Columbia Closings   What’s not in Columbia anymore

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.

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!

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)

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)

Well, that didn't last long.

Rum Runners replaced Jungle Jim's in Five Points early in 2012. Now, in late 2012, it has been replaced with ConCOCKtions sports bar.

So far, it appears the nautical mural remains.

Grandma's replaced China Garden in the old Kesters Bamboo House building back in late 2009, when the first two pictures above were taken.

In the event, it seems to have lasted about three years (and to never have gotten a finished sign as seen in the third picture taken around July 2012).

The next, and current, iteration is Kildare's Irish Pub.

Though I never went, it seems to me as though Jungle Jim's was there forever. I think I can remember seeing it when I visited The Parthenon in the 1970s.

As you can see from these pictures, it at least made the transition from the China Garden era to the Grandma's era as the front part of the building in which the bar is located changed concepts. (I believe that the whole building at 724 is under one ownership). Notice how the sign on the north side of the parking lot morphed from

China
Garden
Parking
Only
Towing
Enforced

to

Parking
Only

I'm not sure when Jungle Jim's closed, but it is listed in the February 2012 phonebook, so I am going with "early 2012". The follow-on operation, Rum Runners switches from a jungle theme to a pirate concept, supported by deck murals.

Well, it looks like commenter Mike D was unfortunately correct when he predicted back in January that Fruiti Cup on Harden Street would not be re-opening despite the hopeful Closed Until February 15th sign you can see in the first set of pix.

As of early March, there is a Vacate or Show Cause writ on the door, and it looks like the place has been somewhat cleaned out. That's a shame. I recall that my niece and her daycare class all walked down to Fruiti Cup one summer day, and it was a big deal for them. (Though I myself would prefer a chocolate dip at Zesto..).

This location outlasted the Sparkleberry Square location by about four or five months.

(Hat tip to commenter Mike D)