A New Village Is Coming to Historic Dublin

Local News

More and more people in Dublin are playing pickleball, and the city's kept up with it. If you've caught the bug lately, there are now seven parks around town with pickleball lines painted right on the tennis courts — Avery Park, Balgriffin Park, Brighton Park, Donegal Cliffs Park, Wellington Park, Woods of Brighton, and Coffman Park near the rec center.

And if you're tired of showing up solo and hoping someone else needs a fourth, there are two easy ways to actually find people: the "Dublin Pickles" group on Facebook, or "Coffman Pickleball Courts" on GroupMe. Both are run by local players who organize games, teach beginners, and set up open play by skill level — no membership required, just show up.

And if the weather's not cooperating, the rec center got you covered too. They run open play indoors throughout the week, free with a membership or day pass, plus a beginner program if you're just picking up a paddle for the first time.

Local News

A few weeks back, we told you about Courtney D'Angelo, the Dublin dancer sharing the Irish Festival stage this year with the viral Gardiner Brothers. After the festival wrapped up, we caught up with her directly.

Turns out her connection to the festival runs a lot deeper than one big booking. She actually started Irish dancing because of the festival — she grew up coming every year with her family, got hooked watching the dancers as a kid, and eventually became one of the top-ranked American Irish dancers in her age group in the world. From there, she went pro — touring with Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home, Trinity Irish Dance Company, the same circles that first connected her with the Gardiner Brothers. But for all the stages she's danced on since, this one was different.

The crowd meant as much to her as the stage did. Family, old neighbors, former babysitters, even her childhood swim coach all showed up — and her 86-year-old grandmother, who goes by Gummy, came out too, showing off shamrocks painted on her nails just for the occasion. D'Angelo said she still comes out after every show to thank the audience in person, since she remembers being the kid waiting at the stage door herself, hoping to meet the performers.

She noticed how much Dublin's changed, too. "Bridge Park is CRAZY," she told us, thinking back to when a night out meant a portable speaker and camping hammocks in a field. Some things haven't, though — she still makes a point of getting Bibibop and a Fox in the Snow egg sandwich every time she's back.

One more thing, since a few of you asked: yes, Beverly D'Angelo really is her aunt — and, by her account, one of her best friends in the world.

Local News

There's a new development moving forward in Historic Dublin, and it's shaping up to look pretty different from what we're used to seeing.

It's called Monterey Square, planned for about 7 acres at West Bridge Street and Monterey Drive, right across from John Sells Middle School. The developer is Wood Companies, the Columbus firm behind a lot of well-known Short North buildings and this is actually their first project outside that neighborhood. The plan is a cluster of smaller buildings arranged around a public town square, built to feel like an actual walkable village rather than a strip mall with a fresh coat of paint.

What makes it stand out most: it's deliberately not another food-first development. The developer has said the goal is mostly retail — clothing, shopping, services — with restaurants filling in around the edges rather than anchoring the whole thing.

The project recently cleared its final development plan with the city, so this isn't just a concept anymore — it's on track to actually get built.