The Continent Reborn

Rebirth After Easton, Polaris

The Continent, 161 at I-71, was a hot place 10 years ago. Due to competition from Polaris and Easton it kind of died, but it is back albeit a bit differently.

For those of you new to the area, The Continent was kind of a smaller version of Easton, with mostly outdoor shops and a festive atmosphere. In the 1980s and early 1990s you could hardly find a place to park on Saturday night. Then came Easton and Polaris, and the Continent was a ghost town.

So when I saw an ad for the Screens at the Continent, I thought hey, The Continent must be coming back.

Yes, but more as a local business center than as the kind of place that will bring in hoards of people on a Saturday night.

There had been news and somewhat of a directory of what is now in The Continent. Without that directory, my recollection is that there are a couple of restaurants, a bar, the movie theater, a post office, and beyond that, mostly professional offices and radio stations.

So The Continent reborn is useful to those living in the immediate area but probably not a draw for those living miles away like it used to be. But that's life in Columbus, where rapid growth makes it difficult for older areas to survive.