Living in Columbus: A New Yorker’s Perspective
After living in NYC for 4 years, I kind of feared moving to Columbus. New York City had it all – culture, world class entertainment and sports, a vibrant nightlife, every walk of life, great public transportation, a diverse music and food scene, iconic parks, etc. In my mind, Columbus would be the typically college town, with a few rundown bars overrun by undergrads, some chain and fast food restaurants, a sleepy downtown area, and lots and lots and lots and lots of open space.
I have now been living in Columbus for a few months, and I must say this couldn’t be further from the truth. While I do miss the NYC subway, Columbus offers everything that NYC does, except on a smaller scale. You will find great diversity (e.g., ethnicities, nationalities, LGBT community) in and around the city, especially since Ohio State and the Fisher College of Business draws students from all over the U.S. and world. Major companies located in Columbus, including Nationwide, L Brands, and Cardinal Health, also bring in a diverse crowd of young and seasoned professionals. There is a great nightlife, especially in the Short North area, which caters mostly to young professionals and graduate students both during the week and weekend. Columbus residents, not surprisingly, are extremely passionate about sports, especially since Ohio State harbors some of the best U.S. college sports teams (Go Buckeyes!). There are also plenty of opportunities to get yourself into shape with the numerous bike paths, top-notch sports facilities, and parks in Columbus and on campus. And there is definitely an active Columbus foodie scene – every type of restaurant you can imagine from vegan to Indian to Asian to Ethiopian to American to Mexican to you name it! There is even the Columbus Food Truck Festival right before fall semester begins.
I’m still pretty new to Columbus, but it is feeling more like home every day. I still have more to explore, but thankfully there will always be something to do.
Full disclosure: I do live across from a cornfield, but it is a part of the Ohio State campus ;)