6AM City In-house

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The Conversations You Want to Have This Year
Skyline-Columbia-SC
Views like this make us glad to call Cola home. | Photo via @afersner
What news gets you excited about opening our newsletter each morning?

With a new year comes new beginnings, new stories, and a whole new year of reasons to have Soda City pride.

🍽 Wondering what restaurant will join the Cola food and bev scene next?
🏢 Curious about new developments on the horizon?
🧋 Do you want to know where to get the best Boba Tea in town?
📰 Is there a piece of Cola history you’ve always wanted to know about?

The possibilities are endless, and we know one thing for sure — we want to write about what matters to you the most.

That’s why we’re polling the crowd for questions that you want to be answered this year — any slice of Cola life you’ve always wanted to read about with your morning cup of coffee in hand.

Let us know here to influence the stories that hit your inbox over the next 12 months, and stay tuned with us as we watch the rest of the year unfold. ✨
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Nephron Pharmaceuticals

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, Jan. 5
  • Columbia Open Studios is NOW OPEN!! | Thursday, Jan. 5-Sunday, Jan. 8 | 12-12 a.m. | 701 Center for Contemporary Art, 701 Whaley St., Columbia | $75-$125 | This will be the thirteenth installment of 701 CCA’s Columbia Open Studios, during which the public is invited to spend two days visiting artists’ studios throughout Richland and Lexington Counties.
  • Free First Thursday at the CMA | Thursday, Jan. 5 | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St., Columbia | Free | Enjoy free admission courtesy of Dominion Energy and extended hours.
  • University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s Basketball vs. Auburn University Tigers Basketball | Thursday, Jan. 5 | 7 p.m. | Colonial Life Arena, 801 Lincoln St., Columbia | $12-$20 | Watch as USC takes on the Auburn Tigers in Colonial Life Arena.
  • Sunhouse, Som’bout, Hillmouse | Thursday, Jan. 5 | 8-11 p.m. | New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St., West Columbia | $10 | Upstate-based indie rock band Sunhouse headlines a night of live local music.
Friday, Jan. 6
  • Pitchy Woman | Friday, Jan. 6 | 8:30-10 a.m. | femme x COLUMBIA, 1501 Richland St., Columbia | Practice your elevator speech, present a new concept you are testing, and get feedback.
Saturday, Jan. 7
Sunday, Jan. 8
  • BrideCityShows.com Bridal Expo | Sunday, Jan. 8 | Columbia Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln St., Columbia | $12 | Bride City Bridal Shows Expo has everything from the engagement ring to the honeymoon and beyond.
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
6AM City In-house

4 tips to ‘Be Well’ in the new year
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Start small to achieve big with these tips this year. | Photo via Unsplash
Wondering how to make your 2023 resolution for a healthier lifestyle an actionable and successful goal? 🙋 We asked Lexington Medical Center to help make that goal a reality with these four achievable Be Well tips:

1. Make “S.M.A.R.T.” goals
Read: Small, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This will increase your chance of success by 50%.

2. Lose weight the sustainable way
If losing weight is on your path to better health, aim to start small by reducing your calorie intake by ~500 calories per day through diet and exercise. At that rate, you’re more likely to keep the weight off by creating long-term, realistic habits.

3. Find a buddy
People who recruit friends or family to assist them in their weight loss goals have better results than those without a buddy. Another study found that 94% of buddies stay in a fitness program compared to 57% of those joining alone.

4. Use apps
Feel empowered to make lifestyle changes a daily priority. Participants using mobile apps are shown to lose twice as much weight than those who don’t.*
SEE MORE HEALTH HACKS

Weather
  • 69º | Sunny | 11% chance of rain
Development
  • Columbia developer Arnold Companies has proposed the construction of a new development coined Vista Depot Hotels and Apartments that could begin in 2024. The project includes the 301-room Hyatt House and Hyatt Centric hotel, a 183-unit apartment complex, and a 380-space subterranean parking garage at the intersection of Gervais and Wayne Streets in the Vista. 🏨 (The State)
Closed
  • The Piggly Wiggly grocery store located at 760 US HWY-378 in Lexington is set to close on Sunday, Feb. 5. Get big on the pig while you can, grocery items in the store are 25% off, not including fresh departments. 🐽
  • Smashburger on Devine Street, next door to Moe’s Southwest Grill, has closed after eight years in business. The burger chain now has two Midlands locations, at the Village at Sandhill and on Lake Murray Boulevard in Irmo. 🍔 (The Post and Courier)
Civic
  • A special election will take place on March 28 for the Columbia City Council vacancy left by Joe Taylor Jr. who died unexpectedly in late December. Filing for the city’s District 4 seat will open on Friday, Jan. 13, and close on Friday, Jan. 23. 🗳️ (WLTX)
Community
  • Keep the Midlands Beautiful is hosting its annual Grinding the Greens Christmas tree recycling program and accepting tree donations through Thursday, Jan. 19. Click here for drop-off locations in Richland and Lexington Counties. Free mulch will be available for pickup Saturday, Jan. 21 at 8:30 a.m. until it is gone. 🌲
Eat
  • New year, new local restaurant special. Stop by Steel Hands Brewing (2350 Foreman St., Cayce) every Tuesday from 3-8 p.m. for Tacos in the Taproom + $5 pints. 🌮
Health
  • For a lot of folks, January means renewed exercise goals. But should you hit the race track or walk around the block? Before you assume running is better, check out what the experts reveal as they debunk these seven walking myths. 👟*
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.
Lexington Medical Center

Go west, Blue Bike SC 🚲

Blue Bike SC bike share program looks to expand
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Blue Bike SC bikes fill the docking station at the Bull Street - Segra Park location. | Photo by the COLAtoday team
Central Midlands Council of Governments in collaboration with the state Department of Transportation is looking for your help in conducting a study to determine whether the Blue Bike SC bike share program, currently available around downtown Columbia, could be expanded into Lexington County.

The study will examine the quality of the walking and cycling experience in West Columbia, Cayce, and Springdale, as well as how well they link homes, employment centers, businesses, and transit stops.

It will also seek to address the needs and create safe public spaces for all types of road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.

How can you help?

Suggest locations for stations and routes on this online map before the survey closes on Friday, Jan. 6.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by David.

Editor’s pick: Last Saturday, I went and tried Q’s Corner, a new breakfast and lunch spot on Rosewood Drive. I heard a rumor about the New York City bagels they have shipped in, so I had to try one. In addition to the bagels, the cafe serves a variety of Puerto Rican dishes and offers daily lunch specials.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Plan ahead for these Midlands events happening in 2023, here.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Samantha Robertson, David Stringer, Erin McPherson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith| Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Lindsey Rhinesmith | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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