What business do you want to see next in Columbia’s Vista? Vote today in The State’s poll

In many ways, the Vista is sort of the front porch of Columbia.

The longstanding hospitality district welcomes you when you cross the Gervais Street Bridge, and immediately offers a peek at what the capital city has to offer. Located downtown just west of the South Carolina State House, the Vista continues to have a vibrant mix of restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, hotels, music venues, a convention center and more.

It’s the kind of place where you can see rock band Hellfire 76 take the stage at Art Bar, have a plate of shrimp and grits at The Blue Marlin or find a new love seat at the decades-old Whit-Ash Furnishings. There are local businesses and chain places, with storefronts big and small.

But, as in all of life, change also comes.

There have been some high-profile closures in the Vista in recent years. For instance, just last week Wild Wing Cafe, which had been located on Lady Street for 17 years, announced it was closing its doors. And in January Wet Willie’s, a bar and restaurant prominently located along Gervais Street, shut its doors for good. There are other vacant storefronts along Gervais, as well, including the spots where Marble Slab Creamery and Nonnah’s pastry shop once were.

But as businesses cycle out, others will inevitably cycle in. And we want to know what you want to see next in the Vista.

Below is a poll with a sampling of the type of businesses or developments you might like to see come to the hospitality district. A few are specific national brands for which some Columbians have long pined — hello, an Apple Store or a Cheesecake Factory — while others strike a broader chord.

To be absolutely certain, this is not a scientific poll. Nor is it an indicator that we have any direct knowledge of these entities having plans to move into the Vista or elsewhere in Columbia. It is simply a bit of a wish list, a smattering of the types of establishments that might add to the vibe in the Vista.

And if you’ve got a business you’d like to see in the Vista that’s not encompassed in the poll, leave us a suggestion in the comments.

The poll will be open until 11:59 p.m. June 1, so vote early and vote often.