Sunday, Jun. 08, 2008

Communities: Downtown Columbia

Living in town is in vogue again.

With close proximity to USC and other schools, cultural offerings, a range of restaurants and the thriving entertainment districts of the Vista and Five Points, Columbia is an increasingly attractive place to call home.

A new convention center andhotel, as well as the University of South Carolina’s Innovista research campus, should ensure a steady stream of new residents for years to come.

In addition to historic neighborhoods in and around the downtown core, a range of new condo options — popular with singles and empty nesters, in particular — have cropped up recently.

Slice of history: Downtown Columbia consists of the Vista to the west, Main Street in the middle and Five Points to the east. The Vista, once filled with warehouses overlooking train tracks, has transformed into an arts and entertainment district.

Main Street, once the center of the city’s commercial district, has lost some of its shopping luster but is making a comeback in part because of the success of the Vista.

Five Points, the city’s first suburb, has always been an urban village of quaint shops, bars and restaurants. Much of its future depends on a master plan that calls for more shopping and living space and less bars and restaurants. The master plan has not been approved.

What to watch for in the future: As gas prices continue to rise, more people are discovering the value of living downtown. While the housing market has slowed, upscale apartments are popping up all over the city, with an eye toward an eventual renovations into condos.

Homes and neighborhoods

Hot ZIP codes: 29201, 29204, 29205, 29206

Who’s moving here: Everyone, says downtown real estate agent Jennifer Carter. “You have empty nesters and you have young professionals, it really runs the gamut,” she said.

Median sale price for homes in downtown Columbia area:

Summer 2007: $165,000-$191,250

Summer 2006: $135,000-$163,000

Average cost per square foot

Summer 2007: $131 per square foot

Summer 2006: $112 per square foot

Among hot neighborhoods: Arsenal Hill, Earlewood, Melrose Heights, Shandon, Rosewood, Heathwood

Dollars and sense

Tax rate: $410 in city taxes for the owner of a $100,000 home (not including property tax relief credits)

Sewer rate: $24.03 monthly average

Water rate: $13.34 monthly average.

Drive times

From the Richland County Administration Building, 2020 Hampton St.

State House: 1.4 miles

Midtown at Forest Acres mall: 2 miles

Palmetto Health Baptist hospital: .78 mile

Williams-Brice Stadium: 3 miles

Columbia Metropolitan Airport: 9 miles

City Hall: 1 mile

School district

Richland 1: 1616 Richland St., Columbia; (803) 231-7000 or www.richlandone.org/

5 things to know

1. Learn your side streets. Assembly Street is nice and wide, but you have to make it through at least three railroad crossings to get anywhere. Trains can sometimes stop and cause delays of up to 45 minutes. If you get stopped at Catawba Street, a good tip to remember is to take Main Street to Whaley Street, where the train is on an overpass.

2. You don’t have to leave town to work up a good sweat. Harbison State Forest is just off Harbison Boulevard and offers 16 miles of trails by the river for hiking and mountain biking. A daily parking pass is $5; annual parking pass $25.

3. On Saturdays, watch for runners. A 5K race is scheduled every weekend in Columbia, with a few exceptions. Most of them are in downtown neighborhoods and most start around 8 a.m. or so. A list is available at www.strictlyrunning.com, the home page for a running shop in Five Points.

4. Bored on a Saturday? Chances are there’s a festival somewhere. Five Points has the St. Patrick’s Day festival in March, Rosewood has the Crawfish Festival in May, downtown Columbia has the Greek Festival in September and nearby Irmo has the Okra Strut in September.

5. There are lots of free things to do if you’re on a budget. The concert series at Ebenezer Lutheran Church on Richland Street is one example. It begins in the fall and run through the spring. This year’s run features The Polish Chamber Singers, The Manhattan Piano Trio and pianists Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers.

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