My mentee, Kaitlyn, and I, along with my friend Erica and her mentee, Nina, decided to explore the German Village on a Saturday afternoon this spring. I drove us all there which made the trip a lot easier than having to take an hour long COTA bus ride to get ten minutes away from campus. Since there are no parking lots, I had to parallel park (eeks!) which I am not the best at. First, we checked out the famous Book Loft. I am obsessed with book stores, and this one did not disappoint! I have been to several old book stores in Europe (Paris, Venice), and the Book Loft very much so reminded me of those. It is cramped, cozy, has 32 tiny rooms, and smells like old books! Each room is labeled with a different genre of book (United States history, healthy lifestyles, psychology, puzzles, etc.), along with the number of the room in order to prevent customers from getting lost (although we still lost each other!). We then went to Stauf’s Coffee to get a treat, and now I understand why that place is also very well known. The smell of coffee was overwhelming when we stepped inside, there were different types of coffee beans from different countries sitting out waiting to be bought, and every table was taken by either Ohio State students, moms and their kids, or older adults getting together with friends. I tried a piece of lemon-lavender pound cake, and it was A-MA-ZING. I will definitely be back! Finally, we stopped into Pistacia Vera, where Kaitlyn got a croissant and I got some muesli to use in overnight oats. Another very cute café/bakery!
Overall, from what I could sense, the German Village is a small, quaint, local-business-thriving town! I did think there were going to be more shops to go into or more things to do, but we only explored one street of the village. I am not exactly sure how extensive it is, but I would love to go back again and explore more! I heard that The Kitchen, a restaurant in the German Village, hosts dinner parties where you get to cook your own four-course meal alongside others. There was one night that specifically caught my eye where they cooked an all vegan meal with fresh spring ingredients! That would be something fun to do with friends. I would definitely recommend a friend to visit. It was a good place to go to get away from campus for a bit, walk around, and experience a bit of a different culture. I would say that it was convenient to be able to drive there, so find friends who have cars and go with a group! A few other places to try that we did not have the chance to go to would be Schiller Park to take a stroll, Keny Galleries to observe some unique art pieces, Vernacular to shop around, and Hofbrauhaus to get an authentic Germany feel in Columbus (I have actually been to the real one in Munich)! Do not forget to look around you while walking around, because the tiny brick houses attached to each other with brick sidewalks lining them are adorable.
From this experience, I learned how diverse that Columbus really is. Not only is there a German Village, but also an Italian Village that has been there for many, many years. These villages have existed since people of those backgrounds immigrated to the US and settled down in Columbus. It is so fun to be able to see some of their family businesses still not only existing, but thriving. I believe it is important to explore the city you live in and the cultures that make up its population. I learn a lot more from exploring off-campus than I do from staying within Ohio State’s walls all of the time. Places like the Short North and the German Village exceptionally portray all that Columbus has to offer. It is within the walls of these small businesses that you truly find the heart and soul of Columbus. The friendly employees, the quality products, and the comfortable and welcoming atmospheres of each shop, restaurant, or gallery, is what makes Columbus feel like home. I tell everyone this, but I have lived in Cleveland for my whole life, but for some reason, Columbus feels more like home than Cleveland ever did, and I think it has something to do with the closeness I feel between the people who work, explore, and live in Columbus, Ohio. I plan to stay in this place for a long, long time.