence is its own song.

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(Mike continues walking in silence for a while, then comments on a new flyover ramp being built nearby)

Oh, look at this goddamn thing! That is the ugliest flyover ramp. Why did we need another one? That thing is clearly breaching the skyline; it’s an eyesore.

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This area is really pretty. I don't spend enough time walking through here.

Okay, I lied, no more silence. I can't resist talking; it keeps me sane, especially since nobody wants to give me some company in the comments below.

(Mike sings a bit of the Muppet Babies theme song badly.)

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And lo and behold… it's the Kroger!

I'll spare you the mundanity of me maneuvering through the parking lot and focus on not getting hit by these cars. So, on that note, Facebook, happy Saturday on this lovely July morning. Enjoy the day! I remind myself that it is 2024, and the Earth still allows us days like this in parts of the world. Gosh darn it, we are lucky. Get outside and enjoy the sunshine! If you can't, then play a good video game that makes you feel like you're enjoying the sunshine.

Until we meet next time, take care of yourselves and take care of somebody else.