Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

As I never was a clubber or dancer, I was just vaguely aware that The Skyline Club existed, and had no real idea of exactly where it was. As it turns out, it's in an interesting little area just across from the airport which also hosts a monument to the Columbia Army Air Base. I wanted to get back there on a sunny day and when I had time to get out and walk around, but so far that has not happened.

As commenter Jimmy reported, very sadly the owner of the Skyline, Janice Gardner passed away this year, and in August there was a celebration of her life.

(Hat tip to commenter Jimmy)

I noticed this vacant car refinishing storefront when I was getting pictures of Sandy Run Towing, which is two doors down from here. In fact I believe the intervening building (which has the most character of the three) is also vacant.

You can see a picture with the branding still present on this LoopNet listing.

As mentioned several times in Have Your Say, the Burger King at Columbiana Mall is closed "temporarily". There's not any explanation on the sign making that claim, and apparently it has been several months. Ordinarily after such a length of time, I might write off the sign as wishful thinking, but in this case the equipment clearly has not been stripped, so who knows.

Almost as soon as I got inside to take this picture, somebody pulled the fire alarm, and everybody headed for the exits.

(Hat tip to commenter Deb)

UPDATE 9 October 2017 -- As mentioned in the comments this spot is setting up to be an American Deli so I'm taking the "temporary" off the post title:

UPDATE 6 February 2019: Change the location from "Columbiana Mall" to "Columbiana Centre". Add location icon.

As mentioned in the Have Your Say already, the Carmike 14 on Afton Court off of Columbiana Drive across from Columbiana Mall has been reflagged to AMC Classic Harbison 14. As of 27 August 2017, the Carmike branding was still on the roadside sign and the building marquee, but inside the theater is already in operation as an AMC with their policy trailer and concessions.

This theater has always been a bit of an enigma to me as it is far enough away, that I rarely get to it, but in the past my impression is that it has tended to shadow Dutch Square more closely than the Regal on Bower Parkway.

I have a picture of this place with the signage still up.. somewhere. At any rate, this Monticello Road fried fish takeout is no more, listing in the Feb 2011 phonebook, but not the Feb 2012 one. I'm not a big seafood fan, but the place had its devotees.

The building was obviously some other type of fast food joint originally, but I can't quite place it.

UPDATE 12 September 2017 -- OK, I found the pictures I took on 4 November 2011. I probably didn't post them back then because it was such a gray day and they turned out so blah, but a sunny day won't bring the signage back:

This old school used book store was on the upper level of the Old Mill on US-1 in Lexington. I stopped by back in May when I was having lunch at the brewpub. They had a nice selection of SF -- I even picked up some A. E. Van Vogt in French. Not that I could read them. At one time I probably had a grade-school understanding, but that's long gone. At any rate though, he always said he was more popular in France than the US because his translations were done by a French poet. They're certainly not exemplary prose in English, but that Van Vogt dream logic pulls you in..

The later pictures are from August.

There is a nice little farewell message on the shop's Facebook Page.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

It looks like the last tenant in this Sunset Boulevard suite in Lexington was Gateway Supply, a "plumbing and HVAC supply wholesaler". According to this story from August 2016, they have moved to a newly built location at Whiteford Way and North Lake Drive with this building being purchased by Cason Development Group for redevelopment -- the signs of which you can see in these pictures.

Some googling suggessts that before Gateway, the building was divided into two suites with Southern Living Rooms & More being in Suite A, and audiologists Hearing Associates of SC in Suite B.

As reported by commener MB, Sunset Tax Services in West Columbia has closed. They were the follow-on operation in this building to My Best Cleaners. According to commenter James, Sunset opened here in late 2013.

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

Well, unsurprisingly, most of my pictures didn't turn out at all, and these are pretty poor, but it was an impressive, if brief, moment here in the capital city. As totality approached, the street lights turned on, evening birds took wing, and the one car on the road had headlights lit.

There was a very light sprinkle ahead of totality, but during that brief interval itself, the clouds actually parted, and we all got to ooh and ahh at the firey crona around the occluded disk. Somewhere in the distance, fireworks started..

As mentioned by commenter Andrew, here is another McDonald's undergoing upfit to the new style. This one is on the Charleston Highway adjacent to the recently closed Church's Chicken. The setup with two signs seems a little unusual to me, but perhaps I just haven't been paying attention.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 7 February 2018 -- As mentioned in the comments, this store is open again: