Less than 10 minutes from campus is a busy – but quiet – small town, lined with stores and restaurants and full of people. Grandview Heights is home to only 7,000 residents and offers everything from live jazz to African artifacts.

“Grandview is great,” said Jim Ricker, a Grandview resident for five years. “No matter what you are looking for, it’s here.”

Grandview can be reached by taking Fifth Avenue west to Grandview Avenue or by taking the number 84 COTA bus from High Street.

Just minutes from downtown, the city of Grandview Heights, known as the “Friendly Little City,” is considered by residents to be one of the most convenient suburbs in Columbus.

“Grandview is close to anywhere you want to be,” Ricker said.

Almost everything is within walking distance. Even though the main strip of Grandview Avenue does not stretch more than a couple of miles, it still is home to many venues including jewelry stores, art stores, antique stores, bakeries, hair salons, restaurants, among others.

Fine Dining

When in Grandview, there is no shortage of places to eat; whether the time calls for a quick lunch or a leisurely dinner, there is something for everyone. Braddock’s, Gibby’s, Figlio, Old Bag of Nails and Spagio are just a couple of restaurants suitable for an enjoyable meal.

Spagio, 1295 Grandview Ave., is not only a “pizza and spa kitchen,” but also a cooking school and wine cellar, that holds weekly wine tastings. Helga and Hubert Seifert, the owners of Spagio, have been in the same location for 23 years and said it is the best place for their restaurant.

“Otherwise, we wouldn’t stay here for so long,” said Helga Seifert.

Chef Hubert keeps his customers coming back by serving what he classifies as Euro-Pacific Rim cuisine at reasonable prices, Seifert said.

The menu has many options and changes seasonally. It features pastas and wood-fired pizzas, as well as dinner and lunch entrees. Prices range from $8 for a wood-fired pizza to $27 for rack of lamb.

“Our menu caters to people who don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of money but still want a nice meal,” Seifert said.

The atmosphere at Spagio makes it a good place to come for a nice occasion, but if a quick, satisfying dinner is in the cards, the attached wine cellar will do the trick.

“At the wine shop, we have a limited menu – pizzas and appetizers and things like that,” Seifert said. “People can come in, and pick out a bottle of wine and eat some good food.”

Spagio sells wine and beer of different price ranges. All their employees are knowledgeable about their merchandise and are able to offer assistance, Seifert said.

“It’s nice to see the young people come into the wine store and see them buy an inexpensive bottle of wine,” she said.

In the summer, Spagio sets up marble tables and chairs for guests to dine outside.

“People like to sit outside to eat and just enjoy the evening,” Seifert said.

Live jazz is played year-round by the Mark Flugge Trio from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. every Tuesday night in the bar at Spagio.

Low-cost dining

Grandview Cafe, 1455 W. 3rd Ave., is a bar and restaurant where many Grandview residents spend their weekends.

The atmosphere is casual and prices are reasonable, ranging from $7.50 to $13.95, said manager Maureen Hayes.

Menu items range from common, like Papa Dick’s Old Style Fish and Chips, to unique, like St. Bart’s Style Burger – a hamburger topped with a fried egg and American cheese.

Every Friday and Saturday, local cover bands perform at 10 p.m.

“We have a lot of different bands that play here,” Hayes said. “The bands are a lot of fun.”

A cover charge of $3 to $5 is charged on weekends to go upstairs, where the bands play.

“The crowd is very eclectic; I think it has everyone from early 20s to 30-year-olds,” she said.

Another attraction of Grandview Cafe is their outdoor patio on the second floor, which looks out onto the whole city of Grandview, Hayes said.

“Our patio is really nice during the summer,” she said.

Stauf’s Coffee Roasters opened in Grandview in 1988. They pride themselves on being one of the original coffee shops in the area and have grown to include Cup O’ Joe and the Mojo Lounge.

Tables line the sidewalk outside the coffee shop and are crowded with customers.

Stauf’s has a wide selection of coffee beans from around the world, all of which are roasted fresh at the store; but there is more to this coffee shop than just coffee.

“It’s not just specifically coffee, although that’s our main focus,” said Mark Swanson, vice president of Stauf’s and Cup O’ Joe. “We have one of the largest loose tea selections in town. We have almost as many tea flavors as coffee.”

In addition to tea and coffee, Stauf’s serves smoothies, cheesecakes, pastries and lunch items made by Pierre’s catering, Swanson said.

Since 2001, Stauf’s has offered Internet access to its customers, making it one of the first locations in town to do so.

“People can just come in, get some coffee and bring their laptop,” Swanson said. “We offer free wireless cable Internet access.”

Shopping

Grandview is home to many diverse retail stores, including Accent on Wild Birds, which offers “nature’s gifts from around the globe.” However, this is not the average wildlife store.

It specializes in bird feeders and minerals, and it has one of the largest assortments of minerals and fossils in Columbus, said assistant manager Hollie Manaska.

“We are an eclectic nature store,” Manaska said. “We sell everything from bird supplies to African artifacts.”

Other merchandise in the store includes cards and stationery, candles, science toys and jewelry, among many other unique items.

Other interesting stores in Grandview include Peabody Papers, To Muse art store, and Adornments, a store for hand-crafted jewelry, art and gifts.

Attractions

The Drexel Grandview Theater, 1247 Grandview Ave., is similar to the Drexel Theater in Bexley. Both are owned by the Drexel Theater Group and provide cultural outlets that are hard to find other places in Columbus. Both theaters draw customers in by showing independent and foreign films, but the two theaters offer different experiences.

“Usually, we cater to more of the OSU crowd because we are close to campus,” said Beth La Bret, house manager at the Drexel Grandview Theater. “We show animated films that they don’t show at Bexley. For adult animation, I can’t think of any other theater that shows as many films as we do.”

The Drexel Grandview caters to middle-aged adults and students who are looking for entertainment away from the norm, La Bret said.

“There’s a large group of people out there who are sick of just seeing things blow up on screen,” she said.

Showtimes and movies change weekly, and information can be found on their Web site at www.drexel.net.

“We’re appealing to people because we’re not so stuffy,” La Bret said. “You walk in here, and you can tell it’s kind of a mom-and-pop-type place, and our movies reflect that.”