Resident Profile – Patrick Roehrenbeck and Brian Boyd, 43 and 46

by Mary Martineau
Patrick Roehrenbeck and his partner, Brian Boyd, have been Harrison West residents and renters for seven years. They started out in a half-double at First and Pennsylvania avenues that would be converted into condos three years after they moved in. They weren’t ready to make the commitment to home-ownership just then, but they didn’t want to leave the neighborhood, so they transferred to Alexandria Colony, where they have been happily residing for four years. While they love the “no maintenance” life of renters, they are currently preparing to start house hunting, and they are determined to remain in Harrison West. They believe that the real estate is affordable here and that they can get so much more for their money than in surrounding neighborhoods.

Brian grew up in Cedarville, Ohio and graduated from Wright State University with a degree in marketing and management. He is currently a retail marketing specialist for The News Group. Patrick grew up in Reynoldsburg and attended St. Charles Preparatory School. He went on to study economics and finance at the University of Dayton (which, at the time, had a reputation for being quite the party school). After college, he started out with Huntington Bank, staying for a couple years before determining that banking wasn’t really his calling. He became involved in political campaigns that gave him valuable experience in fundraising, and those led to a job at CATCO, which lasted until the theater company was assimilated into CAPA. From there, he worked as a development consultant for the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education. After five years with OAAE, the executive director position at Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus became available. Patrick was thrilled to be offered the position, and he calls it his ideal job. “I get to work in the arts, support a cause I truly believe in and enjoy all the benefits that come with being a part of a great group of men and women.”

The affordability of Harrison West combined with, as Patrick puts it, “location, location, location” brought he and Brian to Harrison West and compels them to stay here. They love the urban-suburban atmosphere of the neighborhood that is so close yet just far enough from the Short North’s High Street bustle, the OSU campus, the Arena District and downtown Columbus. As Patrick pronounces, “Working downtown—it is great to be able to walk or ride your bicycle to work and to all the fun things that happen throughout the central city area. It is nice to have local businesses to support including our Rainbow Cleaners, Designs by Doe flower shop, Katalina’s, Caffé Apropos, Aniara, our work out facility, Ziggy’s carry out, et cetera all in Harrison West. It’s like a little city within our city. And in the summer, it is great to jump on the bike trail and ride up to Antrim Park or head downtown for one of the fabulous summer festivals!”
In their downtime, you might saunter into Zeno’s during an early evening and find Patrick and Brian having a cocktail with the regulars. They like the mellow vibe of this longtime neighborhood establishment where “you can get to know everyone there within a day.” They enjoy the gamut of Columbus festivals from Pride to the Arts Festival to Festival Latino to ComFest (but only on Sunday). They love the convenience of walking to Huntington Park for Clippers games. And Patrick tries to regularly support member of the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus who have their own shows. You can join him for a fundraiser in support of Camp Sunrise on Saturday, April 28th at Wall Street Nightclub for “Bearvillities Presents Broadway.”

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