Columbus – the heart of the heart of it all! Sitting in the middle of a great state, Columbus is a beautiful, comfortable, constantly improving city that has everything you could ever want: excellent academic institutions, plenty of business opportunities, lots of fun ways to discover art, music, and food, and of course sports. Whatever your passions and hobbies, you will find your niche in Columbus. Check out 11 of the best reasons why living in Columbus is awesome.
- Home of the Buckeyes
Drew Tarvin/Flickr The Buckeyes and their wins (and losses…but mostly wins) bring together friends and families for cheers, boos, hugs, and just lots of great times. Known as “the shoe” among locals, the Ohio State stadium turns scarlet and grey on game days and fills the city with an incredible energy. O-H!
- Huge university with so many perks
Ibagli/Wikipedia The Ohio State University is one of biggest universities in the country, both in student population and campus area. And that’s not just good news for the students. OSU brings lots of benefits to everyone in Columbus: research, conferences, events, art, fantastic medical facilities, and of course a fun young vibe.
- Motivation to get active
Rubbertoe (Robert Batina)/Flickr If you like to be active, Columbus is the perfect place for you. From the annual Arnold Sports Festival to the hundreds of miles of bike trails, tons of 5K races, rivers to canoe or kayak, free yoga in the park classes, and countless trails for walking, jogging, or skiing in the winter - there is always a reason to slip on your sneakers and get moving.
- Plenty of nature
Chris Griffin/Flickr Even if you’ve lived in Columbus your whole life, you probably haven’t been to all of the parks in and around the city. Excellent for swimming and boating - Alum Creek State Park is just 30 minutes north of downtown, for hiking - Darby Creek or Highbanks are both just a short drive away. And if you’re having a picnic with the family, every little neighborhood has its own charming convenient park.
- Gorgeous downtown with stunning views
©Sonya Afanasyeva With the fairly recent addition of the Bicentennial Park, the Scioto Mile Promenade, and the Rich Street bridge, downtown Columbus has become a great place to enjoy the evening with friends or family. And the views are stunning.
- We are diverse and we love to celebrate it
OZinOH/Flickr Columbus is home to families from all corners of the world: Hispanic, Somali, Chinese, Greek, Indian - you name it. We are a diverse community and we love to celebrate it and learn about each other’s heritage. The city organizes dozens of festivals, including the Greek Festival, Latino Festival, Dublin Irish Festival, and Asian Festival (and that’s just a few).
- Great music scene
Photographer/Flickr Columbus is a frequent destination for some of the biggest tours in the country and in the world. On top of that, we’re super supportive of local bands and you can always find live music at a cool local joint on any night of the week.
- Craft beer explosion
©Sonya Afanasyeva Breweries from Columbus, OH, let’s see… off the top of my head: Lineage, North High, Columbus Brewing Company, Seventh Son, Wolf’s Ridge, Land Grant…and yes, there’s plenty more. If you live in the central part of Columbus, you can probably walk to a brewery, and they’re all very good.
- We support local
©Sonya Afanasyeva Columbus loves to support its farmers and businesses. For 30 weeks between April and November multiple neighborhoods run weekly farmers’ markets. The markets are always crowded with people wanting to get their hands on those delicious fresh veggies, and artisan breads and cheeses.
- Old charm and historic decor
Brook Ward/Flickr Home of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Ohio Theatre is just one of the beautiful historic buildings in Columbus. If you’re bar hopping downtown, you’re bound to run into some gorgeous old woodwork. And if you ever visit the Leveque Tower, you’ll love the Art-Deco interiors.
- Art to shop and to make
Eric Fredericks/Flickr Love to paint, sculpt, visit museums, or collect art? Columbus has a fantastic art scene. On every first Saturday of the month, the Short North hosts the Gallery Hop, an evening when galleries stay open late, and locals can enjoy (and purchase) the artwork. The recently renovated Columbus Museum of Art and Ohio State’s Wexner Center for the Arts are just two of our great museums. If you’d like to discover your inner artist, there are lots of art classes and workshops.
So, there are 11 great reasons why Columbus is the best. What do you love about the city? What is it that keeps you here or draws you back every time you leave? Let us know in the comments.
Drew Tarvin/Flickr
The Buckeyes and their wins (and losses…but mostly wins) bring together friends and families for cheers, boos, hugs, and just lots of great times. Known as “the shoe” among locals, the Ohio State stadium turns scarlet and grey on game days and fills the city with an incredible energy. O-H!
Ibagli/Wikipedia
The Ohio State University is one of biggest universities in the country, both in student population and campus area. And that’s not just good news for the students. OSU brings lots of benefits to everyone in Columbus: research, conferences, events, art, fantastic medical facilities, and of course a fun young vibe.
Rubbertoe (Robert Batina)/Flickr
If you like to be active, Columbus is the perfect place for you. From the annual Arnold Sports Festival to the hundreds of miles of bike trails, tons of 5K races, rivers to canoe or kayak, free yoga in the park classes, and countless trails for walking, jogging, or skiing in the winter - there is always a reason to slip on your sneakers and get moving.
Chris Griffin/Flickr
Even if you’ve lived in Columbus your whole life, you probably haven’t been to all of the parks in and around the city. Excellent for swimming and boating - Alum Creek State Park is just 30 minutes north of downtown, for hiking - Darby Creek or Highbanks are both just a short drive away. And if you’re having a picnic with the family, every little neighborhood has its own charming convenient park.
©Sonya Afanasyeva
With the fairly recent addition of the Bicentennial Park, the Scioto Mile Promenade, and the Rich Street bridge, downtown Columbus has become a great place to enjoy the evening with friends or family. And the views are stunning.
OZinOH/Flickr
Columbus is home to families from all corners of the world: Hispanic, Somali, Chinese, Greek, Indian - you name it. We are a diverse community and we love to celebrate it and learn about each other’s heritage. The city organizes dozens of festivals, including the Greek Festival, Latino Festival, Dublin Irish Festival, and Asian Festival (and that’s just a few).
Photographer/Flickr
Columbus is a frequent destination for some of the biggest tours in the country and in the world. On top of that, we’re super supportive of local bands and you can always find live music at a cool local joint on any night of the week.
Breweries from Columbus, OH, let’s see… off the top of my head: Lineage, North High, Columbus Brewing Company, Seventh Son, Wolf’s Ridge, Land Grant…and yes, there’s plenty more. If you live in the central part of Columbus, you can probably walk to a brewery, and they’re all very good.
Columbus loves to support its farmers and businesses. For 30 weeks between April and November multiple neighborhoods run weekly farmers’ markets. The markets are always crowded with people wanting to get their hands on those delicious fresh veggies, and artisan breads and cheeses.
Brook Ward/Flickr
Home of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Ohio Theatre is just one of the beautiful historic buildings in Columbus. If you’re bar hopping downtown, you’re bound to run into some gorgeous old woodwork. And if you ever visit the Leveque Tower, you’ll love the Art-Deco interiors.
Eric Fredericks/Flickr
Love to paint, sculpt, visit museums, or collect art? Columbus has a fantastic art scene. On every first Saturday of the month, the Short North hosts the Gallery Hop, an evening when galleries stay open late, and locals can enjoy (and purchase) the artwork. The recently renovated Columbus Museum of Art and Ohio State’s Wexner Center for the Arts are just two of our great museums. If you’d like to discover your inner artist, there are lots of art classes and workshops.
People of Columbus are also proud to live in Ohio, find out why.
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