I lived in Columbus from ‘87 to ‘06. Got to experience The Continent in its heyday, it was a really cool place. I had no idea it was completely dead now. Sad.
I had an apartment there in the French Quarter when it was very much past its prime, but still a nice place to live. Most of the shops had gone by that time, but there were still restaurants, a nice fitness center, a hair salon, a post office, an eye doctor, and the Screens movie theater. (still there as of this writing) . It was well maintained with flowers in the baskets in the warm weather and lights in the winter. My apartment was in the building right next to the old French Market which was torn down and is now just a field of weeds. When I last walked through a few years ago, there wasn't much left. The buildings were in disrepair, I don't think there were any restaurants left...a few nightclubs maybe, ...only the movie theater seemed to be alive. Even in its current state, it still has good energy of what it once was. I wish a creative developer could revitalize it and give it new life. Its still a nice location. Worthington is a mile a away, Westerville is close and its a 12 minute drive from downtown Columbus. The bones are still good....and its STILL a unique place with life left it in for the right vision.
It must be a long time since you've been in this area. Where the French Market was, is now a Giant Eagle grocery store & everything from 270 to Worthington is low rent druggies & crime. There's a strip club (drug dealers hangout) right behind the Waffle House. Back about 2006-08, I stopped to eat @ Waffle House about 1:30am after leaving The Newport, just as I was being served, I saw 3 people get shot & that's WITH the police already "camping" outside. Then in about 2012, I was across the road @ Speedway fueling up about 2pm & 2 guys had a shoot out. The 2nd guy bled out, maybe 15-20 feet from me. I rarely go to Columbus anymore, maybe 2-3 times a year but it's getting so anywhere inside 270 is a war zone & I'm sure it's gotten worse with the "current strangeness".
Sometimes Continents go through Cycles, Upswings like 70s thru mid to late 90s and then a group of people becomes sullen and Angry and accuses the Successful times were built on their Backs, although they were either not born yet or toddlers,so the community says the Content is very offensive to the Incidents of 1870 and tear it all down and put up Centers of Platitudes and Gaslighting to please the 1870 remembers crowd until the Events of 1880 are revealed and the Content Divides again on Orders of Magnitude, nice Tour
@@craigjensen6853 I make it down to Columbus nowadays even less than the past 5-10 years previous. Damn Leftist/Communist Democrats are ruining everything.
I remember my (now) wife and I went to the movie theatre and saw "Endless Love" and "An American Werewolf in London". The place was so unique, and the French Market had many "quirky" local stores. This was over 40 years ago. A friend and I drove over to The Continent about 25 years ago and if it wasn't closed, it was in definite despair. Sad to see part of my youth in this condition.
I did all my Christmas shopping there. Everybody wondered where I got all my neat gifts at. Damon's was my favorite restaurant also. I really liked their ribs, and it was kind of dark and laid back . good place to take a date. I think they called the Big Bar incahoots. It was always fun going there
I loved hanging out at the Continent with friends from school in the late 80's and early 90's. I got my first job working in the French Market back in high school. The Continent used to be crowded back then. Then the place ended up becoming a ghost town seemingly over night. I still miss the Continent.
UniComm Productions it really was impressive, especially in the late 70’s -mid 80’s. The apartments lining the main walk must have been the ultimate vantage point for people watching. It was like a carnival all the time, you would have loved it.
It's amazing how everything draws inspiration from something. This was Easton before Easton in almost every way. Seeing a movie there was like Hollywood to us. If you had an apartment there in the late 80's or early 90's, you were like a celebrity. 😂
This is what you do best. Taking us to places we never knew existed. I was not aware this interesting and unusual 1970’s incarnation of the infamous “lifestyle center” was right here in my backyard. The concern you voiced about cyclic nature of shopping 10-20 years hence, with regard to the current plethora of “lifestyle centers”, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I fear that you are probably even more correct in questioning the future relevance of these current “lifestyle centers” than you probably realize. The comments made by others on here are spot-on target. If a Hollywood motion picture production is scouting for a fully-realized dystopian movie backlot, this is the place. It is completely ready for filming to proceed, immediately. Plus, the producers can likely get a sizable tax break from the State of Ohio, too. Great video, UniComm!
That’s sort of what I thought-it would be an interesting set for a movie, although the people that live there may not care for it much. A lot of theories behind why we have so many dying malls is because they overbuilt them and over saturated the market. However every city seems poised to have several of these new open air centers (Cincinnati has 4 or 5, Dayton has at least 2 and Columbus has at least 2 if you Count this one, and the word on the street is that Westland in Columbus is poised to eventually become “Weston Town Center”...) We never learn do we? Thank you for watching! We always look forward to your insights.
Well… I’m thinking that forwarding the residents three month’s rent and offering them the opportunity to be extras at union minimum would remove the sting encountered from any motion picture nuisances. (grin) Unfortunately, as your Ohio open-air tally makes crystal clear, you are right. - It seems we simply never learn the lessons from history. Ugh. Thanks, again. We look forward to your next video!
I do remember visiting the Continent a few times when it was at its peak in the early to mid 1980's. At that time, it was very nice, very quaint, and a little "touristy". The cinemas there were nice, and you could actually see the film reels on the projection equipment in action via a balcony above the lobby. Even back then, there were very few national brand retailers and restaurants, most of the places being locally owned, to fit the theme of the center. I think Loews operated the cinemas at that time. It's a shame that this declined, along with much of the far north side of Columbus proper. Several of the hotels and motels along the 161 and Morse Road exits became run down nuisances and closed.
Great vid and info, thanks for the upload. I was in the fifth grade when The Continent opened. When I would go there with family and friends early on I remember it being packed with people who were drawn to the new place in town. The whole concept was so much fun. Later on while in high school I worked at the movie theater there, again so much fun. At that time I had slightly older friends who had apartments there which were sort of pricey. I thought actually living there would be so much fun. I moved on to college and by the time I returned to Columbus The Continent had begun it's decline and there were other areas of town which were more fun. Seeing the emptiness in this video it is hard to imagine how wonderful this place was in its prime. But it was a great place to spend part of my youth. Again, thanks for the upload, well done. I am now a new subscriber.
The Continent used to be a great place. So much to do there and it was always a good time, even in cold weather. I believe that the changing landscape around the area is what lead to its fall. More and more crime and trouble came to the surrounding areas and that bled over into the Continent which drove shoppers away. There was always something for everyone there and I miss it. It was always so great to spend an afternoon there strolling around shopping and eating. The nightlife was also great, but began to be troublesome over time. I think that is where a lot of the bad vibes happened driving more and more people away leading to the fall. Easton being not far away was no help either.
That happens with so many areas; people grow up and start families and move away. I remember when I shot this video I had to stop and get gas a couple blocks away and I got a bit of a bad vibe from the place.
