The Short North Arts District, which is centered on High Street, consists of 14 blocks north of downtown Columbus just south of the Ohio State University campus. Once home to neglected buildings, boarded-up windows, and few businesses—and visited frequently by the police—the area once known as the “Near Northside” became known as “Short North” after the Columbus police gave the area that moniker for being just short of the northern boundary of the downtown precinct. Short North underwent a makeover when local artists, historic preservationists, and small businesses began to transform the area into an arts district in the 1980s.

As programming and an organizational structure have come together, the Short North Arts District’s community health and social connectedness have greatly improved. Today, the Gallery Hop includes restaurants, galleries, and shops, and it attracts more than 25,000 attendees a year. More than 30,000 people participate in HighBall, an estimated 80,000 attend the Community Festival, about 500,000 spectators watch the Pride Parade, and the Doo Dah Parade has become locally renowned. Through the SID, Columbus’s tradition of illuminated arches was restored with the installation of 17 steel arches that create an identity for the district.