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    Shop Talk: Business Owners Drawn to Clintonville’s Community

    First time brick-and-mortars and relocated favorites have made Clintonville a hot-spot for small businesses in recent years. 

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    “It’s a really great community to be in as a business owner,” April Rhodes, owner of The Little Light Collective, said. 

    Located at 3041 Indianola Ave., the vintage co-op opened in September 2020, and has over 40 female vendors, with retro items ranging from clothing to household items and glassware. 

    “We focus definitely on being a little more funky, a little more fresh than an antique store would be,” Rhodes said. 

    Rhodes grew up in Clintonville and said the shop’s location became available at the right time.

    “I feel like Indianola is really up and coming and we have more interest in this strip than we’ve ever had,” Rhodes said. 

    Little Light Collective during its opening in September 2020 – Photo by Randi Walle

    Little Light Collective is joined on the strip by long-standing businesses like Studio 35, and newcomers like refillery and sustainable living shop Koko, and soon BarTrop Plants.

    For BarTrop Plants Owner Andres Cardenas, a shared interest in sustainability and local products made Clintonville an ideal spot for his business.   

    “Everybody is very community based and very focused on the environment and just overall really great people,” Cardenas said.

    Finding a place big enough for a greenhouse is what set the rare and exotic plant shop’s home at 3017 Indianola Ave., in stone. Cardenas moved into the space in April and said it is expected to open in the next couple of months. 

    BarTrop plants will be opening soon on Indianola

    Originally located in the Short North, Tigertree moved to 3284 N. High St. in May 2021. The gift and card shop was founded in 2007, and Owner Josh Quinn said the first year in the new location has been great. 

    Quinn said the “hustle and bustle” of the Short North was fun, but he started to miss the longer interactions he was able to have with regular customers. 

    “As the Short North got busier and more people came through the doors, you didn’t really get a chance to slow down and really get to know people as well as you did at first,” Quinn said. 

    Relocating to Clintonville has made slowing down possible again. 

    “Judging by the numbers, I think there’s something to be said for moving at a slower pace that works for the kind of business we’re running,” Quinn said. 

    Quinn said he is shocked by how often customers say they’re coming from the Indianola strip — located just over a mile away.

    “I think that, really, central Clintonville, whether it’s High Street or Indianola, is really functioning as one big district, and people are willing to make the short bike ride or walk or drive between the two spots,” Quinn said. “Having two different streets…that are that far apart geographically [but] still kind of feel like one unified spot is pretty unique and interesting.”

    Tigertree
    Tigertree

    In a few block stretch that spans Como Avenue to North Broadway, Tigertree is joined by a number of antique shops, including the recently re-opened Eclectiques, neighborhood mainstay Rag-O-Rama, and other local retailers like Small talk, Embassy Boardshop, A.J. Soseby and more.

    Nestled in its midst at 3327 N. High St., sits a piece of the desert. The Brass Hand, a gift and plant shop that specializes in cacti and southwestern goods, opened in August 2021. Owner Heather McCloud said she hand picks everything in the store and represents around 25 local makers. 

    “We’re really kind of blending the southwest aesthetics with the local Columbus craftsmanship,” McCloud said. 

    Opening a brick-and-mortar was always a goal for McCloud. She said Clintonville is her dream location for her business, and she happened to be shopping a few doors down when she came across the vacant spot where The Brass Hand now sits. 

    “Clintonville’s always been really hip, but just lately there’s just such a vibrancy here and my shop fits right in,” McCloud said. “It’s really progressive, the shops around here are all very socially conscious and that’s really important to me.”  

    Find more on these Clintonville retailers at thelittlelightcollective.com, bartropplants.com, shoptigertree.com and shopthebrasshand.com.

    All photos by Ashley Kimmel unless otherwise noted

    The Brass Hand

    The Brass Hand
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    Ashley Kimmel
    Ashley Kimmel
    Ashley Kimmel is a freelance reporter for Columbus Underground. She graduated from OSU with a BA in Journalism. Ashley has lived in Columbus her entire life and is passionate about the growing community and supporting small businesses.
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