I miss The Continent & The French Market! When I was in high school we would meet there on the weekends and as a young adult, The Gatherings were the best.
I noticed that. While I hardly saw anyone in the complex itself (there's no editing of that out; I saw two ladies bringing their laundry upstairs and that was it), I stopped to get something to drink at the Speedway down the street and it definitely seemed run down at the very least.
How dare you. You must embrace and love your diversity! The Somalians and Arabs that ruined this area are no different than the Italian, Irish and other whites that built it up.
It was! Years ahead of its time which is why it ended up the way it did. The neighborhood around it declined much earlier than I think the Continent developers had planned. That and Columbus's growth pattern between the 70s and 00s was outward to the north and east, so more (better) shopping including Easton, which was developed just in time, not too early or late, was built.
My mom and I always used to go to the movie theater bc it was cheap, and nobody was ever really there lmfao. We’ve witnessed at least 5 different managements. It always reminded me of a smaller, dead version of Easton. My mom always said this place used to be full of life, and I can tell it did. It sucks it’s so deserted now. It would be nice to get it back together.
They had another location of that movie theater at Forest Fair Mall and my mom and I would ALSO go there because it was cheap and empty sometimes! It's always weird going somewhere that used to be hopping that's just a ghost town now.
Such a huge part of my childhood. The Continent and The French Market. I walked through there about a month ago. There were couches everywhere with people just hanging out in random areas. It didn’t feel super safe by any stretch of the imagination. A huge depart from when I saw back to the future there when it came out. Then hitting the arcade next door while my parents had drinks at Houlihan's! Sometimes we’d hit Mark Pi’s first. You know… If there was time. I can still taste the after dinner mints in the little bowl up front with the little spoon to dish them out.
@ThatsLaCotta Coffelt’s Saltwater Taffy & Homemade Fudge - that’s where you bought the fudge in the French Market. My sister worked there, I worked a summer at their location in the Columbus Zoo
Just now finding this! I was the DJ at the big nightclub (blue building In the vid, across & to the right of the theaters) from its opening in ‘87 until late ‘89. It was built as “RnR USA” and I lost track of it’s evolution, heard it was called Cahoots at one point.. anyway, it was a blast. The Continent Apartments were “the” place to live, and the place was bustling. Theaters full, comedy club doing great l, restaurants full, RnR was at capacity (900+) every weekend. I was spinning live from the club on WNCI on Friday nights for about a year and a half.
Thanks for a walk down memory lane! I worked and played there in the 1980s. But your video was a little like attending a funeral of sorts, But awesome!!!!!
Thank you so much for this video! To be completely honest, I live about 30 or so minutes from this place...never knew what it was. I have always passed the large neon sign on the highway, assumed it was some trucking company or something :). I'm thankful to get a look at what this place was/is. Thank you so much for another great video!
The buildings are in great shape! Everything basically looks like everyone packed up one day and left. With a fresh coat of paint and the right people, it could be a destination again really quickly.
I remember my Grandma taking me there to see ET 3 different times. And also going to the French Market. It definitely has awesome potential to be renovated, but some of the surrounding neighborhoods aren't exactly inviting.
Drove past Cincinnati to get to Lebanon for a h.s. reunion in '15. Didn't know whether I wanted to leave Atlanta to live here or Dayton, but I liked Lebanon; still, I'm remaining near Atlanta. Some malls still live here and you can still can get around on MARTA. Maybe, indoor abandoned malls could be turned into and living qtrs. with a job centre, small store, etc. for the homeless so they can get off the streets, especially in bad weather.
I used to work at a company called Payco American/General American Credits, a collection agency in the French Market. The complex seemed to be quiet, even when I worked there in the summer of '74. Horrible job! Only put up with it for 5 months. Office manager was a consescending arrogant drunk. LOL. Thanks for posting this and other videos. Well photographed and narrated.
I’ve seen those, and they’re really fascinating right down to the decaying VHS quality and the way everyone is dressed. It just makes its current state all the more eerie.
UniComm Productions The Continent was truly magical, in fact, Faneuil Hall Market Place used the Continent for inspiration. I also grew up in Akron and Rolling Acres Mall was truly Magicall when it opened in 1975. It had two levels with a glass elevator! That was insane. It had the first food court, that I was ever aware of and it had a cinema with I believe 6 theaters which was insane for back then. What happened to Rolling Acres was that it was built in a “not so good” area. While it was Shiny and new, it was a destination, but once the novelty wore off and the other malls in nicer areas updated, it slowly died. But from say 1975-1985 it was amazing. Another quick story. When I came to Columbus for College in 1984, The Continent and the nearby Northland Mall were the premier shopping in Columbus. When City Center opened in 1989 it took some of the traffic away from both, but want hammered the nail in the coffin for all three was the almost simultaneous opening of Polaris Fashion Place and Easton, both opening between 1999-2001. Both of those concepts are still thriving, especially Easton.
Anyone from Columbus remember the 2 story toy store at The Continent? I went there all the time with my mother as a kid back in the early 90s. God I loved it. Especially the arcade.
I had several dates at the Continent with my wife to be. I always called it the French Market. I remember a meat market there, Micheal's and sons. What a great place it once was.
There is a guy on UA-cam who uploaded a video of him and his friends visiting in 1987 and it looked SO FUN especially during Christmas when you could walk around with hot cocoa and window shop. The guy's name is Reedy if you want to search for it.
I remember Rapallo's, which was an Italian restaurant, they had stromboli or I 'd get the fettuccine alfredo. I spent quite a few nights at Damon's, the place for ribs and beer, Mark Pi's and back in the 70s I remember going to The Little Professor Bookstore.
I went on my first date to see a movie (Never Say Never Again) at those cinemas in 1983. At the time, it was a big deal because it had 4! screens (most theatres in Columbus had two). As others have stated, the Continent was a really neat place to shop, especially at Christmastime (loved What On Earth). At the time, Columbus really just had the three directional malls (Northland, Westland, Eastland) in terms of larger shopping centers and this had a very different mix of stores --the kind that eventually ended up in a revitalized German Village or possibly the Short North. The French Market declined earlier than the Continent did--I seem to recall it had lost some of its lustre by the late 80s. The other "mall" that reminded me of the Continent was the Colony Bazaar at the corner of Kenny and Henderson. It was originally a rambling two-story thing with a lot of wood and "artsy" stores and restaurants. There was a TGI Friday's at the front of the property (long before that chain became generic). It always kind of struggled, though. The building it was in was eventually occupied by a Max and Erma's and a couple of larger retailers before being torn down about ten years ago.
It's so weird how abandoned it feels when the apartments are for the most part all rented! All those empty storefronts. It would be like living in a haunted amusement park.
