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I just don't like the wasted potential. I know it takes time for these things, but sometimes I do wish that I lived somewhere where I don't have to wait for rejuvenation. One area that has always bothered me is east Broad street from downtown to Bexley. I wish there was more retail offerings along that stretch because it has some of the best character of any streets in Columbus. The same could be said about South High street. I'm disappointed that the brewery district lost its energy. That area has such a great feel to it. Further down South High closer to Whittier is better, but the part close to downtown has gotten too quiet. Maybe if they make both more pedestrian friendly like they are talking about doing to East Broad (probably in 2017), things might pick up. Until then, you either do what you can or try harder at finding your niche like some will suggest, or you go somewhere else you feel is more suitable for who YOU are right now.
I worked out the demographics of the near East Side not long after the 2010 census. What struck me is that population losses were almost entirely within the black community. White, Asian and Hispanic populations were generally growing, but since the black community makes up the majority of the population in many of those tracts, they showed a loss. However, with the trends, much of that loss should be reversed in the coming years. The 2011 census estimates actually showed that most of these areas were growing again, so it remains to be seen. There is a lot more momentum in these areas as well, as the city has entered into partnerships with local businesses and OSU to spend millions on revitalization efforts. You will start to see these efforts pay off in the coming years as well, if not already. The Brewery District continues as well, and there are construction projects going on right now, such as Phase 2 of Liberty Place, which will add another 300 residentail units to the area. Born Brewery is being converted to residential. World of Beer and the comedy club The Funny Bone have both opened up in the last 6 months. So it's not like there's nothing going on. It's a gradual process. Just like with Franklinton, which languished for decades, has seen a huge amount of attention on its revitalization, it just takes time to see things happen. It took 30 years for the Short North to become what it is. German Village was going to be bulldozed for public housing at one point.
The point is that there isn't a city on the planet that doesn't have neighborhoods that need attention. Columbus' problems aren't unique, and it's actually done better than most. Areas that I really expect to turn around are Franklinton, Olde Towne East, King-Lincoln, Whitehall, Hilltop and the West Side, Milo-Grogan and Weinland Park. This would take care of most of the urban neighborhoods that have fallen under rough times over the years. Further down the line, given changing demographics I would really expect areas like Linden and the Cleveland Avenue corridor, as well as the Parsons corridor to see improvements as well. If you really take a look at the amount of activity going on around Columbus today, it's probably at the highest level it's been since the 1950s or 1960s, the last time the central city was all that important.
Worst thing about the city. If you don't care for the buckeyes then it gets really annoying. They treat the town as a college town and everyone assumes your watching the game when they play. The other issue is its a city that was staked in the middle of a field. No moutains, no real body of water, no forest.
The is fantastic though for night life, cost of living, and families with kids.
for those of us who want to move there what you tell us you dislike about columbus and if you want tell some good too but more of what you dont like
I'm from out of town and the obsession over all things Ohio State may get under your skin as it's a rather provincial phenomenon in this town. The sports programs are followed with religious ferver and the university and all things associated with it are held in Ivy League esteem by a significant portion of those who live here. Having an honest debate about the standing of the sports teams or the merits of whatever university service you're discussing will be met with aghast as if you just walked into a church and denounced Jesus.
I'm from out of town and the obsession over all things Ohio State may get under your skin as it's a rather provincial phenomenon in this town. The sports programs are followed with religious ferver and the university and all things associated with it are held in Ivy League esteem by a significant portion of those who live here. Having an honest debate about the standing of the sports teams or the merits of whatever university service you're discussing will be met with aghast as if you just walked into a church and denounced Jesus.
It's really not all that provencial. Ohio State has the #1 largest fan base in the nation. They have fans all over the nation because they have such a huge alumni base being the largest university.
That said, your description is a bit dramatic. I didn't go to OSU and am not a rabid fan. I've mentioned that plenty of times to people who are. Their response: meh.
It's really not all that provencial. Ohio State has the #1 largest fan base in the nation. They have fans all over the nation because they have such a huge alumni base being the largest university.
That said, your description is a bit dramatic. I didn't go to OSU and am not a rabid fan. I've mentioned that plenty of times to people who are. Their response: meh.
