The Short North makes the New York Times!

clipped from travel.nytimes.com Hello, Columbus The Short North section of Columbus, Ohio, has galleries and cafes with art inside and out. A D.J. spins old-school beats in one corner, bottles of white wine chill on ice in another, and abstract paintings hang on the lofty white walls at the Mahan Gallery. If not for the occasional red Buckeyes football jersey in the crowd, you might never guess that this is Ohio. But Ohio it is — Columbus, to be precise. And the Mahan is just one spot in this city’s Short North neighborhood that is challenging all preconceived notions of what passes for cool in the Midwest.

Stretching along High Street, south of the Ohio State University campus, the Short North is Columbus’s designated arts district and home to a hugely popular arts event called Gallery Hop. On the first Saturday of each month, street performers, musicians and artists hit the sidewalks, shops set up temporary exhibits, and art galleries remain open late. Drawing crowds since it started in 1984, Gallery Hop helped transform the formerly neglected, crime-ridden urban district into the vibrant, independent arts enclave that it is today.

In the early 1980s, when artists first started moving into the Short North, the area was full of “derelict people and derelict buildings,” said Maria Galloway, owner of pm gallery (726 North High Street; 614-299-0860; pmgallery.com) and a founder of Gallery Hop. “It was one of those neighborhoods that artists love to move into because the possibilities are there.”

The growing art scene was anchored by the nearby Wexner Center for the Arts (1871 North High Street; 614-292-0330; wexarts.org). A renowned interdisciplinary arts center, the Wex, as it’s called, has drawn national attention to the area with its interactive events and innovative exhibitions — a retrospective of the 2009 MacArthur Foundation fellowship recipient Mark Bradford opens May 8 — and has also helped inspire Columbus’s grassroots art community.

Today, spaces like the sleek Mahan (717 North High Street; 614-294-3278; mahangallery.com) are a reflection of the Short North’s increasingly sophisticated scene. “It’s become such a diverse, well-educated, energetic community,” said the owner, Jacquie Mahan. “And the arts really drive this place.” Indeed, an undercurrent of creativity flows throughout the entire neighborhood, where artwork hangs on barbershop walls and temporary exhibits pop up in residential basements.

Over the past few years, more independent shops and restaurants have joined the galleries, attracting a vibrant mix of young professionals, hipsters and neo-bohemians to the area. During the day, Columbus’s trendsetters shop for under-the-radar labels and screen-printed tees from local designers at Milk Bar (1203 North High Street; 614-754-8802; milkbarboutique.com). Despite the name, no refreshments are served. But at nearby Tasi Café (680 North Pearl Street; 614-222-0788; tasicafe.com), the chalkboard menus list plenty of brunch favorites, like challah French toast with sliced bananas and maple syrup ($7). And even the cafe serves as an art showcase in this neighborhood. In support of the next generation of local artists, Tasi lines its walls with works by students and recent graduates of the Columbus College of Art & Design.

Eventually, though, everyone winds up at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (714 North High Street; 614-294-5364; jenisicecreams.com), a creative farm-to-cone creamery that doles out scoops of inspired flavors like Salty Caramel and Mackenzie Creamery Goat Cheese with Cognac Figs. Considering the innovative confections on offer, it’s no surprise to hear the owner, Jeni Britton Bauer, explain, “I’ve always thought of ice cream as the expression of my art.” It’s a fitting sentiment in a neighborhood brimming with creativity.