Reviews & Comments
Columbus, OH
Bland but not awful -
7/23/2018I 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, Chinese, various Indian languages, French, Dutch, Spanish...you name it and you will find it here. This is largely due to the influence OSU has had on the culture of the city. OSU itself is an amazing school...as large as it is, it is difficult to get into with less than a 30 ACT score...hence why Cbus has been named the most intelligent city in the US.
The food scene is still mediocre at best, but there are a few noteworthy restaurants if you look hard enough.
Traffic is not bad, although my kids have nicknamed it "Orange Barrel, Ohio" because road construction never ceases...and never seems to improve anything.
The land is flat, so finding a home with a decent yard is easy. Many attractive homes here too.
The summer climate, with the exception of an unusually hot 2018, is typically decent, albeit far too short.
The nightlife at the Short North is reasonably lively and vibrant.
The suburbs, Dublin, Powell, Worthington, UA, New Albany all have well-preserved and charming town centers...better than I have seen in most other cities.
Plenty of art and culture events come to Cbus.
I have raised four kids here, and I have always struggled to find the breadth of activities for families here that other cities offer.
No decent lakes or water nearby!
I will be here for another seven years until my youngest graduates from high school. For all of the good aspects of Columbus, I will high tail it out of Ohio as soon as she graduates.