what do you hate about columbus (Dublin, Washington: construction, elementary school, subdivision)

[1watertiger]

cumfest !!?? sounds naughty

[aquila]

Originally Posted by HuskerDu

because it is a safe place.

The last time I checked, safe didn't equal character or excitement in a city.

I'm not saying Columbus is an exciting place. I'm simply stating there must be some reason why it has grown as much as it has. If it's safety and jobs, then there's my answer.

[HuskerDu]

Originally Posted by 1watertiger

cumfest !!?? sounds naughty

Hahaha Nope... It's Comfest or Community Festival. It's a festival that has been taking place in Goodale Park for 25+ years. It started on OSU Campus when I was a kid. Actually, I can remember there was the Columbus Urban Music Festival one year a long time ago and they tried to shorten the name to be hip like comfest. Someone put up fliers all over the place that said CUMFEST and they quickly had to remove them. It was quite a laugh.

[Torn2pieces]

The shootings, murders that have occured in the last month. I've never seen so many. It's all I hear on the news anymore.

[xnyer]

Originally Posted by aquila

If Columbus is such a bland place, why is it growing so much? Apparently there is something about the area that people like.

How about the only place in Ohio that still offers employment? Although by the time 8000+ jobs are lost in Wilmington, 4000 in Dayton area, several thousand with the Valu City dept. store closings, this may well be a moot point. Ohio always has been a feast or famine state in my 30 years experience around the state. Marginally better than my hometown of Buffalo, which has been in a funk since the '70's and can't seem to find light at the end of the tunnel.

[johnfloriduh]

After reading all these posts bashing Columbus, I just have to leave a comment. I was born in Columbus 32 years ago, and have lived all over the United States, but grew up in Palm Beach County, Florida.

I know most of the above will never read this response, but I must say, with all do respect, maybe the problem is you...not Columbus.

I know people that live in NYC, Miami, Seattle, DC, and LA, and they all hate living in each place. The weather sucks, the people are annoying, and all you can do is eat, or shop. The traffic is also bad, and all everyone talks about is whatever the " in-scene or new thing of the week" is in those cities (seriously in all fairness to the Buckeyes, who really gives a %$#@ about the Red Sox?). That is the reality of life in America. Stop living through televsion. Oh, and Europe.. YEP, boring there too (but you can't do anything about it, your just poor and unemployed).

What people "hate about Columbus" is what people hate about every city that exists. Columbus is/was just never really home to some of the above posters. I understand that, Columbus is not for everyone. I actually live in "paradise" right now (some would say). However, what paradise doesn't have is:

Riding the sled down that big hill, snowball fights, no school snow days, snow men in front yards. Spring showers, getting your shorts out now that the warm weather has started to come back, seeing all the birds come back, picking dandy lions, taking care of your back-yard garden, catching lightning bugs, the sound of lawn mowers as people ensure that their lawn is the best, playing catch in the back yard, hot dogs and hamburgers, american flag placed out front, watching your neighbors shoot off the illegal fireworks, summer camp, tipping over the canoe, membership at the community pool, more hot dogs and hambugers, starting school, going to COSI to see the exhibit, (OSU footbal season starting!) the days getting shorter, high school football games, the leaves starting to turn, oktoberfest, going to the pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin, going on hay rides, drinking apple cider, jumping in the leaf pile, trick-or-treating, family getting together for Thanksgiving dinner," chocolate and peanut butter buckeyes, getting the Christmas decorations out, putting them up, some people lucky enough to pick out and cut down their own tree, going to the Northland mall and seeing all the decorations which are full of the robotic elf and Santa scenes, sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what you want, people saying a sincere "thank you" and of course "Merry Christmas" as you hold the door open for them, driving through the neighborhood and looking at the houses with all the Christmas Lights on, wondering how Santa will get into your house since you don't have a chimney. Waking up and seeing all the presents under the tree, to include a new sled, then looking out to see if it actually snowed, and every so often......seeing a white Christmas.

