If you want to live close to the action, there’s no better place to be than a block off of High Street in the Short North, and that’s exactly where Eric Harter has decided to set up shop. For the last year, he’s lived in a modern two-bedroom apartment just off the main drag, and it’s fully outfitted for a bachelor who likes to entertain.

And yes, you’re seeing that correctly in the photo: Harter does indeed have an aquarium bar located within his spacious, granite-laden, stainless steel-adorned kitchen. Concealed behind a set of double doors is an elaborate system to keep his aquatic friends smiling . . . well, as much as saltwater fish smile.

“All of it is designed to maintain the water quality and temperature,” said Harter, while feeding his fish a bag of brine shrimp through the hinged dry-erase board top he constructed himself. “It’s pretty relaxing watching them. They all have their own little personalities, too. That yellow one is pretty feisty, and that black one, for as large as he is, hides most of the time.”

One of the more striking furniture choices in the abode is a multi-piece coffee table that was painted by Harter and his friends. Each cube features five sides of original art, with glass covering the top. Although examples of his photography can be found throughout the living area, he’s particularly proud of an accent wall that displays photos he took in New York through holes in road signs.

As if the interior wasn’t enough to turn heads, the outdoor segment of Harter’s pad really takes it up a notch.

Nearly half his space is a rooftop deck, equipped with year-round furniture and a propane fire to warm things up when the chill hits. The design is perfectly suited to a host who sees a lot of traffic during parties.

“Halloween, I was pushing about 200 people through the night. It comes and goes in spurts. Fortunately, the neighbors are conducive to my lifestyle. That would be a pain in the ass,” he said with a laugh. “I love the windows and the light, and the location. If I ever left Victorian Village, I’d move to German Village, or something like that. I’m never going back to the ’burbs.”