Go to Rooster’s for some amazing wings!!

Yes - a weekend in Columbus could be a great getaway to a small city. For families, you could do a few days between the zoo, cosi, botanical garden and some of the great metro parks (Dublin). Longer than that, I'd look to seeing more within an hour drive.
Hocking hills, serpent mound, Berlin (Amish Country), any of the state parks.

Anonymous wrote:I lived there for 6 months and found it very pleasant. Several nice neighborhoods, coffee bars, Jeni's ice cream, lots of Victorian architecture to admire. I loved exploring German Village. But I would not call it a tourist destination, and I'm a person who really likes Ohio. Cleveland, by contrast, has museums, the symphony, etc. etc.—definitely a weekend worth of attractions at least. Definitely a nice-place-to-pass-through-but-don't-go-out-of-your-way city.

Agree that Cleveland is better for a visit based on cultural options.

It’s a decent place to go when my kids have to play hockey games there…but, I wouldn’t go there to go just there.

Anonymous wrote:I visited Columbus for work last month, and it was my first visit. I had a free afternoon and managed to walk about 7 miles around the city. I liked the Short North neighborhood and the North Market, where I stopped for a few scoops of Jeni's to cool off. Dinner at the Pearl was memorable. Loads of murals in the neighborhood. I can't speak to the quality of the breweries, but there is beer seemingly around every corner. The downtown area near the Capitol was quite boring and I wouldn't have stayed there had it not been for an early meeting the next day.

I like mid-sized midwestern cities like Cleveland and Milwaukee, so I wasn't surprised that I liked what little I saw of Columbus. But I don't imagine I'll be planning a family trip there any time soon. With limited vacation time, it's unlikely to jump toward the top of the list.

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Bolded is key for me. Pittsburgh is closer, has a lot of similar things, plus some beautiful old neighborhoods, and mountains and rivers. Richmond is also much closer and has similar mid-size city benefits. Going so much farther to Columbus, unless as part of a bigger trip, or seeing family, doesn't seem worth it

Anonymous wrote:I found it to be extremely boring and white bread.

I bet you are so "sophisticated" living in your suburban enclave. Is it Vienna or Bethesda?

I visited Columbus for work last month, and it was my first visit. I had a free afternoon and managed to walk about 7 miles around the city. I liked the Short North neighborhood and the North Market, where I stopped for a few scoops of Jeni's to cool off. Dinner at the Pearl was memorable. Loads of murals in the neighborhood. I can't speak to the quality of the breweries, but there is beer seemingly around every corner. The downtown area near the Capitol was quite boring and I wouldn't have stayed there had it not been for an early meeting the next day.

I like mid-sized midwestern cities like Cleveland and Milwaukee, so I wasn't surprised that I liked what little I saw of Columbus. But I don't imagine I'll be planning a family trip there any time soon. With limited vacation time, it's unlikely to jump toward the top of the list.

We always stop at The Book Loft in Columbus German Village when driving to my in-laws in south west Ohio. It is heaven for bibliophiles.


If you think you’d like to explore more Columbus, go for it! There’s stuff to do there, and it certainly isn’t trendy. But who cares! Try new things. Have fun.

We usually stop for a neal and some beers at Hoof Hearted on the drive to visit family in Indiana. It's the best option for stopping on the non-toll routes.

That said, I wouldn't make a vacation of it, or encourage my kid to go to school there, since we're out of state.

I'm from the Midwest but never set foot in Ohio until recent years. We fly in and out of Cincinnati to see family in KY and it's similarly a lovely city with some bright spots of regeneration (nice parks, riverfront development, great zoo, Over the Rhine neighborhood). Last year we drove through Ohio en route to Michigan and stayed overnight in Columbus, which I also found charming. Not sure I'd make it a destination but would like to spend more time there on another trip. We stayed in the Short North area and also explored German Village, eating at Schmidt's.

Anonymous wrote:I found it to be extremely boring and white bread.

You mean nice and clean and safe.

Anonymous wrote:I found it to be extremely boring and white bread.

You can go to your preferred crime ridden areas then.