And to me that will always define life in Columbus. Words cannot describe what it is like to move away from it, and live in "the nexus of international culture and sophistication," (LOL, or so some them would try and tell you) and be surrounded by people who have never experienced any of the above situations in their lives. If Columbus doesn't have real "culture," and is "boring," than I guess I am a boring person, who lacks culture.

Getting off my soap-box now. (GO BUCKS!)

[GeminiGal]

Originally Posted by johnfloriduh

After reading all these posts bashing Columbus, I just have to leave a comment. I was born in Columbus 32 years ago, and have lived all over the United States, but grew up in Palm Beach County, Florida.

I know most of the above will never read this response, but I must say, with all do respect, maybe the problem is you...not Columbus.

I know people that live in NYC, Miami, Seattle, DC, and LA, and they all hate living in each place. The weather sucks, the people are annoying, and all you can do is eat, or shop. The traffic is also bad, and all everyone talks about is whatever the " in-scene or new thing of the week" is in those cities (seriously in all fairness to the Buckeyes, who really gives a %$#@ about the Red Sox?). That is the reality of life in America. Stop living through televsion. Oh, and Europe.. YEP, boring there too (but you can't do anything about it, your just poor and unemployed).

What people "hate about Columbus" is what people hate about every city that exists. Columbus is/was just never really home to some of the above posters. I understand that, Columbus is not for everyone. I actually live in "paradise" right now (some would say). However, what paradise doesn't have is:

Riding the sled down that big hill, snowball fights, no school snow days, snow men in front yards. Spring showers, getting your shorts out now that the warm weather has started to come back, seeing all the birds come back, picking dandy lions, taking care of your back-yard garden, catching lightning bugs, the sound of lawn mowers as people ensure that their lawn is the best, playing catch in the back yard, hot dogs and hamburgers, american flag placed out front, watching your neighbors shoot off the illegal fireworks, summer camp, tipping over the canoe, membership at the community pool, more hot dogs and hambugers, starting school, going to COSI to see the exhibit, (OSU footbal season starting!) the days getting shorter, high school football games, the leaves starting to turn, oktoberfest, going to the pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin, going on hay rides, drinking apple cider, jumping in the leaf pile, trick-or-treating, family getting together for Thanksgiving dinner," chocolate and peanut butter buckeyes, getting the Christmas decorations out, putting them up, some people lucky enough to pick out and cut down their own tree, going to the Northland mall and seeing all the decorations which are full of the robotic elf and Santa scenes, sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what you want, people saying a sincere "thank you" and of course "Merry Christmas" as you hold the door open for them, driving through the neighborhood and looking at the houses with all the Christmas Lights on, wondering how Santa will get into your house since you don't have a chimney. Waking up and seeing all the presents under the tree, to include a new sled, then looking out to see if it actually snowed, and every so often......seeing a white Christmas.

And to me that will always define life in Columbus. Words cannot describe what it is like to move away from it, and live in "the nexus of international culture and sophistication," (LOL, or so some them would try and tell you) and be surrounded by people who have never experienced any of the above situations in their lives. If Columbus doesn't have real "culture," and is "boring," than I guess I am a boring person, who lacks culture.

Getting off my soap-box now. (GO BUCKS!)

Reps to you - excellent post.

[Mr614]

Originally Posted by johnfloriduh

After reading all these posts bashing Columbus, I just have to leave a comment. I was born in Columbus 32 years ago, and have lived all over the United States, but grew up in Palm Beach County, Florida.

I know most of the above will never read this response, but I must say, with all do respect, maybe the problem is you...not Columbus.

I know people that live in NYC, Miami, Seattle, DC, and LA, and they all hate living in each place. The weather sucks, the people are annoying, and all you can do is eat, or shop. The traffic is also bad, and all everyone talks about is whatever the " in-scene or new thing of the week" is in those cities (seriously in all fairness to the Buckeyes, who really gives a %$#@ about the Red Sox?). That is the reality of life in America. Stop living through televsion. Oh, and Europe.. YEP, boring there too (but you can't do anything about it, your just poor and unemployed).

