Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I took the opportunity Saturday to make my annual trip to Brookgreen Gardens and the Nights Of A Thousand Candles Christmas display. This year was quite warm for a December night, unlike some years in the past, and it was very pleasant to be out and about under the trees with all the lights and candles.

As usual, the big picture stays the same: sculpture, trees & lights, but the details change yearly. This year, I think there was more going on in the Children's Garden for instance, and less in The Fountain of the Muses. I also think that they took some cues from last year's Bruce Munroe installation, which I liked quite a bit, especially in the riverbank area which rather combined the ideas from his frog display and his firefly display in a way.

One very noticable change was that the popular "Holiday Memories & Trains" exhibit has moved across the main concourse to the Rosen Galleries, leaving the old space as a members' lounge.

Though some of the remaining nights are sold out, if you can Read the rest of this entry »

This building, at the corner of Two Notch & Beltline, was originally an Eckerd Drugs, and then a Rite Aid. After Rite Aid closed, a pediatric deltal operation called Small Smiles moved in. According to what I can find, this national chain got into trouble and went Chapter 7 in 2015.

At some point after that, Capital City Dentistry set up here, and fairly recently moved up the street into the old Enterprise Rent-A-Car building:

Looking at the outside damage, it looks to me like a good deal of work is needed before anyone else can move into this building, but according to the real estate sign, it *is* leased, so apparently somebody is going to make the effort.

UPDATE 28 January 2022 -- As reported in the comments, this building has now been razed to make way for a Murphy Express:

I was at the Peak Exit Food Lion off I-26 recently, and noticed that the strip's gym, Anytime Fitness had closed and is transitioning to Hitone Fitness in the near future.

Computer Renaissance was a franchaised chain of refurbished computer stores. I know there was one in Agusta when I worked there, there was one in Harbison, and then there was this one, now a tattoo studio, on Hardscrabble Road when I came back to Columbia.

My memory is that I bought two computers here, both desktop systems, one to replace a box of my sister's that had suffered motherboard failure, and one for myself about which I'm blanking on what finally happened to it. Anyway, they were both fine, and the staff was helpful.

I said up top "Computer Renaissance was", and I think that's correct. There is still a web site, but it has not been updated since 2010, and is like a visit to another age. However, I was able to find from it that the staff from the Hardscrabble store have moved on to Bristeeri Technologies which seems to be located in Elgin.

This closing is a bit surprising. I know this Starbucks doesn't have a drive-through, but I thought that there was plenty of foot traffic in The Vista especially during the Holiday Season. On the other hand, Google has marked the place as "temporarily closed", and the branding and furnishings are not gone. On the third hand, the door has a real-estate type keybox on it now.

Anyway, at least for now, you'll have to walk up a block to Panera.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

Ten Ten was in Magnolia Pointe down from the old Piggly Wiggly. The first marquee sign I have for them says Chinese Restaurant, but a later one (and Google) says Ten Ten Oriental Restaurant and some sources say Vietnamese Restaurant, so perhaps there was a change of focus or ownership at some time in the last few years. At any rate, they are now closed and we will have to see what becomes of this storefront.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

I don't know anything about this used car lot in Lexington, other than it was in a nice little legacy brick house, and they had somebody with a sense of humor doing their art.

Currently the lot is for sale -- and will be, I'm sure, another bit of development for this burgeoning corridor.

(Hat tip to commenter JohnR)

Main Street Public House has closed, and will be replaced during the holidays by a pop-up concept: Miracle Cocktail Bar.

After that, Prohibition Columbia restaurant & bar will open in the space, a new location for Charleston's Prohibition. ColaDaily has the story here.

I hate to admit it, but I was not even aware that Main Street Public House existed, though it definitely looks as though I could have found something to my liking on the menu.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

I found these pictures of an old barn weathering away across the street from the former Bi-Lo at Lake Murray Shopping Center that I took while I was doing that closing. I don't have any knowledge of exactly what it was, but I do like old barns. While this one is still partially surrounded by fields on two sides, it is amazing how much this corner (with US-378) has built up in the last few years according to old Google streetview images.

The date is a total guess, and doesn't even have much meaning -- even after a barn/shed stops being weather-proof it's still a place to stash stuff.