Friday, December 1 2017

Remember SeaWorld Ohio? Check out these before and after photos of the abandoned theme park. 🐬🦈🐳

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Welcome to December. It's James.

That SeaWorld ever had an Ohio location sounds like a bad joke, but we all know it was real. The state that is 500 miles from an ocean had a SeaWorld. And it was the full experience, with dolphins, orcas, penguins, sharks, sea lions, and ...

because why not? 

A Cleveland resident managed to make his way into the park last weekend for some photos. Curious to see what the closed down park looks like now? It's a little depressing. However, it does look like it could be reopened without too much work. In hindsight, this isn't a surprise since the park has only been fully closed down for a couple of years - did you know it was turned into a water park following the closure of SeaWorld? This was news to me.

Friday Weather 🌡Some dense fog this morning, so if you're reading this before heading to work, be on the lookout. Rest of the day will be 49 and sunny. ☀️

Navigator Originals ✏️Navigator Weekender: The 13 Best Things To Do This Weekend Including Holiday Lights Trolley, Winterfest, And The Blue Jackets GameHope you love the holidays, because that's what Columbus is serving up this weekend.Level Will Reopen As Monarch Cocktail Lounge In Short NorthLevel is re-branding to target young professionals, with a focus on mixology and a smaller menu. They'll have DJs every night, and will also try to bring in some of the Ohio State student crowd. The new concept should be open in the next two months.How To Watch Ohio State In The Big Ten ChampionshipOhio State is 50-50 when it comes to a playoff berth, but first they have to take care of Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship. The game takes place at 8:00 Saturday on Fox, but if you want to watch it in public with other Buckeyes fans we have some of your best options.What The Rock?! Announces ClosureWhat the Rock?! was an interesting rock and roll boutique that moved from the Short North to Clintonville in January of this year, fleeing rising rents. I write a bit about how niche concepts like this can be successful (and What the Rock?! was viable for 11 years), but the parts of our city where you'd normally see stores like this have increasingly brutal rent environments. 

Around Town 🏘Multiple transit groups are studying "whether a train, bus-rapid transit or another type of transportation system" would best serve five different transportation corridors in Columbus. COTA will have a bus-rapid transit line starting next year on Cleveland Avenue that will be able to move faster than traditional buses, even including the ability to alert traffic lights that a bus is coming through and to change. [Dispatch/Rouan]It looks a documentary will be coming on December 6th about #SaveTheCrew and efforts by Columbus Crew fans to keep the team in Columbus. Looks interesting. [Ball Street]And Columbus Alive covers the #SaveTheCrew movement this week as well. Whatever happens, however you feel about soccer in Columbus, whether you care or don't: it's heartening to see people who care enough about an issue in the community to organize and get after it. [Columbus Alive]

Picture of the DayIsn't this the most 90's thing you've ever seen? This is the 1998 trip planning guide for SeaWorld Ohio, and you can see the rest here. Jack Hanna was presenting the featured orca attraction and gets a mention on page one. And you can learn more about the All Star Mutts show I mentioned up top.

Longread Today's longread is locally timely with the recent release of a plan to make Columbus more "age friendly." Planning for older citizens is important and imperative - central Ohio's senior population is set to double in the next 35 years.In postwar Japan, a single-minded focus on rapid economic growth helped erode family ties. Now, a generation of elderly Japanese are dying alone.The New York Times: A Lonely Death

Something to say? Hit reply - we read it all.- James