When I lived there, it was still running and maintained and was full of pennies that were people's wishes. I hope it will flourish and grant wishes once again.
boy was it hard to find stores....so much distance between shops mostly when there for the food court.....shopped at eastland, northland and worthington malls And those 8 movie screen were long and narrow, like sitting in a school bus
Unfortunately all things outlive their usefulness; we’re always on a quest for the next big thing. Columbus’s oldest operating mall was only built in 1997 and it’s already the “old mall”.
I went to the movie theater to see a preview screening of A League of Their Own with a cute sophomore boy who was a little brother of another boy I worked with. At the end of our evening, he ended up being the first time I kissed another boy. The Continent will always hold a special place in my heart.
I grew up by the Continent in the 70's abd 80's. It was really nice back then. And while other malls may have had an effect on the downfall of the Continent, the real reason it died is how bad that area of Columbus has become. 161 is crime infested and people don't want to shop in that area.
The reason the spot died is that there was more money to be made in new developments. Polaris, Easton, etc. Also bigger and newer homes being built to the north and east attracted residents in the area to sell and move up. Why put money into fixing up your old home, when you can buy new?
The biggest downfall of this place was likely that it was in an area with declining neighborhoods The difference in Easton is that it borders some neighborhoods with the highest priced real estate in the area
They had a pretty decent international liquor store there back in the day. I remember driving in from Lima with the ex to walk around and specifically visit the liquor store and pick up some cheese. LOL I don’t drink anymore but if I want some fancy cheese, I am 10 minutes from Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield. 😉
great memories of this area. I used to go to to the French Market when I was young. Later when i was in college I worked at Cricket West/Christian St John. Some great times, but things chan ge.
I remember the French Market as a very unique part of my childhood. The iron chairs, the international food court featuring Nellie's Curry Pot, a sort of bodega that featured unfamiliar sodas (and, I think, the original run of Clearly Canadian flavored water), and a small magic shop where you could buy devils vs. nuns-in-boxing-gloves puppets. I got one of those little rubber clown figures with eyes that bulged when you squeezed them.
@@UniCommProductions I found a video a while back that someone recorded on consumer-grade VHS in the early '90s, but beyond that, it is definitely hard to find many interior images of the place. I wish there were more; the look of it was really unlike anything I'd seen before or since. The most era-specific part of it was the color scheme. You could see the '80s influence in how brown and beige everything was. The French Market always struck me as bizarre in the sense that it was kind of a stand-alone food court without a traditional mall attached. Watching videos like yours is interesting because I can't recall ever exploring any part of the Continent outside the French Market. So that's all new to me. It's weird looking back and seeing there was so much more to it. When I was a kid, my dad was a vegetarian and we'd make specific trips to the French Market just for Nellie's Curry Pot; Indian cuisine was one way he could reliably find vegetarian food in a restaurant. (He's vegan now, so...yeah, it's much more difficult now than back than, ha.)
The Continent used to be cool as fk. But just Like every other cool place we used to go back in the day is dead or dying. I got to say this time we live in now is bleak. Never thought Id see anything like this.
I live here and it has the worst staff imaginable. They steal residents packages and fail to help residents when they need something. Hope you never have a maintenance emergency!! Cuz you’ll be screwed. I’ve had to fix multiple outlets in our apartment and had to pull out the pipes under our sink cuz it was clogged. Unless your a handyman I don’t suggest living here 😂
@@UniCommProductions The first comedian whom we saw in 1995 was Christopher Titus, who went on to have a show on CBS and is still touring...as a matter of fact he still comes to the Funny Bone at Easton in 2022...
I saw this on google street view from one of your previous video. The one which you said the cinema had so much light it would give a seizure, on its defunct website the owner had another here, so I looked it up. edit: That doesn't change the fact, I'm loving you made a video on this.
That’s really interesting actually! Based on what you’re saying the movie theater here sounds like it was also owned by Danbarry? They owned I think three around Cincinnati.
@@UniCommProductions The last meaningful capture of the site I referred to web.archive.org/web/20150507222043/thescreens.net/ which lead to srimovies.com/ then to the last capture featuring a movie listing on web.archive.org/web/20160619200945/screens8.net/
@@UniCommProductions - I spent a lot of time there and was sad when things started to move or close. I always felt like I really was in a little European village exploring the shops. But, I think malls, in general, are dying. Thank you for the video. I was feeling "homesick" for Ohio.
I remember this place. Back in Novemeber/December of 1985 I worked for a friend of mine who had a Kiosk set up in what was called the French Market located in this development. I sold his Tiffany styled lamps. I don't think the building even exist anymore
I’ll tell the truth. I grew up next to this area in Forest Park, right down the road. What happened was there was an big Italian and Irish presence in this area through the 90’s that makes this area really nice, then Somalians, and Arabs started moving in and all the whites moved out. Now you have kabob shops, Burka shops and used tire shops.
OMG with the dorms already built in! With all those crazy colors they should turn it into an art school--it's got a theater where the students can show their work!
Wow another familiar " mall". I used to go to the Continent back in the 90's. Loved the movie theatre then. Was always busy. To bad the property cant be revamped. But the area has changed so much since the 80's and 90's. Sad, it was a cool place to go.
best one yet, awsome idea to do this place!! only there once on school trip, i think maybe 1978. I had not seen any thing like it before. such a cool place for a kid to see!! maybe it can live again as it was back then. i think we went a french restraunt while we were there, but not sure, so much time has passed. Another great video and a trip down memory lane.
Thank you! It’s hard for me to imagine what it would have been like in the 70s to see all the international offerings because I’ve grown up in a world where Jungle Jim’s was a thing...It was probably like visiting another country in your own backyard!
yeh i still vegly remember it, it made a lasting impression on me! jungle jims totally awsome store 4 hours a visit looking at all the different foods. biggs eastgate a couldn't fathom one store that large. your best subject yet. what is the donation to get a subject video done? first subject webn. the dawn patrol in rhe 90s was coolest show on the radio. everything webn did was larger than life. second topic biggs hypermarket the rise and fall. cincy rocks!!
We already have in the works to do something about Bigg’s as the Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate was (as you know) a mall that died and was repurposed in a really unique way...which will probably happen in the next month or two.
I've lived in Columbus since 1995 and have never heard of this place. So this is really neat! EDIT: People are still in the apartments? That is so awesome. I wonder how much it costs to live there. I will look into it. I love abandoned places. EDIT 2: I think I remember this place now. I have wondered about it for years. I remember seeing it in the early 90s and wanting to check it out but my parents wanted to leave and go home. I have wondered for YEARS what this place was. I always wanted to go back and check it out. You solved a childhood mystery I have had for years.
