Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Having a bar called The Library is an old tradition in college towns. Whether it actually happens, or just the notion is enough to hang a name on, the idea is that the hard partying student will truthfully tell his parents he's spending a lot of time at the library.

Recently, in Columbia, that tradition is reported to have taken a nasty turn. Five Points has been having a terrible year as far as crime goes, and according to The State, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lot called out The Library by name:

Lott says he sent both uniformed and undercover officers to Columbia's Five Points on Oct. 26. He says the officers found a number of gang members hanging out at a bar called The Library and other people hanging out looking for fights or to rob people.

Shortly thereafter, The State reported:

The owner of a Columbia nightclub that the sheriff says is a hangout for gang members says he could be forced to close.

Justin Kershner of The Library nightclub says he was told by the state revenue department that he must pay $18,000 in back taxes by 2 p.m. Friday or give up his permits to sell beer, wine and liquor.

Finally, The State Reports:

The Library nightclub is closed indefinitely

.....

The decision to close came a day after he said paid his back taxes and was trying to figure out how to get back into the good graces of local law enforcement.

Because of trees, it is difficult to get a good picture of The Library building from across Harden, and even on the right side of the road, the view is still a bit obstructed. When I took the first set of pictures, the signs for The Library were still up, if not easily visible. When I took the night pictures, the signage had already come down, and there was a crew inside that looked to be cleaning the place out.

UPDATE 7 December 2013: Added Don's Marching & Music Society to the post title, and check the comments for a not from the original "Don"!

To the best of my recollection, I've never eaten at any establishment in this Five Points storefront, to include San Jose, though I have certainly eaten at other local San Jose locations, and found them to be perfectly OK.

Commenter MB noted the closing, and pointed out that until fairly recently it was Mucho Margaritas, something I must have driven by many times without it registering at all. Already today the sign was down and folks were carting off the fixtures. With the recent closure of Dreams Of Bombay, there are now two adjacent restaurant vacancies in this building. (I don't know what, if anything, is in the upper storey).

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

UPDATE 1 July 2014 -- This will next be the bacon themed restaurant Sizzle. Mmm, Bacon!:

UPDATE 25 January 2023: Add tags and map icon.

Red Hot Tomatoes was the most recent business in the old 5 Points Theatre on Harden Street. The first shot above is from 2009. I'm not sure exactly when it closed, but the 2 Fat 2 Fly truck was listing the location as "Old red hot tomatoes" as of March 2013.

In the grand cycle of reintarnation, the place is now another watering hole called Overtime Sports Bar.

I noticed last month while eating with relatives on the sidewalk at Yesterdays that Good For The Sole has moved from the corner suite at 631-D behind the sculpture to the old Leon's Books / Five Points Nails & Spa location at 631-C.

(And, yes, we did get panhandled..)

Well, it appears that Pop's NY Pizza on Harden Street is no more. However, it also appears that this was more a re-flagging than a complete reboot as the new operation just switches out the first word to become Liberty's NY Pizza.

In either case, I've never been enthralled with the New York style of pizza, so I never got around to Pop's and though I wish them luck, probably won't to Liberty's either.

It seems to me that I recall this place on the corner of Harden and Rosewood being a TV repair place at one time. Certainly Kiddie Korner was far from the first operation there, though to date, it seems to have been the last.

With a name like Senor O'Malley's this place sounds like Columbia's answer to Charleston's Jaunita Greenberg's. I have to admit though that I was completely unaware of it, despite having been in the area multiple times recently.

From the local blogger reviews here and here, it souunds as though I probably would have liked it, though perhaps not when the college crowd was out strong.

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

It's really uncanny how many times this little locaation on Senate Street, tucked behind Food Lion and Cookout has opened and closed. In fact, I completely missed the closing of Your Mom's House (the follow-on operation to The Cock Lounge) and both the opening *and* closing of Good Times.

I have to say, looking in the windows, that for having hosted so many clubs, the interior looks quite Spartan..

One constant as the club names come and go, is the magnificent Magnolia tree in the side yard!

UPDATE 1 July 2014 -- It's to be Harambe Ethiopian Restaurant:

I like Indian food, but somehow never got around to trying this new Indian place in Five Points. Of course the parking situation for that location is not ideal, which is perhaps why nothing seems to get a toehold there.

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

UPDATE 1 July 2014 -- It's now Fast Eddies Calzones:

Urban Thread & More opened in the old American Apparel location on 16 April 2011 and closed sometime around the end of 2012. Or at least this expansion store (the "& more") closed. There is still the original Urban Thread on the other side of the street at 613 Harden, and it appears that this location has been consolidated back into that one.

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

UPDATE 19 February 2014 -- It's now Copper Penny: