Meera MathurTired of your same ol’ Saturday nights that consist of pregaming with shitty vodka and hitting up the same string of campus bars? Although Ethyl and Out R Inn may be timeless classics, sometimes you just need a change of scenery to spice up your dreary, college life. That’s why I ventured to the Short North to revitalize my Saturday schedule and visit three underrated spots: the Moonlight Market, SeeSaw, and CRMD.
Shoppin’
Moonlight Market — Along Gay St.
Located on Gay St., vendors line the sidewalks with tents all the way from 4th to High, and as the night progresses, local businesses decorate their stands with twinkly string lights while street artists perform on the intersections. There are clothing pop-up shops, cupcakes and baked goods, jewelry stands, and even candle salesmen. Whatever you can picture spending money on that you probably don’t need but buy anyway because you have no sense of self-control, Moonlight Market’s got it! After the window shopping or purchasing, you can stop at any cute restaurant or bar located on Gay St. Happening once a month, Moonlight Market is up and running from 6 until 11 p.m., leaving you plenty of time to venture out to the bars after you’re done emptying your wallet. Coincidentally, this is exactly what I did, with my next stop being the newly opened bar, SeeSaw.
Drinkin’
SeeSaw — 906 N High St.
Move over, Lincoln Social! We’ve got another rooftop bar! After Moonlight Market, we headed over to the brand new SeeSaw to get our drink on for the next part of the night. SeeSaw isn’t like any rooftop bar you’ve visited, it’s a unique experience in itself. There is a wide open lower area, then a wide and painted staircase near the entrance that leads up to a huge dance floor and adorable rooftop area overlooking High Street. Upstairs is so vast– there are two bars to handle the crowds! Among the bar’s qualities are two spots that are Instagram gold mines; an old-timey pink payphone with a handwritten wall asking customers, “You Up?” Another social media must-have is a cursive neon sign next to the bar that says “Life Is Beautiful.” With its chill outdoor seating combined with the indoor dancing space, I can predict that SeeSaw will definitely give Lincoln Social a run for its money.
Snackin’
CRMD — 1190 N High St.
All that boozing left our group’s sweet tooth in desperate need of salvation. For our last destination on our Short North crawl, we stopped by the new ice cream store, CRMD, on our way back to campus. Just a few blocks from SeeSaw, it was the perfect choice for a late night bite, as it’s open until 2 a.m. and far enough from the campus hustle and bustle that the line was no problem. Although on the pricey side, the ice cream at CRMD was well worth the hype. Each flavor was a different, unorthodox color; cookies and cream was bright orange, and the vanilla was charcoal. Despite the strange appearance that would pique anyone’s curiosity, the ice cream was incredible, and the shop itself had a fun, modern vibe to it. CRMD is a refreshing addition to the mix of family-friendly, pastel-shaded scoops you find around town. Before we left, we definitely made sure to snap a picture of the huge, LED sign on the wall that says, “Lick it real good,” wrapping up our adventure of a perfect night!
