Columbus, OH is a vibrant city that offers an array of activities for locals and visitors alike. Local attractions include the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, COSI Science Center, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. The city is also known for its vibrant downtown scene with thriving art galleries, breweries, restaurants, shops, and music venues. Visitors to the city can also enjoy outdoor activities like biking or kayaking along the Scioto River or enjoying one of the city’s many parks.
Reviews of Columbus are overwhelmingly positive. Many visitors remark on how clean and friendly it is while others appreciate all the things to do in such a small area. People appreciate the variety of cultural activities available throughout the year including festivals like Comfest as well as theater, music performances, comedy shows, art exhibitions, sports events, and concerts at Nationwide Arena or other popular venues. Additionally people love how easy it is to get around in Columbus with public transportation options including bus service from COTA or car-sharing services like Uber or Lyft. Overall people find that there's something for everyone in Columbus!
based on 156 ReviewsGet to know Columbus with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Columbus
Young, lively city, read for recs too! - 11/30/2020
I've lived in Columbus for 3 years now, originally being from Cleveland. Columbus is known for its art and food district especially in the Short North which connects The Ohio State University's campus to downtown. It's full of eateries, and they do a monthly gallery hop down the street giving fun weekend plans. The OSU culture is strong as we are proud of our Buckeyes. The spirit of gameday is extremely evident as people flock from all over the state to cheer on our team. Traffic can be pretty horrendous the weekend of games (especially home games), so it's best to plan ahead. Another con is parking is hard to find and there are no free meters except on Sundays and holidays. I would describe Columbus as an incredibly lively, young city, and mostly left-leaning (as most major cities in the US are that way). I still have places to discover in Columbus, but the best restaurants I have been to so far are Forno (Italian Pizza), Lincoln Social Rooftop Bar, Katalina's, Hangover Easy, Cap
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Very high crime, urban decay, time to leave. - 9/18/2020
As a pharmaceutical sales rep I traveled frequently to OSU and associated health care systems in Columbus, in 2005 we decided to make the move here from Houston. During the mid-2000's, Columbus experienced decent growth mainly in retail and distribution sectors that now occupy the south side of town. However, the last several years have brought huge increases in crime (with 2020 on track to be the highest in homicides ever) as well as urban decay which the city is in my opinion giving up on. Just recently a Ohio State University football player was shot in the face while attending a campus party. There are a number of decent size metro parks here, but most are often overcrowded even on weekdays. To access a quiet wooded area with decent hiking or biking, a 30 minute to 1 hour drive outside of town is required. Downtown Columbus has struggled with panhandlers, murders, and serious crimes which have in turn deterred many businesses from remaining open there. Housing continues to
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No good weather or good outdoors - 3/18/2020
I"ve lived in Columbus for 5 years. I moved here to work at Ohio State University (OSU) after obtaining my doctorate in my early 30s. Prior to that I lived in Tucson, AZ, Raleigh, NC, and San Diego, CA. The one good thing it has going for it is that the metro and state parks are free (well, included in our taxes). The other is that drivers are polite and not crazy. HOWEVER, I really dislike this place otherwise. If you like the outdoors, this is not a place for you. Columbus (and OH in general) is flat, and the winters are too long and too cold to enjoy being outside. When it snows, the major streets and highways are plowed, but not the "side" streets where most people live. The city tax is 2.5%, which is ridiculously high if you don't have children and/or are retired. I'm one who likes to bike to work - NOT A BIKE-FRIENDLY PLACE AT ALL. I have been almost hit by cars many times, and yelled at by drivers even more times because there aren't proper bike lanes. I've emailed the city to
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Columbus-Forget any other city! - 2/26/2020
I moved here to Cbus from New York State about 18 years ago and have never looked back. I have visited Nashville in the past and can say Columbus blows it away! In the years I have been here have seen this city expand like crazy, for the better. Google, Facebook, Amazon and countless headquarters (White Castle, Wendys, Big Lots, Nationwide, Homage, Limited Brands, etc.) are all over here. There is a big reason why we keep getting recognized all over the country, this is a happening place and keeps growing. Transportation is easy and we also won the smart city funding for transportation. Great place to raise a family in the outstanding suburbs like Gahanna, Hilliard, Westerville, New Albany, Powell, etc. Education is excellent, obviously OSU and all other local schools. Sports-OSU, NHL, minor league baseball, MLS. Brings in major music and festivals, also home of Twenty One Pilots, Beartooth, Starset, Rascal Flats, saintseneca. Close to other major cities like Cinci,
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Good Cost of living Bad for black though. - 2/6/2020
Great cost of living and affordable mortgages however this city is full of racist white supremacist who try to be sneaky with it but you know thats what they are doing.