If you like walking down the stairs to the exit only to find the door propped open and 2 or 3 homeless people sleeping on the stairs then go right ahead. I moved out when the police had shown up to the wrong apartment and shot a dog in the hallway of my apt. They blocked it off to let the dog bleed out until a female officer convinced the repsonding officer who shot the dog to let her take him the the med vet in which the dog died about 4 days later as he had shot the dog in the face leaving teeth and jawbone in the carpet. There was blood and pieces of fur in front of my door and some blood had come in under the door in my apt. Also had my car broken into with the window smashed and when it was reported to the office the security guard who liked to sit in the very back away from any crime tried to say I had done it for an insurance scam. I also witnessed the security pick up bullet casings from a drive by in front of that little bar next to the underpass becuase they didnt want to involve the police for fear of hurting future rentals. So if you like hearing gunshots on the regular (I know, I worked delivery on 161 for 5 years while living there for 2 in 2013) and hearing people fight while always watching your back then go right ahead.
It looks like there are a few businesses...there is a graphic design place that looks open, but they're not the sort of place that would command a lot of foot traffic. Mostly just the people who live there and the movie theater. It would have been cool to see it when it was Party Central back in the 80's.
The French market was at the end of the "mall" area. It was torn down years ago and just an open area. The former giant eagle (closed a few years ago) was not near the old Continent site. The purple building at the end of the building used to be the funny bone which ironically moved to Easton the new open air mall when it opened.
There used to be a hotel on the Giant Eagle site called The Hospitality Inn. It sat south of The Continent on the north side of 161. It was there in the 70s. They tore it down probably 15 years ago and built the Giant Eagle. Then the Giant Eagle closed a couple of years ago. I also remember that back in the 70s there was a Howard Johnson's restaurant and hotel across 161 on the south side of 161. The Howard Johnson hotel had a nice swimming pool. After they tore the hotel down it sat vacant for a while. That's where they built the Elephant Bar.
The millions you would have to spend just to get this property back up to "ok" condition is just cost prohibitive. It would probably be best to tear it all down and build new residential with some modern retail on a smaller scale
I lived in Columbus from ‘87 to ‘06. Got to experience The Continent in its heyday, it was a really cool place. I had no idea it was completely dead now. Sad.
Lived in Columbus in the eighties. Didn't know this place had gone downhill so much
I had an apartment there in the French Quarter when it was very much past its prime, but still a nice place to live. Most of the shops had gone by that time, but there were still restaurants, a nice fitness center, a hair salon, a post office, an eye doctor, and the Screens movie theater. (still there as of this writing) . It was well maintained with flowers in the baskets in the warm weather and lights in the winter. My apartment was in the building right next to the old French Market which was torn down and is now just a field of weeds. When I last walked through a few years ago, there wasn't much left. The buildings were in disrepair, I don't think there were any restaurants left...a few nightclubs maybe, ...only the movie theater seemed to be alive. Even in its current state, it still has good energy of what it once was. I wish a creative developer could revitalize it and give it new life. Its still a nice location. Worthington is a mile a away, Westerville is close and its a 12 minute drive from downtown Columbus. The bones are still good....and its STILL a unique place with life left it in for the right vision.
It must be a long time since you've been in this area. Where the French Market was, is now a Giant Eagle grocery store & everything from 270 to Worthington is low rent druggies & crime.
There's a strip club (drug dealers hangout) right behind the Waffle House. Back about 2006-08, I stopped to eat @ Waffle House about 1:30am after leaving The Newport, just as I was being served, I saw 3 people get shot & that's WITH the police already "camping" outside. Then in about 2012, I was across the road @ Speedway fueling up about 2pm & 2 guys had a shoot out. The 2nd guy bled out, maybe 15-20 feet from me. I rarely go to Columbus anymore, maybe 2-3 times a year but it's getting so anywhere inside 270 is a war zone & I'm sure it's gotten worse with the "current strangeness".
Sometimes Continents go through Cycles, Upswings like 70s thru mid to late 90s and then a group of people becomes sullen and Angry and accuses the Successful times were built on their Backs, although they were either not born yet or toddlers,so the community says the Content is very offensive to the Incidents of 1870 and tear it all down and put up Centers of Platitudes and Gaslighting to please the 1870 remembers crowd until the Events of 1880 are revealed and the Content Divides again on Orders of Magnitude, nice Tour
@@Vampirebear13 The Giant Eagle shut down and is now a storage warehouse. I think it's been a month or two since someone was shot there.
@@craigjensen6853 I make it down to Columbus nowadays even less than the past 5-10 years previous. Damn Leftist/Communist Democrats are ruining everything.
I remember my (now) wife and I went to the movie theatre and saw "Endless Love" and "An American Werewolf in London". The place was so unique, and the French Market had many "quirky" local stores. This was over 40 years ago. A friend and I drove over to The Continent about 25 years ago and if it wasn't closed, it was in definite despair. Sad to see part of my youth in this condition.
I used to go to the What on Earth? and Silverball Arcade all the time as a kid. This and Northland Mall were what I grew up with
- I lived behind Northland in the 80's on Fenton street.
'what on earth' was such a cool store
I loved that store and also the fish store. I loved the burritos at the French Market.
@@chuckbuckets1 WoE is at Lane avenue now iirc
I loved going to the Continent back in the 80s especially at Christmas time. It was so festive and Damon's restaurant had great bbq.
I did all my Christmas shopping there. Everybody wondered where I got all my neat gifts at. Damon's was my favorite restaurant also. I really liked their ribs, and it was kind of dark and laid back . good place to take a date. I think they called the Big Bar incahoots. It was always fun going there
Oh man. Damon's....
It was right across from Crusin Tunes and that cigar shop. Man I miss the old days 😪
I loved hanging out at the Continent with friends from school in the late 80's and early 90's. I got my first job working in the French Market back in high school. The Continent used to be crowded back then. Then the place ended up becoming a ghost town seemingly over night. I still miss the Continent.
This is one I really would have loved to see in its heyday. It feels like an abandoned theme park now.
UniComm Productions it really was impressive, especially in the late 70’s -mid 80’s. The apartments lining the main walk must have been the ultimate vantage point for people watching. It was like a carnival all the time, you would have loved it.
It's amazing how everything draws inspiration from something. This was Easton before Easton in almost every way. Seeing a movie there was like Hollywood to us. If you had an apartment there in the late 80's or early 90's, you were like a celebrity. 😂
I NEEDED THIS SO BADLY TODAY....THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH!!!
Awww thank you Sal!
This is what you do best. Taking us to places we never knew existed. I was not aware this interesting and unusual 1970’s incarnation of the infamous “lifestyle center” was right here in my backyard.
The concern you voiced about cyclic nature of shopping 10-20 years hence, with regard to the current plethora of “lifestyle centers”, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
I fear that you are probably even more correct in questioning the future relevance of these current “lifestyle centers” than you probably realize.
