20th St. and Long St.

Urban League

King Arts

Lincoln Theater

About the Neighborhood

The Near East side of Columbus is home to a diverse population with an eclectic housing stock ranging from modest aluminum-sided homes constructed during World War II to grand, three-story brick mansions that were home to some of Columbus’s wealthiest citizens.

The Near East is home to communities along Mt. Vernon Avenue, Long Street, Broad Street, Main Street and Bryden Road. Historically significant residential areas abound in all parts of the Near East and the area includes numerous portal and pocket parks, community gardens and neighborhood parks operated by the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department.

Much of the area saw its heyday in the in 1920s, when it was firmly established as the center of African-American life in Columbus. The area near Hamilton Park and Long Street developed into a wealthy African-American neighborhood complete with retail shops, theaters, professional offices, restaurants and numerous clubs or lounges that featured jazz. Many of the genre’s greatest legends performed at clubs in the Near East area, including Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Miles Davis. The Lincoln Theatre will be undergoing renovations to bring it back to its original glory when a young boy named Sammy Davis Jr. first graced its stage.

A cornerstone of the community is the King Arts Complex, which offers performing, cultural and educational programs that highlight the vast and significant contributions of African-Americans to the culture and history of America and the world. The King Arts Complex was founded in the restored Pythian Temple and is on listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Near East side is also home to Franklin Park Conservatory, a botanical park and conservatory that holds over 400 species of plants and features permanent exhibits of glasswork by internationally renowned artistian Dale Chihuly.

The King-Lincoln district in Near East Columbus is currently undergoing major renovations, with millions of dollars of invested in commercial, residential and infrastructure improvements, bringing the community back to the vibrancy of its past.

Location

The Near East Area of Columbus is bordered by I-670 to the North, I-70 to the South, I-71 to the East and Alum Creek to the West.

Community and Civic Organizations

East Columbus Development Company
http://www.neighborhoodchdo.org
Near East Area Commission
http://www.columbusinfobase.org/ac/neareast/neareast.asp 
King-Lincoln- Bronzeville Neighborhood Association
http://www.klbna.org/
Long Street Business Association http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/
public/clubhome.html?nclubid=443613167&nsupercity=437534213
Main Street Business Association

Places of Interest

Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Complex http://www.kingartscomplex.com/home.htm
King-Lincoln District
Columbus Metropolitan Library – Martin Luther King Branch http://www.cml.lib.oh.us/ebranch/about_cml/locations
/sel_branch_detail.cfm?bldg_id=210
Columbus Urban League

Parks and Recreation

Maymee Moore Park http://recparks.columbus.gov
/Parks/Parks_115.asp
Franklin Park http://www.fpconservatory.org/
Kwanzaa Playground http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/Parks_167.asp
Saunders Park
http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/Parks_276.asp