Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I have had my eye on this building, just past Maurice's, for years, as despite there having been a number of businesses in it, I never saw that any of them were ever open. Or at least that's how it appeared to me.

I have more pictures somewhere, and when they turn up, I will post them.

At any rate, it appears that after Tres Bien left, the place got a major facelift, though it does not as yet seem to be leased.

UPDATE 7 June 2019 -- Here are some (not all) of the additional pictures I mentioned. These date from 13 March 2016, so I am changing the date in the post title from "2018" to "2016".

UPDATE 10 July 2019 -- Interesting, Here's what's not coming to this spot:

The owner of a Mauldin massage parlor has withdrawn her request to open one near downtown Columbia.

Yuzhen Zhu had applied with the Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals for a special exception to permit a massage parlor on Beltline Boulevard near Devine Street. The U-Relax Massage parlor would have been located next door to Maurice’s barbecue at 714 N. Beltline Blvd.

City Council member Moe Baddourah said city staff told him the request has been withdrawn permanently.

I noticed in my visit to Columbia Mall back in March that there was an empty storefront on the upper level for Frontline Hair Designs.

As it turns out, they have moved, and have been open again since April in their new location at 9557 Two Notch Road Suite H. This is in the Sesqui Center shopping center just east of Spring Valley. You can check out their Facebook page here.

I've noticed Claire Tower at the corner of Senate & Marion Streets from time to time over they years because it stands out as not typical for the area, the section of Senate Street between the State House and Pickens Street which is an area I have always thought of in connection with the old museums and planetarium as well as the State Library.

I did not know that a hair color salon was in the street level of the towers, but it was, and got quite good Yelp reviews.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

I know very little about hair salons, but apparently Wisteria is a chain which is still active in the Upstate. This particular location seems to have been active last month (May 2018) based on reviews, so I'm guessing the closing date was probably the start of June. (I'll also note that the reviews seem to have taken a dip recently, though in general the people most motivated to review are those who are unhappy..).

I didn't know where the place was, so I stopped to look at the Sandhill directory, which you can read if you click-through to the high res version. There are definitely a good few vacant spots on the map. With the recent bad news out of the place, you have to wonder what the future will bring.

(Hat tip to commenter JonBom)

I had not noticed this closing until commener Andrew pointed it out, but in fact there was a nice article mainly about this family business last year in The Free Times:

Stepping into Washington Street Barber Shop, just off bustling Main Street in downtown Columbia, is like stepping into a time capsule.

The barber shop at 1122 Washington St. has dark, wood-paneled walls like the ones in an old basement rec room. Tacked and taped to those walls are dozens of articles from The State newspaper, many of which detail the exploits of the Gamecocks sports teams through the years.

In the corner there’s a checkerboard set up, just in case anyone wants to get in a game or two as they wait for the barber’s chair to come open. Over near the row of chairs that constitutes the waiting area, there’s a standup dish with an ever-rotating supply of candy. Hershey’s Kisses, little Kit Kats, the good stuff.

An ancient tube TV — the picture is starting to wane — is always running, and it seems to forever be playing the classics: Gunsmoke, The Andy Griffith Show, Bonanza.

Washington Street Barber Shop is blissfully free of many of the trappings of the modern salons that pass themselves off as barber shops.

In the end, the story came down to rising property values in the area, and an expiring lease (though there is yet to be a new tenant).

Commenter thomas adds:

The Barber Shop that Andrew mentions was originally on Hampton Street and the florist was next door. The buildings were demolished to construct the bank building which was originally First Union and is now Wells Fargo. They relocated to Washington Street. There was a grocery store behind there at the corner of Assembly and Hampton. Wayne Evans and his father operated the barber shop and his father died several years ago.

I don't recall the shop specifically in that location, though I do recall that grocery.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

These are not great pictures of this office building at the corner of Airport Boulevard & Dale Lane as the sun was against me. Google suggests that the place has housed a variety of businesses, probably several at the same time. You can see the sign for HiLights here, which I take to be a hair salon, though I can't quite read the rest of the sign. Perhaps it was associated with the beauth school.

It is hard to see, but it appears that the ground floor of the building has stained glass windows in front, though I see no indication that it was ever a church.

I have noticed this little strip on Decker driving by over the years, mostly because of Piper's Hair Care uwhich I never could quite figure out if it were closed or not. (It was). Now the whole place is empty and for let.

It's certainly not the worst looking real estate on the corridor.

UPDATE 17 June 2021 -- This place has now been gutted:

Also adding map icon.

UPDATE 15 September 2021 -- remodeling continues:

UPDATE 30 September 2022 -- Apparently after the rebuild, this will be newly branded as Plaza Del Sol, and and insurance agency is already slated to feature:

Commenter Sidney noted this Hardscrabble closing a while back, along with some macbre history.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

UPDATE 23 November 2015 -- That was quick! Open again:

UPDATE 1 June 2018 -- Closed again, and for sale:

I noticed this vacant storefront in the Shamrock Corner section of Shakespeare Road the other day. This is not far from the former Shakespeare Fish Market.