The comments made by others on here are spot-on target. If a Hollywood motion picture production is scouting for a fully-realized dystopian movie backlot, this is the place. It is completely ready for filming to proceed, immediately.
Plus, the producers can likely get a sizable tax break from the State of Ohio, too.
Great video, UniComm!
That’s sort of what I thought-it would be an interesting set for a movie, although the people that live there may not care for it much.
A lot of theories behind why we have so many dying malls is because they overbuilt them and over saturated the market. However every city seems poised to have several of these new open air centers (Cincinnati has 4 or 5, Dayton has at least 2 and Columbus has at least 2 if you Count this one, and the word on the street is that Westland in Columbus is poised to eventually become “Weston Town Center”...) We never learn do we?
Thank you for watching! We always look forward to your insights.
Well… I’m thinking that forwarding the residents three month’s rent and offering them the opportunity to be extras at union minimum would remove the sting encountered from any motion picture nuisances.
(grin)
Unfortunately, as your Ohio open-air tally makes crystal clear, you are right. - It seems we simply never learn the lessons from history. Ugh.
Thanks, again. We look forward to your next video!
@@UniCommProductions There's also Legacy Village in Lyndhurst, and Crocker Park in Westlake, near Cleveland.
I’d like to see those @toby
I do remember visiting the Continent a few times when it was at its peak in the early to mid 1980's. At that time, it was very nice, very quaint, and a little "touristy". The cinemas there were nice, and you could actually see the film reels on the projection equipment in action via a balcony above the lobby. Even back then, there were very few national brand retailers and restaurants, most of the places being locally owned, to fit the theme of the center. I think Loews operated the cinemas at that time. It's a shame that this declined, along with much of the far north side of Columbus proper. Several of the hotels and motels along the 161 and Morse Road exits became run down nuisances and closed.
Great vid and info, thanks for the upload. I was in the fifth grade when The Continent opened. When I would go there with family and friends early on I remember it being packed with people who were drawn to the new place in town. The whole concept was so much fun. Later on while in high school I worked at the movie theater there, again so much fun. At that time I had slightly older friends who had apartments there which were sort of pricey. I thought actually living there would be so much fun. I moved on to college and by the time I returned to Columbus The Continent had begun it's decline and there were other areas of town which were more fun. Seeing the emptiness in this video it is hard to imagine how wonderful this place was in its prime. But it was a great place to spend part of my youth. Again, thanks for the upload, well done. I am now a new subscriber.
The Continent used to be a great place. So much to do there and it was always a good time, even in cold weather. I believe that the changing landscape around the area is what lead to its fall. More and more crime and trouble came to the surrounding areas and that bled over into the Continent which drove shoppers away. There was always something for everyone there and I miss it. It was always so great to spend an afternoon there strolling around shopping and eating. The nightlife was also great, but began to be troublesome over time. I think that is where a lot of the bad vibes happened driving more and more people away leading to the fall. Easton being not far away was no help either.
That happens with so many areas; people grow up and start families and move away. I remember when I shot this video I had to stop and get gas a couple blocks away and I got a bit of a bad vibe from the place.
The movie theater was crap last time I was there. The place was awesome back in the 80s. First time I ever saw a Magnadoodle was at the Toy Box.
The Yelp reviews for the movie theater are pretty dismal, I gotta say.
I miss The Continent & The French Market! When I was in high school we would meet there on the weekends and as a young adult, The Gatherings were the best.
It was one of my favorite places. I see this concept applied in many developments in central GA. I wish I could find footage of Laser One.
my mom lives across the street from the continent and it's... not a very nice neighbourhood anymore
I noticed that. While I hardly saw anyone in the complex itself (there's no editing of that out; I saw two ladies bringing their laundry upstairs and that was it), I stopped to get something to drink at the Speedway down the street and it definitely seemed run down at the very least.
@@UniCommProductions i got the stare-down when i was at that speedway only a few weeks ago :'D
How dare you. You must embrace and love your diversity! The Somalians and Arabs that ruined this area are no different than the Italian, Irish and other whites that built it up.
Jesse. Don't judge people because their ethnic background and/or skin color. That's totes effed up.
I used to go to "The Toy Box", then get a gyro at "The Black Olive" with my mom back in the 80s- 90s.
There was a strip club in Franklin County called the Toy Box.
Looks like you stumbled onto a production backlot... this has to be one of the earliest mixed use/lifestyle malls!
I think it had to have been. It’s definitely one of the first “fake suburban city” style ones
It was! Years ahead of its time which is why it ended up the way it did. The neighborhood around it declined much earlier than I think the Continent developers had planned. That and Columbus's growth pattern between the 70s and 00s was outward to the north and east, so more (better) shopping including Easton, which was developed just in time, not too early or late, was built.
DAMN the fun I had back in the 80s there. Elephant Bar across the street. My god those were the days!!
My mom and I always used to go to the movie theater bc it was cheap, and nobody was ever really there lmfao. We’ve witnessed at least 5 different managements. It always reminded me of a smaller, dead version of Easton. My mom always said this place used to be full of life, and I can tell it did. It sucks it’s so deserted now. It would be nice to get it back together.
They had another location of that movie theater at Forest Fair Mall and my mom and I would ALSO go there because it was cheap and empty sometimes! It's always weird going somewhere that used to be hopping that's just a ghost town now.
Such a huge part of my childhood. The Continent and The French Market. I walked through there about a month ago. There were couches everywhere with people just hanging out in random areas. It didn’t feel super safe by any stretch of the imagination. A huge depart from when I saw back to the future there when it came out. Then hitting the arcade next door while my parents had drinks at Houlihan's! Sometimes we’d hit Mark Pi’s first. You know… If there was time. I can still taste the after dinner mints in the little bowl up front with the little spoon to dish them out.
I remember I made a music video at the continent and I loved the fudge shop they made it right in front of you!! Good memories ♥️
Was it one of the music video places that you lipsynch in front of a green screen? Those were the height of cool in the 90s. :)
UniComm Productions yes!!
@ThatsLaCotta
Coffelt’s Saltwater Taffy & Homemade Fudge - that’s where you bought the fudge in the French Market. My sister worked there, I worked a summer at their location in the Columbus Zoo
No, the crime in the area lead to its demise. That area is now a third world country.
I can picture myself sitting on a bench here with a good book and listening to some music.
It would be very quiet if you did!
Just now finding this! I was the DJ at the big nightclub (blue building
In the vid, across & to the right of the theaters) from its opening in ‘87 until late ‘89. It was built as “RnR USA” and I lost track of it’s evolution, heard it was called Cahoots at one point..
anyway, it was a blast. The Continent Apartments were “the” place to live, and the place was bustling. Theaters full, comedy club doing great l, restaurants full, RnR was at capacity (900+) every weekend. I was spinning live from the club on WNCI on Friday nights for about a year and a half.
