what do you hate about columbus (Cleveland, Cincinnati: mover, to live, restaurant)

[Traveler87]

Ohio State is very big in Columbus, I will give you that.

But unless you do NOT know the facts on Columbus, it is not fair at all to bash it like some do on here.

[charlessocccer]

Ok, mabe columbus is ok to live in if you have no1 to take care of (kids)

columbus is not a place for someone to raise their kids, in my opinion. i mean, ya we have metro parks, but, its at least a 5-10 minute drive from most places.

ya, there are things to do on the other side of the city, but there is nothing for your teen to do unless they have a license. and, dont say im uniformed about this city, im in high school now, and ive been in columbus all my life

[glpfan]

I moved here 9 months ago. I can not get past the sense of dullness. People in general appear to lack social skills. They are often dazed looking. Blank. Standing in aisles, drifting into your lane while driving, failing to signal, responses to superficial conversation are slow. "things to do" appear to be festival type planned events. Downtown is sad.
The traffic, though not heavy normally, is random in its pattern and I find it a dizzying experience. Could be the trucks that will not stay in the right lanes or maybe the exits vary so much it creates this swinging back and forth? I only know it is uncomfortable.
I have driven in extreme traffic volume for years and did not feel the danger I feel here in Columbus.
Summer so far....yuk. Dead air and actually hotter than Florida? Never would have guessed that. My plants were cooked.
Winter was ok as far as cold and snow but as others have noted the expertise in dealing with the snow is poor.
Grocery stores? A challenge! Produce is often close to rotten. Poor selection. Which leaves the farmers markets and that's always fun to weave your way through the thousands of "meanderers" on a Saturday. Restaurants touted to be excellent are not all that.
The endless endless shopping centers I suppose reflect the spirit of the place. If consumerism is your interest, life could be good.
There is a lack of variety here that bores me. Higher level employment is hard to find (masters and above).
Went to the "short north"....hmmm. Again, overrated.
I have tried to like it here but have failed. Doing everything I can to move now. Columbus was a big disappointment!
It simply lacks a personality. Point for point one could argue its good things, but with without character there is no defense.
Now the one thing I have enjoyed here is the amazingly beautiful landscaping throughout Upper Arlington. Gorgeous shrubs, fabulous flower beds. (they must also have lots of sprinkler systems to live through summer!) It is truly impressive. Also the homes are quite spectacular. Housing prices are good, rentals are good. It is relatively affordable.
But I need to join the land of the living. And that's not here. Hoping I won't have to be here much longer!
I also have no interest in organized sports so right there I am at a disadvantage living here. Honestly...I have learned that the best time to do errands is during an OSU game...it is a GHOST TOWN! Amazing!

[columbus finest]

im sorry you feel that way.

[Lakewood]

I hate to get on the C-bus bashing bandwagon but I can't help but agree with a lot of the criticisms. Much of the criticism has been well articulated and I can relate to it entirely so I wouldn't brandish it all mindless bashing.

C-bus aspires to be urban and sophisticated but unfortunately a good number of its residents grew up in really tiny towns around the city and have the mindset to prove it. The 'farming' mindset is dominant in Cbus and while this by itself is not an issue, the mindset doesn't appreciate diversity, alternative lifestyles, progressive viewpoints and the like that you would find in a Seattle or New York city.

The dating scene is non-existent in the city so its a nightmare town for singles in their 20's looking to mingle. Again, the small town mindset ensures guys and gals get married almost straight out of school and you'd be lucky to find anyone over 25 single.

This isn't a city where you could ever make much intelligent conversation. Unfortunately, most people would much rather discuss the offensive lineup for the Buckeyes instead of art appreciation. This city lacks cultural sophistication dearly.

Finally, I do agree with the folks who say that cbus natives overrate the city. I am bored numb of the 'short north' and dissapointed at the choice of activities this city provides.

[rklesla]

Realistic faults:
No natural beauties or playgrounds. (ie: Mountains, body of water, & forests)
Flat

Bias faults:
Buckeyes 24/7. Very annoying. Most people wait till they lose, then you're good for a few weeks, then they get annoying again. Half of the fans don't know football much and assume they will demolish any team in the way.
Drivers. In snow and rain, they act like they just learned to drive yesterday.


The goods though outweigh the bads. Columbus is a big town if you know what I mean. Town atmosphere, but all the shops that a big city would have.

[UNT_Eagle]

So, I'm responding to a thread that was recently closed because people were complaining that the op said Columbus was a lame city.. Why was it shut down? All he said was he'd lived there a couple of months, but it felt like two lifetimes. Doesn't the op get to share his or her opinion? What gives..
I lived in Columbus for a year and a half, and even though I enjoy football, and I was exposed to alot of it being from Texas, I've never met more outrageous fans like some OSU one's.. I agree with some other posters here; it was hard to have deep meaningful conversations with lots of folks because of the obsession with the team and the coach, who is a great guy, but some treat him like a god..

Anyway, I digress, and now live in another part of the country.

Y'all take care

[jmargaret]

Most of Columbus is pretty much the same. Same houses, same strip malls with the same chain restaurants, same people everywhere, etc. It lacks character or anything to do, other than OSU football, of course (wink, wink). It's just a big college town, really.

[db108108]

I'm a foreign language teacher at OSU, and as a point of conversation, I have asked students at various times what they like about the city. The responses? The stores, the malls, the restaurants, and the Buckeyes. In other words, the same crap you can find in any other city (except the Buckeyes). The restaurants here really aren't that impressive and most Columbusites think "cuisine" is TGI Friday's.

Basically, Columbus doesn't have anything that you can find in dozens of other cities, only those other cities mostly do it better. It's extremely bland.

We travelled to Pittsburgh last week and what a world of difference! Pittsburgh's been in decline for decades, but it just feels like a real city, a feeling you never, ever have in Columbus. Here, there's absolutely no reason to leave your neighbourhood because yours has what everybody else's has. But in Pittsburgh, it's a different world. I guess that's essentially the difference between an east-coast-like city (Pittsburgh) and a Mid-West city (Cols).

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by db108108

I'm a foreign language teacher at OSU, and as a point of conversation, I have asked students at various times what they like about the city. The responses? The stores, the malls, the restaurants, and the Buckeyes. In other words, the same crap you can find in any other city (except the Buckeyes). The restaurants here really aren't that impressive and most Columbusites think "cuisine" is TGI Friday's.

Basically, Columbus doesn't have anything that you can find in dozens of other cities, only those other cities mostly do it better. It's extremely bland.

We travelled to Pittsburgh last week and what a world of difference! Pittsburgh's been in decline for decades, but it just feels like a real city, a feeling you never, ever have in Columbus. Here, there's absolutely no reason to leave your neighbourhood because yours has what everybody else's has. But in Pittsburgh, it's a different world. I guess that's essentially the difference between an east-coast-like city (Pittsburgh) and a Mid-West city (Cols).

Most of Ohio's cities are no where near as bland as C-bus. Ever been to Cleveland, Cinci, or even Toledo or Youngstown????? Shoot, my city of 45k people (Warren) has more character than C-bus, and we probably have more non-chain restaurants too.