Overall, I had an extremely successful “Explore Columbus” experience. I got to spend a lot of time away from campus and with my friends, which I know I wouldn’t have done without this opportunity. Based on the overall atmosphere of the place, my favorite coffee shop we visited was Stauf’s in Grandview. Everyone was quiet but it still felt comfortable and my friends and I felt at home, particularly when I accidentally spit coffee on them.
Before this project, I had no idea how much Columbus had to offer. Beyond coffee shops, I also got to explore shops around the areas we visited. The Short North is full of fun, vintage stores and artsy restaurants that I would have never gone to if it weren’t for this project. I had no idea how drastically different High Street is in different areas of Columbus and I will definitely be exploring it further. Since I’ve already explored the Short North, I think the next time I go out I want to venture down to the other side of High Street.
If I were to recommend something to a friend, I would recommend the Short North. Though I liked Stauf’s the best, I thought the coffee shops in the Short North were more fun to visit because we were able to explore the shops around the town. When my friends and I went to Mission Coffee, we ventured down to Northstar afterwards and talked for awhile. Afterwards, we walked to Rocket Fizz, bought candy cigarettes, and walked around town pretending to smoke them as we window shopped. We also went into a very bizarre, vintage Christmas store called “Merry Christmas!” Upon entering, a short man in a red Christmas sweater explained everything about the shop, including that it was a two-story shop and that every room “had its own story to tell.” Not being the most social people, my friends and I were immediately spooked. The merchandise they were selling wasn’t the best either. There were a lot of figurines and in the back of the store, there was a mannequin wearing a very questionable outfit. As soon as we got the heck out of there, we saw a pet store across the street. Inside, there were three cats in cages and I spent the majority of our time in there petting the cat in the middle. His name was Purr-doo and in the short minutes we had together, we formed a real emotional connection. As of now, I plan to return soon to buy him and hide him in my room from Emoree. After that, we walked to the bus stop and smoked more candy cigarettes as we waited for the bus. Overall, it was a very fun night. I could have spent longer exploring the Short North but luckily, it will still be there for me when I want to go back.
Columbus is so much more fun than I thought it would be when I first came here and I’m so excited to find more things to do with my friends in the four years I’ll be living here.