Thanks for a walk down memory lane! I worked and played there in the 1980s. But your video was a little like attending a funeral of sorts, But awesome!!!!!
I visited The Continent / French Market in June, 1989; and toured the Anhauser - Busch brewery on the same day.
Even though I've never been there. It's hard to see such a cool place go unused
Thank you so much for this video! To be completely honest, I live about 30 or so minutes from this place...never knew what it was. I have always passed the large neon sign on the highway, assumed it was some trucking company or something :). I'm thankful to get a look at what this place was/is. Thank you so much for another great video!
Thank YOU for watching! I think it’s been empty for so long that it’s been kind of forgotten. I was really surprised at how intact everything was.
i really wish a investor come in make this place alive again still has lots of potential
The buildings are in great shape! Everything basically looks like everyone packed up one day and left. With a fresh coat of paint and the right people, it could be a destination again really quickly.
Yucatan, hoolihans and THE FUNNY BONE!
I remember my Grandma taking me there to see ET 3 different times. And also going to the French Market. It definitely has awesome potential to be renovated, but some of the surrounding neighborhoods aren't exactly inviting.
Drove past Cincinnati to get to Lebanon for a h.s. reunion in '15. Didn't know whether I wanted to leave Atlanta to live here or Dayton, but I liked Lebanon; still, I'm remaining near Atlanta. Some malls still live here and you can still can get around on MARTA. Maybe, indoor abandoned malls could be turned into and living qtrs. with a job centre, small store, etc. for the homeless so they can get off the streets, especially in bad weather.
I lived there in 1975-77. Many great memories!
I used to work at a company called Payco American/General American Credits, a collection agency in the French Market. The complex seemed to be quiet, even when I worked there in the summer of '74. Horrible job! Only put up with it for 5 months. Office manager was a consescending arrogant drunk. LOL.
Thanks for posting this and other videos. Well photographed and narrated.
The are a couple video on UA-cam from when the Continent was jumping. Search the Continent 1988
I’ve seen those, and they’re really fascinating right down to the decaying VHS quality and the way everyone is dressed. It just makes its current state all the more eerie.
UniComm Productions The Continent was truly magical, in fact, Faneuil Hall Market Place used the Continent for inspiration. I also grew up in Akron and Rolling Acres Mall was truly Magicall when it opened in 1975. It had two levels with a glass elevator! That was insane. It had the first food court, that I was ever aware of and it had a cinema with I believe 6 theaters which was insane for back then. What happened to Rolling Acres was that it was built in a “not so good” area. While it was Shiny and new, it was a destination, but once the novelty wore off and the other malls in nicer areas updated, it slowly died. But from say 1975-1985 it was amazing. Another quick story. When I came to Columbus for College in 1984, The Continent and the nearby Northland Mall were the premier shopping in Columbus. When City Center opened in 1989 it took some of the traffic away from both, but want hammered the nail in the coffin for all three was the almost simultaneous opening of Polaris Fashion Place and Easton, both opening between 1999-2001. Both of those concepts are still thriving, especially Easton.
I remember being a kid in the late 80s and going to see my brother. He worked in the French market at stake escape
Anyone from Columbus remember the 2 story toy store at The Continent? I went there all the time with my mother as a kid back in the early 90s. God I loved it. Especially the arcade.
I had several dates at the Continent with my wife to be. I always called it the French Market. I remember a meat market there, Micheal's and sons. What a great place it once was.
Awesome video! that place looks like it was pretty chic back in the day
There is a guy on UA-cam who uploaded a video of him and his friends visiting in 1987 and it looked SO FUN especially during Christmas when you could walk around with hot cocoa and window shop. The guy's name is Reedy if you want to search for it.
@@UniCommProductions Awesome, i will! u guys rock!
I remember Rapallo's, which was an Italian restaurant, they had stromboli or I 'd get the fettuccine alfredo. I spent quite a few nights at Damon's, the place for ribs and beer, Mark Pi's and back in the 70s I remember going to The Little Professor Bookstore.
Thanks for posting this visit; I have Great Memories of The Continent in the late 80’s! What song is playing at the 9:04 mark? I Love It! Thanks.
It's called Red Leather by a vaporwave artist called Kodak Cameo. The album is called "Riviera" and it's wonderful from start to finish.
UniComm Productions Awesome! Thanks Again!!
GREAT JOB!!! I HAD A TEAR IN MY EYE!! THANK YOU!!
Thank YOU!
Great video. It looks like a really cool place to see.
It was really unusual. Definitely not something you see every day
I went on my first date to see a movie (Never Say Never Again) at those cinemas in 1983. At the time, it was a big deal because it had 4! screens (most theatres in Columbus had two). As others have stated, the Continent was a really neat place to shop, especially at Christmastime (loved What On Earth). At the time, Columbus really just had the three directional malls (Northland, Westland, Eastland) in terms of larger shopping centers and this had a very different mix of stores --the kind that eventually ended up in a revitalized German Village or possibly the Short North. The French Market declined earlier than the Continent did--I seem to recall it had lost some of its lustre by the late 80s.
The other "mall" that reminded me of the Continent was the Colony Bazaar at the corner of Kenny and Henderson. It was originally a rambling two-story thing with a lot of wood and "artsy" stores and restaurants. There was a TGI Friday's at the front of the property (long before that chain became generic). It always kind of struggled, though. The building it was in was eventually occupied by a Max and Erma's and a couple of larger retailers before being torn down about ten years ago.
The mall where I first tasted Sbarro's. I begged my mom to drop me off there in the late 80s to hang out with my friends. It was THE SPOT!
The gathering at the Continent on Thursday’s back in the 80’s was cool
I felt like I was walking through a rare Fallout location that is untouched by the blast. Was waiting for VATS to pop up.
It's so weird how abandoned it feels when the apartments are for the most part all rented! All those empty storefronts. It would be like living in a haunted amusement park.
This place is totally cool, I hope they can renew it and bring back in some traffic. That fountain ⛲️ is absolutely gorgeous and should be running!
That fountain was one of the things that seemed the most in need of some TLC.
When I lived there, it was still running and maintained and was full of pennies that were people's wishes. I hope it will flourish and grant wishes once again.
This is such a neat property I have a hard time imagining that it couldn’t be revitalized
boy was it hard to find stores....so much distance between shops mostly when there for the food court.....shopped at eastland, northland and worthington malls And those 8 movie screen were long and narrow, like sitting in a school bus
And it’s not like a mall where you have a line of sight, you can only see what row of the complex you’re in.