What people "hate about Columbus" is what people hate about every city that exists. Columbus is/was just never really home to some of the above posters. I understand that, Columbus is not for everyone. I actually live in "paradise" right now (some would say). However, what paradise doesn't have is:

Riding the sled down that big hill, snowball fights, no school snow days, snow men in front yards. Spring showers, getting your shorts out now that the warm weather has started to come back, seeing all the birds come back, picking dandy lions, taking care of your back-yard garden, catching lightning bugs, the sound of lawn mowers as people ensure that their lawn is the best, playing catch in the back yard, hot dogs and hamburgers, american flag placed out front, watching your neighbors shoot off the illegal fireworks, summer camp, tipping over the canoe, membership at the community pool, more hot dogs and hambugers, starting school, going to COSI to see the exhibit, (OSU footbal season starting!) the days getting shorter, high school football games, the leaves starting to turn, oktoberfest, going to the pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin, going on hay rides, drinking apple cider, jumping in the leaf pile, trick-or-treating, family getting together for Thanksgiving dinner," chocolate and peanut butter buckeyes, getting the Christmas decorations out, putting them up, some people lucky enough to pick out and cut down their own tree, going to the Northland mall and seeing all the decorations which are full of the robotic elf and Santa scenes, sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what you want, people saying a sincere "thank you" and of course "Merry Christmas" as you hold the door open for them, driving through the neighborhood and looking at the houses with all the Christmas Lights on, wondering how Santa will get into your house since you don't have a chimney. Waking up and seeing all the presents under the tree, to include a new sled, then looking out to see if it actually snowed, and every so often......seeing a white Christmas.

And to me that will always define life in Columbus. Words cannot describe what it is like to move away from it, and live in "the nexus of international culture and sophistication," (LOL, or so some them would try and tell you) and be surrounded by people who have never experienced any of the above situations in their lives. If Columbus doesn't have real "culture," and is "boring," than I guess I am a boring person, who lacks culture.

Getting off my soap-box now. (GO BUCKS!)

I 2nd that....great post.

[HuskerDu]

The funny thing is, what Mr614 defines as Columbus could be any other city in the midwestern United States... just insert a different sports team. Thanks for the Norman Rockwell description, but it is merely reinforcing the point that Columbus could be anytown USA and really lacks in uniqueness when compared to similar cities. COSI is half empty and no longer any good since they moved it into a sterile new location, Oktoberfest in C-bus was always commercial and a total rip-off...and I can cut the grass while watching the Buckeyes on TV from just about any state in the lower 48. No need for the massive traffic jams and drunks after the games.

Oh, and Northland Mall has been closed for 10 years. The surrounding area has gotten really bad.

[moving_time]

I live in Columbus and am trying to move ASAP. I've lived in lots of cities, bigger and smaller so have a good basis for comparison.

Pros to Cbus - inexpensive, friendly people, clean and nice suburbs and neighborhoods, feels safe outside of a few bad areas. The North Market. Restaurants in the Short North. Jobs. Basically, it's a comfortable, easy place to live. What Johnfloriduh says is true...it's a nice place for a homey, family centered life.

Cons - doesn't have a lot of personality. Basically what a lot of other people on here have said. The flip side of "nice and comfortable" is a general feel of "bland and unstimulating". Cultural activites are below that of other similar cities. Museums here aren't very good. COSI is nice, and the Wexner for a specific interest, but otherwise...I often find myself driving to Cincy, Cleveland, or Indy on weekends for their superior (and free!) art museums. Or natural history museums. This is important to me, and I'm the type to go to museums every week or more. For others, it may not matter. High end restaurants and clothes boutiques here are great, but for everyday lower cost options, it's a mainly chain town. Other cities have moderate priced options.

I'm not going to trash Columbus - it has a lot going for it, and if I move to Chicago I'm sure I will miss the ease of life here. But I'm the type of person who needs more going on, and the fact is I feel unstimulated and bored here in a way I haven't in other places. No place is right for everyone, and columbus isn't right for me.