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Columbus, OH - Page 2

post #16 of 28
1/25/10 at 2:15am
If I was in Columbus and needed to go away, I'd go to Cleveland -- great food, great culture (musuems, the orchestra, and people who enjoy it). Also, cute B&Bs to stay in. ~ H
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post #17 of 28
1/25/10 at 2:19am
^And don't forget, Cleveland is the home of Howard the Duck!
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post #18 of 28
1/25/10 at 2:22am
Columbus native here. I work in a technical field with many colleagues recruited from around the US. The appeal of the metro area strongly depends on your situation. I would paraphrase most transplants' characterization of Columbus metro as an "easy" place to live. The cost of living is fairly low. Traffic is very managable which is important given that mass transit doesn't exist in any attractive form. The Easton Towne Center is a well-regarded suburban retail-restaurant-entertainment complex. For the suburbanite, life is pretty good.

I'm at a stage in my life where nightlife isn't important but Columbus does have the Arena district which is built around Nationwide Arena where the NHL Blue Jackets play and major concerts are staged. As previously posted, the Short North area has a high concentration of restaurants, artsy shops and pubs. I'm an Ohio State alumnus and fan so the locale holds that added attraction.

The more traditional performing arts exist but vary in health.

So, in summary "lame, boring, affordable" but easy living.
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post #19 of 28
1/25/10 at 2:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bradford View Post
It would probably be a lot like my move from Phoenix to Sacramento. Definitely a step down in terms of the town and things to do.

But hey, if the job is good I'd think you can stand to be anywhere for a year. Columbus does have an airport so if you really need to get away, why not just fly to Chicago for the weekend?

CMH to MDW = one hour direct flight. Super easy get away.
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post #20 of 28
1/25/10 at 10:48am
I lived there for a year, and honestly I think it's a great place to live. I hate traffic, and Columbus is about as big as you can get without having the traffic problems. It's very, very cheap. You can get a GREAT condo/apt for 1100-1400 a month. OSU pretty much guarantees that all bars and surrounding areas are packed with hot ass. It's not Chicago, but personally I think the pros outweigh the connes. Couldn't resist.
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post #21 of 28
1/25/10 at 11:42am
I've visited several times, most recently being last May. Nice city and somewhat similar to Indianapolis in that it's relatively cheap and doesn't feel as big as it is.
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post #22 of 28
1/25/10 at 12:06pm
Coming from Chicago, Columbus will suck. Consider a few things. There was a mall called City Center and it shut down. A 3 level mall closed due to lack of business. For whatever reason people are moving to the suburbs. A lot of businesses have relocated to Easton and Polaris where malls are located. I like downtown, especially German Village. There is a revitalization going on in the south part of downtown. In 10-12 years some developers plan to build another mall.

There is really nothing high end in Columbus. The Nordstrom's and Saks carries bottom of the barrel merchandise. Compared to Chicago, things are much cheaper here.

Btw, downtown here really blows. Columbus might be bigger than Cleveland and Cincinnati but that is a measurement of land. As a measurement of downtown, Columbus is the smallest.
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post #23 of 28
1/25/10 at 1:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xiaogou View Post
There is really nothing high end in Columbus. The Nordstrom's and Saks carries bottom of the barrel merchandise. Compared to Chicago, things are much cheaper here.

Sounds very much like Indy.
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post #24 of 28
1/25/10 at 2:10pm
Another semi-native checking in, attended high school and college in the Columbus area. To the OP, not sure what your leisure pursuits are, but Columbus has a multitude of excellent golf courses for relatively cheap prices. As a junior member, you can join a lot of nice clubs for (comparatively) very little money. There's also a bunch of cheap, good public tracks within an hour.
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post #25 of 28
1/25/10 at 3:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xiaogou View Post
A lot of businesses have relocated to Easton and Polaris where malls are located.

Very true. I moved there with hopes of walking to work downtown, no go. Ended up driving to Easton and Polaris.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xiaogou View Post

There is really nothing high end in Columbus. The Nordstrom's and Saks carries bottom of the barrel merchandise. Compared to Chicago, things are much cheaper here.

Another point. If you regular buy designer clothes, you might have a problem. The Saks has almost nothing in terms of high end suits. Some Canali, but not much.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xiaogou View Post

Btw, downtown here really blows. Columbus might be bigger than Cleveland and Cincinnati but that is a measurement of land. As a measurement of downtown, Columbus is the smallest.

I lived downtown and enjoyed it, but it is small.

Really, when it comes to "having stuff to do", how many average people frequent plays, comedy clubs, theaters, very exquisite dining, etc? The average person has just as much to do in Columbus as they would in many bigger cities. I think the whole "things to do" is hyped up a lot when you consider what most people do after work and on the weekends. Not saying the OP is "average", but I'd consider what you actually spend your leisure time doing before claiming that Columbus has nothing to do.
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post #26 of 28
1/25/10 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xiaogou View Post
Coming from Chicago, Columbus will suck. Consider a few things. There was a mall called City Center and it shut down. A 3 level mall closed due to lack of business. For whatever reason people are moving to the suburbs. A lot of businesses have relocated to Easton and Polaris where malls are located. I like downtown, especially German Village. There is a revitalization going on in the south part of downtown. In 10-12 years some developers plan to build another mall.

There is really nothing high end in Columbus. The Nordstrom's and Saks carries bottom of the barrel merchandise. Compared to Chicago, things are much cheaper here.

Btw, downtown here really blows. Columbus might be bigger than Cleveland and Cincinnati but that is a measurement of land. As a measurement of downtown, Columbus is the smallest.

Agree with almost everything here. Cannot comment on the value proposition of living in Chicago versus Columbus. I think that much of Columbus's problem comes from the city school system, which is abysmal. People without children find interesting little spots within Columbus (e.g. German Village or Clintonville) but pack it up and head to the suburbs when the kids are school age. Because of Columbus's aggressive annexation policy, most suburbs are pretty far removed from downtown.
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post #27 of 28
1/25/10 at 10:44pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the suggestions. How walkable is downtown if you live there?
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post #28 of 28
1/25/10 at 11:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by countdemoney View Post
Thanks for the suggestions. How walkable is downtown if you live there?

Someone else can chime in with a correction, but I don't get the sense that downtown is at all walkable (e.g. to go get a bite to eat, buy groceries, etc) after the core business day- it's a ghost town. I would say that people who enjoy a walkable city-like area are likely to live in German Village (brick streets, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, restored houses on compact lots) or the Short North. There may also be some residential development going on in the Arena district. My sense is that all these areas have higher crime rates than found in the 'burbs.
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