There's a video on here somewhere from back in the days when it was hopping
I’ve seen it! I think it was Winter 1988 or something. It’s so weird to see everything busy and full compared to what it looks like no
@@UniCommProductions yep that's the one, a snapshot in time for sure..
I only saw that place a few times, and it still haunts my dreams almost 20 years later....
It's extra eerie on a cold afternoon when no one's out and about.
The Continent was the first Easton…..it was upper class yet fun…looks like SHYT now!
Unfortunately all things outlive their usefulness; we’re always on a quest for the next big thing. Columbus’s oldest operating mall was only built in 1997 and it’s already the “old mall”.
I went to the movie theater to see a preview screening of A League of Their Own with a cute sophomore boy who was a little brother of another boy I worked with. At the end of our evening, he ended up being the first time I kissed another boy. The Continent will always hold a special place in my heart.
That is such a sweet story. Thank you for that. I always wonder what kind of memories are made in these places.
I grew up by the Continent in the 70's abd 80's. It was really nice back then. And while other malls may have had an effect on the downfall of the Continent, the real reason it died is how bad that area of Columbus has become. 161 is crime infested and people don't want to shop in that area.
The reason the spot died is that there was more money to be made in new developments. Polaris, Easton, etc. Also bigger and newer homes being built to the north and east attracted residents in the area to sell and move up. Why put money into fixing up your old home, when you can buy new?
They need a new Continent. A Redo
just stopped by to say hi! any more great vids in the works. 728 keeps getting closer to 1000, any ideas on 1000 subscribers video special?
I have a few ideas for 1k-it’s a matter of figuring out what’s the best one! We are almost done with a new video and hope to have it out this weekend.
Nice video thanks! The rust belt showing its sad wear and tear somehow I feel Americans getting short changed!
Daniel Young In a lot of ways, yes. Part of it is that there is too much of everything and too many choices.
The biggest downfall of this place was likely that it was in an area with declining neighborhoods
The difference in Easton is that it borders some neighborhoods with the highest priced real estate in the area
They had a pretty decent international liquor store there back in the day. I remember driving in from Lima with the ex to walk around and specifically visit the liquor store and pick up some cheese. LOL I don’t drink anymore but if I want some fancy cheese, I am 10 minutes from Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield. 😉
Jungle Jim's is the BEST!
i watch these to listen to your voice.just awesome
Awwwww!! This is seriously one of the nicest comments I’ve ever gotten on one of these.
Omg it looks so different now
The Continent used to be packed from pillar to post back in the day. I spent many days and nights there during my school daze.
It sounds like it was a great place to be back in the day...I wish I could have seen it!
great memories of this area. I used to go to to the French Market when I was young. Later when i was in college I worked at Cricket West/Christian St John. Some great times, but things chan
ge.
I lived in Columbus from 1998 to 2004. I never went to the Continent for anything during those six years.
I remember the French Market as a very unique part of my childhood. The iron chairs, the international food court featuring Nellie's Curry Pot, a sort of bodega that featured unfamiliar sodas (and, I think, the original run of Clearly Canadian flavored water), and a small magic shop where you could buy devils vs. nuns-in-boxing-gloves puppets. I got one of those little rubber clown figures with eyes that bulged when you squeezed them.
I wish I could have seen it! There aren't even really a lot of photos around.
@@UniCommProductions I found a video a while back that someone recorded on consumer-grade VHS in the early '90s, but beyond that, it is definitely hard to find many interior images of the place. I wish there were more; the look of it was really unlike anything I'd seen before or since. The most era-specific part of it was the color scheme. You could see the '80s influence in how brown and beige everything was. The French Market always struck me as bizarre in the sense that it was kind of a stand-alone food court without a traditional mall attached.
Watching videos like yours is interesting because I can't recall ever exploring any part of the Continent outside the French Market. So that's all new to me. It's weird looking back and seeing there was so much more to it.
When I was a kid, my dad was a vegetarian and we'd make specific trips to the French Market just for Nellie's Curry Pot; Indian cuisine was one way he could reliably find vegetarian food in a restaurant. (He's vegan now, so...yeah, it's much more difficult now than back than, ha.)
The Continent used to be cool as fk. But just Like every other cool place we used to go back in the day is dead or dying. I got to say this time we live in now is bleak. Never thought Id see anything like this.
I live here and it has the worst staff imaginable. They steal residents packages and fail to help residents when they need something. Hope you never have a maintenance emergency!! Cuz you’ll be screwed. I’ve had to fix multiple outlets in our apartment and had to pull out the pipes under our sink cuz it was clogged. Unless your a handyman I don’t suggest living here 😂
I just moved out of an apartment like that so I feel your pain-their Google Reviews are pretty terrible
If I may recommend here’s a good one. Eastern Hills Mall In Buffalo New York. On its last legs but has annual local film festivals.
I saw Jurassic Park in 1993 at the Continent's movie theatre.
I saw the land before time there
My wife and I frequented the Funny Bone at the Continent back in the day...
I would have loved to have seen it in its heyday; with its current state it's hard to imagine what it once was.
@@UniCommProductions The first comedian whom we saw in 1995 was Christopher Titus, who went on to have a show on CBS and is still touring...as a matter of fact he still comes to the Funny Bone at Easton in 2022...
I really enjoy his comedy I bet that was a great show!
@@UniCommProductions Very dark and edgy...
Do you remember the thread on Reddit that was discussing This Mall?
I do! I’m not too proud to admit I used info from that thread for research!
just checkin in to see how y'all doing, i hope well ! what great content you have in the works?
We should have another video out this weekend...more dispatches from Columbus!
thanks much
In 1992 there wasn’t a more happening place in Columbus
I saw this on google street view from one of your previous video. The one which you said the cinema had so much light it would give a seizure, on its defunct website the owner had another here, so I looked it up.
edit: That doesn't change the fact, I'm loving you made a video on this.
That’s really interesting actually! Based on what you’re saying the movie theater here sounds like it was also owned by Danbarry? They owned I think three around Cincinnati.
@@UniCommProductions The last meaningful capture of the site I referred to web.archive.org/web/20150507222043/thescreens.net/ which lead to srimovies.com/ then to the last capture featuring a movie listing on web.archive.org/web/20160619200945/screens8.net/
ah, ok. I always forget that the last incarnation of the movie theater at Forest Fair was "The Screens at Forest Fair".
Wild that it's still around!
I loved that place in the late 80s and early 90s. It seemed so different from other "malls".
It was a really ambitious idea that worked for quie a while...it's so weird to see it so empty now.
@@UniCommProductions - I spent a lot of time there and was sad when things started to move or close. I always felt like I really was in a little European village exploring the shops. But, I think malls, in general, are dying. Thank you for the video. I was feeling "homesick" for Ohio.
