Graceland Shopping Center

This shopping center is a lot better since the renovation. I like the variety of shops in the space. It has a pretty nice Kroger and Target. There is a big fitness center located in the back. There are plenty of restaurants to choose, from casual, fast food, and pizza. It also has a Qdoba, which is infinitely better than Chipotle. There is plenty of parking, so it’s always easy to find a spot.
The biggest problem is the setup. It has plenty of stores, but they are so far apart you will probably want to drive if you want to get from one end to the other. It’s a long way to carry your purchases. The other problem some have mentioned is the access. It would be better to have better access there from Bethel. It would ease travel from that area. This won’t be possible without the connector the locals are opposed to. It still could try to find some ways to improve the cohesiveness of its stores.
The Graceland Shopping Center is not nearly as expansive as Easton or Polaris, but it has most of the basic needs. It has fitness centers, restaurants, and shops. Those looking for more unique stores have to go to those bigger centers.

It boggles my mind.
What I mean: say you are eating at Banana Leaf or shopping at Mirco Center there off Bethel and you need to go to Graceland. Your choice is to take either Henderson Road or 161, then up or down High. It’s at least a 15-​minute trip. Therefore, for long time residents of Columbus, Graceland’s neighborhood is thought somewhat distant from the Bethel Road area. This is so understood that we don’t even think it as anything other. But the truth is that Graceland isn’t that far, it actually RIGHT THERE over the river, just a quarter of a mile, closer than Olentangy Road is to High Street at Lane Avenue.
This is germane to my review as the remodeling of Graceland missed an opportunity to fix its greater problem, its design. There was at one time a proposal to connect Bethel and Morse that would create a seamless transition of neighborhoods, make Bethel an ‘off High’ location, improve traffic congestion on Henderson and Dublin-​Grandville, and allow Graceland to become a mini-​Easton of sorts with the added space. That though was rejected by an Old Beechwood «Homes over Highway Campaign.» I can’t blame residents for fighting eminent domain though, especially when it’s proposed to benefit chains and car culture, but it is a shame a compromise was impossible as such a bridge could had been beneficial.
Be that as it may, Graceland recently cleaned itself up and added businesses. Named after a horse ranch that was once on the plot, which in turn was named after a famed brothel madam who was beloved by the owner, a major bootlegger in the 1930s (not after the house of Elvis fame as I once thought), it has been a shopping mall since the 1950s.
The shops and restaurants here is the who’s who of strip malls. That is not meant to be 100-​percent negative, but it does prevent Graceland from being a destination. Anchored by a Target and a Kroger’s Market Place, Graceland also has a pet store, Michaels, a B-​dubs, Bob Evans, a Game Stop. There are gyms here, stationary stores, it’s basically Sawmill Road condense in a pocket.
Its bigger problem is its design. Born in the 1950s mode of car culture and suburban drift, its an asphalt gulf flooding a large square inlet surrounded by the stores. It is not walkable by any means, so that the stores are all together but they are apart as well; parking at Target doesn’t mean ease of entry to Jack’s. You still have to get in your car and drive the few meters. It lacks a social, public consciousness. Instead it has a fractured feel, a desolate air about it, a disconnection. You come here when you have too shop one of its stores, when that store is closer than other branches; no one plans a day here like they do at Easton, Polaris, or even the antique store stretch just south on High. But for area residence, it is a decent place to shop when need be. I just wish that area would included the Northwest, which is just a stone throw across the river.

Graceland is not bad. It’s not great, either.
The available shopping takes top priority, and they have that covered. Several options from different categories — food, crafts, big box store (Target), grocery, entertainment. That’s the bulk of those three stars.
But BOY is there a lot of asphalt here. I don’t mind the layout, but I’d never walk from one set of buildings to the other (like I would at Easton). The layout and expanse of parking is a bit ugly, but that’s nitpicking. I just wish there was some more landscaping/​green areas. It would be nice to have a main walkway between the two faces of buildings.
But like I said, Graceland is a good shopping center. Definitely better than the majority of shopping centers in Columbus.

I remember Graceland from before the remodelling, and before it needed the remodelling. So I’ve watched it go from good to bad to good again. The changes were needed, and helpful. New stores (and still a few of the old ones,) better parking and landscaping, etc.– it’s a great change.
It’s still kind of an odd layout, since it’s like a dead-​end street instead of a strip. And sometimes I wish they would have torn it out and built a connector to Bethel. But I’m glad they revitalized Graceland, and I find myself going there more and more.
Target, Micheal’s, restaurants, shopping, services– there’s a bit of everything.

This shopping center is quite adequate, with plenty of shopping and dining options. The basic needs are covered with a Target with a grocery section and a Kroger Marketplace both located here. The other large tenants include two gyms and a Michaels craft store. Additional small shops dot the area, including many hobby shops like a knitters shop, Hobbyland, Game Stop and such. There is also a Jack’s Pets.
Restaurant-​wise, there is quite a bit of selection, including Applebee’s, Qdoba, Orange Leaf, Ichiban, Bob Evans, and more.
The shopping center is quite large, with plentiful parking. Unfortunately, it’s not very walkable in all areas because of the set-​up, but the large amount of parking means you shouldn’t have a problem moving your car.

The anchors seem to be Target, Kroger Marketplace, and Michael’s Crafts. (The Sears Hardware store closed and was replaced with Michael’s.)
Restaurants include a variety (Ichiban, Applebees, Bob Evans, Bellaria’s Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings) so there are sit down and carry out places.
Stores include Avenue, Knitter’s Mercantile, Target, Gamestop, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and several others.
The landlords are trying to have a mixture to bring in a variety of customers.

Since the remodling, I’d have to rank Graceland up there right below Polaris and it’s a lot closer. They have a newish Krogers, a Target, a great bakery (cakes and more), two fitness places (Urban Active and Victory’s, and a Jack’s Pets. Not to mention all the places to eat. It’s a regular stop for me.

Heaven for Lovers of Surface Parking
A vast expanse of pavement with cute little stripes and short stopsigns scattered throughout. Around the perimeter, a nice mixture of big boxes, niche retail and chain dining.
On any given day, you’ll have a decent chance of being panhandled in the middle of the lot.
To avoid the scorn of drivers, avoid walking around this place. They’ll assume you’re either crazy or homeless.
Pro tip: Whenever possible, avoid congestion and annoying in-​lot traffic rules by using the back alley along the southern edge of the center, behind the stores. It connects High Street with the little opening near the back, next to Kroger.

Graceland has certainly come a long way. Despite past glories as a shopping hot spot in Columbus, the shopping center fell into disrepair a while back as tenants fled for greener pastures. Over the past few years though, quite an effort has been made to recapture some of that magic — with mixed results.
Located where Morse Road ends at High Street in Beechwold, the shopping center is in a great location. It can easily service Clintonville, Worthington and north Columbus.
The center features a Target (you can’t go wrong there) and a Kroger. Those are the big stores so far. The rest of the area is filled in with several smaller shops (think UPS Store or a knitting supply store), a bank and a few restaurants (Applebee’s, Ichiban, a pizza joint). There’s still more coming, but Graceland needs to attract bigger names if it’s going to endure in the fickle Columbus market. As long as it’s there, though, I’ll keep visiting that Target when I’m on that side of town.