It’s Summer and You’re in Columbus! Now What?

Columbus is the place to be!  I moved to Columbus, Ohio in the fall of 2010, and though I’ve only been here for less than 5 years, I call Columbus “Home.”  Columbus in the summer is alive with a vibrant array of activities to do, places to eat and shop, and festivals to attend.  Here is my top list for the best of Columbus!

For the Foodie:

North Market is simply one of my favorite places to walk around and try new things, including some of the best of Columbus.  Don’t miss out on Pistacia Vera, Jeni’s, and Hot Chicken Takeover!

Tensuke Express is a gem if you love Japanese food and are on a budget!

Northstar Cafe is my go-to restaurant.  They have three Columbus locations – Easton, Beechwold, and Short North.  Meeting a friend from out-of-town and need a place to eat?  Northstar is always my first choice.

 Katalina’s Corner Cafe is one of my favorite breakfast places.  They are famous for their Nutella-filled Pancake Balls and their Sweet ‘N’ Spicy Bacon.  Their Mazatlan Slow-Roasted Pork and Egg sandwich is worth every penny.  Oh and don’t forget their tacos!  Mmm so good.

Wolf’s Ridge Brewing is my favorite place to brunch in Columbus.  Everything on the menu is mouthwatering and their beermosas and bloody mary’s are on point.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is the most famous place for dessert in Columbus!  They have the most unique flavors of ice cream – my personal favorites are Goat Cheese with Red Cherries and Yazoo Sue with Rosemary Bar Nuts.

 Pistacia Vera in German Village has the best macarons.

 

For the Coffee Lover:

Fox in the Snow Cafe is the trendy new place to get coffee.  The cafe is a renovated garage decorated with lots of green living things.  They have the best egg sandwich and pastries.

One Line Coffee is a beautiful cafe in the Short North.  The owner is truly passionate about coffee.

The Roosevelt Coffeehouse is great place for coffee downtown that is dedicated to fighting global injustices, such as lack of clean water, hunger, and human trafficking.  Try their iced coffee!

Stauf’s Coffee Roasters is a hotspot for coffee in Columbus.  The Grandview location can get quite crowded, and they recently opened a new shop in German Village near Pistacia Vera.

 

For the Nature Lover:

Goodale Park is a grassy, relaxing park near downtown.

The Olentangy River Trail is the most popular running and biking trail in Columbus.

Columbus Park of Roses is a beautiful park with over 12,000 roses.  The roses are typically in full bloom from mid-June through mid-September.

The Franklin Park Conservatory boasts breath-taking botanical gardens, glasshouses, plant collections, and art collections.

 

For the Festival Lover:

Columbus Arts Festival – June 12-14, 2015

Columbus Pride Festival – June 19-21, 2015

Comfest – June 26-28, 2015

Red White and Boom – July 3, 2015

Jazz and Rib Fest – July 17-19, 2015

The Ohio State Fair – July 29- August 9, 2015

Columbus Food Truck Fest – August 14-16, 2015

 

For the Explorer:

 Easton Town Center is my favorite mall in Columbus (there’s also Polaris and Tuttle).  It’s a beautiful outdoor mall, perfect for both casual window shoppers and serious spenders.

Short North Gallery Hop is a celebration of the downtown Short North shops the first Saturday of every month from 4pm-10pm, although the festivities often run much later!  Shops are open late and there are special events, food, drinks, performers, and art gallery exhibitions.

The Columbus Museum of Art has free admission on Sundays and features a variety of exhibitions.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a nationally acclaimed zoo and a great way to spend a summer day!  Recently, a tiger just had triplets.  On a hot day you can also head over to the water park Zoombezi Bay right next door and cool down!

COSI is a fun, hands-on science museum for children and adults alike!

 

One of my fellow Student Ambassador Coordinators, Megan Johnson says for the sports and music fans: In the summer we have the Columbus Crew games (professional soccer) and Clippers games (minor league baseball), and Columbus hosts a number of concerts at Nationwide Arena, The Schottenstein Center, the Newport, and the outdoor LC pavilion.

I would love to chat and give more suggestions on how to get to know Columbus!  Email us at cop-ambassadors@osu.edu!