I remember this place. Back in Novemeber/December of 1985 I worked for a friend of mine who had a Kiosk set up in what was called the French Market located in this development. I sold his Tiffany styled lamps. I don't think the building even exist anymore
The French Market was torn down at some point during the ‘00s. You’re right. I was really disappointed it wasn’t still there in some capacity.
It really makes a person wonder,, where did all the people go?? Liked this video Tour 👌
Ikr! Hard to believe there are apartmants with people living in them. It looks totally abandoned. Not even someone walking a dog. So odd.
I’ll tell the truth. I grew up next to this area in Forest Park, right down the road. What happened was there was an big Italian and Irish presence in this area through the 90’s that makes this area really nice, then Somalians, and Arabs started moving in and all the whites moved out. Now you have kabob shops, Burka shops and used tire shops.
This could be a sweet community college
OMG with the dorms already built in! With all those crazy colors they should turn it into an art school--it's got a theater where the students can show their work!
Wow another familiar " mall". I used to go to the Continent back in the 90's. Loved the movie theatre then. Was always busy. To bad the property cant be revamped. But the area has changed so much since the 80's and 90's. Sad, it was a cool place to go.
It seems like a lot of warehouses out that way and not a lot of neighborhoods.
best one yet, awsome idea to do this place!! only there once on school trip, i think maybe 1978. I had not seen any thing like it before. such a cool place for a kid to see!! maybe it can live again as it was back then. i think we went a french restraunt while we were there, but not sure, so much time has passed. Another great video and a trip down memory lane.
Thank you! It’s hard for me to imagine what it would have been like in the 70s to see all the international offerings because I’ve grown up in a world where Jungle Jim’s was a thing...It was probably like visiting another country in your own backyard!
yeh i still vegly remember it, it made a lasting impression on me! jungle jims totally awsome store 4 hours a visit looking at all the different foods. biggs eastgate a couldn't fathom one store that large. your best subject yet. what is the donation to get a subject video done? first subject webn. the dawn patrol in rhe 90s was coolest show on the radio. everything webn did was larger than life. second topic biggs hypermarket the rise and fall. cincy rocks!!
We already have in the works to do something about Bigg’s as the Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate was (as you know) a mall that died and was repurposed in a really unique way...which will probably happen in the next month or two.
I've lived in Columbus since 1995 and have never heard of this place. So this is really neat!
EDIT: People are still in the apartments? That is so awesome. I wonder how much it costs to live there. I will look into it. I love abandoned places.
EDIT 2: I think I remember this place now. I have wondered about it for years. I remember seeing it in the early 90s and wanting to check it out but my parents wanted to leave and go home. I have wondered for YEARS what this place was. I always wanted to go back and check it out. You solved a childhood mystery I have had for years.
The apartments from what I understand are pretty inexpensive for Columbus--I remember looking that up when I was researching the video.
If you like walking down the stairs to the exit only to find the door propped open and 2 or 3 homeless people sleeping on the stairs then go right ahead. I moved out when the police had shown up to the wrong apartment and shot a dog in the hallway of my apt. They blocked it off to let the dog bleed out until a female officer convinced the repsonding officer who shot the dog to let her take him the the med vet in which the dog died about 4 days later as he had shot the dog in the face leaving teeth and jawbone in the carpet. There was blood and pieces of fur in front of my door and some blood had come in under the door in my apt. Also had my car broken into with the window smashed and when it was reported to the office the security guard who liked to sit in the very back away from any crime tried to say I had done it for an insurance scam. I also witnessed the security pick up bullet casings from a drive by in front of that little bar next to the underpass becuase they didnt want to involve the police for fear of hurting future rentals. So if you like hearing gunshots on the regular (I know, I worked delivery on 161 for 5 years while living there for 2 in 2013) and hearing people fight while always watching your back then go right ahead.
i was there in the 90s lived there came back in 2005 as a retail tenant and left 2015 i have videos on my youtube
I love that French Quarter look. Makes me want to go there and toss some Mardi Gras beads.
My fondest memory of the Continent was when my 2 best friends got into a fist fight with each other over a girl in the parking lot. 🤪
Unique place I never heard of. is there any open businesses left in there at all? Congrats on 666 subs.
It looks like there are a few businesses...there is a graphic design place that looks open, but they're not the sort of place that would command a lot of foot traffic. Mostly just the people who live there and the movie theater. It would have been cool to see it when it was Party Central back in the 80's.
@@UniCommProductions It was cool. This video conjured up those memories of people everywhere and the mall packed. Thanks for the vid.
I remember rolling up to this place to watch a mma fight. It felt like I was going to get robbed by a gang of homeless mutants
Just needs a lick of fresh paint and job's a good one.
Cinci is a nice town. One of cleanest in Ohio. Good video
I love it here and honestly so does Ron...but he grew up in rural Kentucky and likes to give me crap. Thanks for watching!
This is Columbus not Cincinnati
🆒 👍👍 VIDEO.... UNICOMM!!!!
Louisville is the same only further south so it's worse. It's also about an hour and a half.
- last I heard there was a Giant Eagle where the French Market used to be.
It is an empty building if that’s what it is...there is a grocery store building that’s no longer occupied that’s highly likely.
- oh ok, Thanks.@@UniCommProductions
The French market was at the end of the "mall" area. It was torn down years ago and just an open area. The former giant eagle (closed a few years ago) was not near the old Continent site.
The purple building at the end of the building used to be the funny bone which ironically moved to Easton the new open air mall when it opened.
There used to be a hotel on the Giant Eagle site called The Hospitality Inn. It sat south of The Continent on the north side of 161. It was there in the 70s. They tore it down probably 15 years ago and built the Giant Eagle. Then the Giant Eagle closed a couple of years ago.
I also remember that back in the 70s there was a Howard Johnson's restaurant and hotel across 161 on the south side of 161. The Howard Johnson hotel had a nice swimming pool. After they tore the hotel down it sat vacant for a while. That's where they built the Elephant Bar.
Wanna go San Diego? Somehow it takes you an hour and a half.
Hi Ron. I love you lol.
The Neon Explorer Those road trips always go much faster when we go there together
The millions you would have to spend just to get this property back up to "ok" condition is just cost prohibitive. It would probably be best to tear it all down and build new residential with some modern retail on a smaller scale
Unfortunately you are probably right-and there are a lot of buildings from that era that have been torn down for those reasons
@@UniCommProductions Yup. And the hotels surrounding it aren’t much nicer.
Place looks like Mogadishu now.
It's sort of sad now.
Fuck yes cincinnati is the geographical anomaly !!
Easton opened in 1997
I saw beetlejuice here at the movie theater.
SAN DIEGO!!! AN HOUR AND A FREAKING HALF!!!
*actual travel times may vary
My mom had a lingerie store right next to the candle shop in the continent