I don't think police is really a big issue. The big issue is how the whites treat African Americans on the job and the wrongful terminations galore. You want your civil rights violated repeadidly on the job? This is the place to be.
They use white priviledge here like toilet paper and they dont even hide it like other states due to this being a Trump state. Part of the issue is the massive influx of east african immigrants who go along with the practice of white supremacy.
Of course this makes it harder on american born blacks to have social justice and equality because the east african immigrants comply with the racism.
If you are african american I would skip Columbus maybe Cleveland is better for blacks indont know but Columbus has a huge race problem they just
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Sprawling concrete, strip malls and fast food. - 1/5/2020
I relocated to Columbus about 7 years ago due to my ex spouses job from Chicago. Where do I begin? First, I'll start with the infrastructure. There is zero urban planning at work in this city. What little wood patches that remain are being flattened for more roads and more strip malls (or office space that will sit empty). "Parks" consist of wood lots surrounded by ghettos or 5 lane highways, filled with hundreds of people sitting in their cars fumigating the woods. The car is worshiped in Columbus. Columbus brands itself as a large city with cultural diversity. What it really is, is a combination of 80s music blared constantly on local radiostations, and holy praise for the ohio state buckeyes...you must praise the buckeye. Dining opportunities include national chains, LOTS of chain restaurants, over 100 McDonald's within city limits, and nearly as many Wendy's. Miles and miles of endless aged strip malls, with roads jetting out in every every direction, with sparsely spaced trees
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Changing for the worst. - 8/27/2019
I moved to columbus 10 years ago. I've lived in big coastal cities and in between in the midwest. I'll start by saying this city is not for everyone. If youre a intellectual seeking a liberal haven with big city amenities, columbus is not it. Sports and OSU football are god. If you're Male, brush up on any sports trivia, or grow a beard and act like a hipster, it is a requirement. If you're female, you'll want to learn some narcissistic behaviors coupled with Male agression. Also, you must praise the Chick fi lay. Really, all funny aside, for its size columbus is very sheltered, residents(who haven't traveled much) here believe they walk on a golden utopia and wear shirts praising their holy and. Crime is everywhere, particularly within the 270 belt, but spreading into wealthy neighborhoods. Jobs are in abundance but wages have declined, in opposition to rents and housing prices which has created wide rifts in social classes which is evident everywhere. Ultra Christian extremists in
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Juarez Mexico is better than Columbus imho - 5/3/2019
I've lived in both St Louis, USA, and Juarez, Mexico. Let me start out by saying, Columbus does not hold a candle to either city. I first traveled to Columbus when I was living in Washington, D.C. (a friend suggested I try Bicycle Route 40 - worth it btw). I was pulled in by the low COL and cheap housing prices, but boy did I make a mistake! You will find a large percentage of the population has a BMI over 30, and many are very salt-of-the-earth, earnest type folks. Not really my cup of tea. Nightlife is bland, the food is Midwestern and gross! If you want something better nearby then try
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Just look past the surface and you'll find a gem - 1/5/2019
I was born in Columbus and grew up in Hilliard. By the time I went to college, I applied only to out of state schools because I wanted adventure and had only known the suburbs, which I would argue is as boring as it gets. I couldn't afford out of state costs, and I'm so glad, because I ended up at Ohio State, which has given me such a great appreciation for this city that I never had growing up.
I've traveled and lived in different places abroad and around the country (all with very different climates than Ohio). While I love those places and long to be there again for their own charm, I've realized I couldn't imagine calling anywhere but Columbus home, and I'm okay with that.
We have all four seasons, yes it gets hot and humid in summer and frustratingly cold and gray in the winter, but we have beautiful fall foliage and spring blooms, and most importantly, we get big change every few months, which really helps you appreciate all the seasons. It's easy to forget
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Bland but not awful - 7/23/2018
I moved to Cbus in 2007 from St. Louis. Having been here a sufficient length of time, I can give an unbiased appraisal of the city. First, let me start off by saying that for the first two years I lived here, I hated it! Thought the people were fat, aloof, the food scene pretty awful, the fashion abyssimal (think OSU sweatshirts and bad '80s jeans), the beer and chips aisles in the grocery stores took up three times the space as the fresh produce!, not a lot going on for families and the weather (gray til May) incredibly depressing. THAT was my initial impression, and some of that has not changed.
There are, however, great aspects to the city, as I have learned over the years. While healthy lifestyles still seem more of the exception than the rule here, the people here are highly intelligent. The diversity here is the most I have seen in any US city outside of NYC. You can walk into any grocery store and hear people speaking five different languages...Japanese,
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