Allow me to clarify - the attitude is what's provincial. I've been to a fair amount of cities across this country and have yet to encounter anything quite like Columbus's zeal over Ohio State. There are manifold reasons for this attitude from the near-monopoly the athletics teams have had on entertainment dollars for decades (the Bluejackets and Crew are still young teams), to the role the university plays as a regional economic engine and employer, to the large alumni base.
With all this being said, it seems the most beligerent of fans are those that didn't even attend the university. Furthermore, it is a culture fostered and bred at Ohio State which while I suspect has long been present it has been encouraged by the administrators at Ohio State suing Ohio University over the use of the word "Ohio" and OSU's subsequent insistence of using The when referring to the university in the early 2000s. This is indoctrinated to new students during orientation, solidified during their academic tenure, and follows them as they fan out across the country in search of employment post graduation. There's a reason the OSU fanbase is one of the most despised across the country and it stems from this incessant chest pounding and religious like attitude toward all things Ohio State.
PS: your claim the fanbase is the "#1 largest" is rife with hyperbole. Just because the enrollment regularly competes with Texas and South Florida for the top spot doesn't necessarily mean the fanbase is the largest in the nation. Notre Dame probably has more fans on a nationwide basis than any other college sports team with 90% of them having never stepped foot on campus. Either way, this is a very subjective and esoteric stat to quantify so I can't give much credence to your claim.
Last edited by Zen_master; 09-16-2012 at 08:51 PM..
Reason: spelling error
Allow me to clarify - the attitude is what's provincial. I've been to a fair amount of cities across this country and have yet to encounter anything quite like Columbus's zeal over Ohio State. There are manifold reasons for this attitude from the near-monopoly the athletics teams have had on entertainment dollars for decades (the Bluejackets and Crew are still young teams), to the role the university plays as a regional economic engine and employer, to the large alumni base.
With all this being said, it seems the most beligerent of fans are those that didn't even attend the university. Furthermore, it is a culture fostered and bred at Ohio State which while I suspect has long been present it has been encouraged by the administrators at Ohio State suing Ohio University over the use of the work Ohio and OSU's subsequent insistence of using The when referring to the university in the early 2000s. This is indoctrinated to new students during orientation, solidified during their academic tenure, and follows them as they fan out across the country in search of employment post graduation.
Outside of OSU football, most of the other sports there are largely ignored. Other pro/minor teams in Columbus are fairly well attended. The Clippers have had some of the best attendance of any minor league team in the nation. The Crew has significantly higher attendance than the OSU equivalent, and it's way up this year. The Blue Jackets... well, if they ever had a winning season, maybe people would care about them. It's not just their age, it's that they suck. If anything, attendence should be lower.
In any case, the larger Columbus gets, the less influence OSU will ultimately have. Private companies already far out-employ OSU and more people moving here from other areas will simply not care about OSU.
Having lived here for 4+ years, Zen's assessment is accurate. People in Ohio are rabid over the fact they're from Ohio, for whatever that is worth. It's a strange phenomenon to me, but I guess coming from California we had other things to focus on outside of regional pride/obsession.
Having lived here for 4+ years, Zen's assessment is accurate. People in Ohio are rabid over the fact they're from Ohio, for whatever that is worth. It's a strange phenomenon to me, but I guess coming from California we had other things to focus on outside of regional pride/obsession.
Not everyone in Ohio is an Ohio State fan. I go to a prestigious university and myself am a UC Bearcats fan, I could careless about Ohio State. And to add to that, Ohio State shouldn't be the total picture of regional pride/obsession as far as Ohio goes.
Not everyone in Ohio is an Ohio State fan. I go to a prestigious university and myself am a UC Bearcats fan, I could careless about Ohio State. And to add to that, Ohio State shouldn't be the total picture of regional pride/obsession as far as Ohio goes.
Ohio State is not the total picture and it's ridiculous for anyone to suggest it is. I'm a Columbus native and I really don't care about OSU.
I'm also not sure why it's bad to have pride in where you're from, whether it be a city, state, region or nation. My family has been in Ohio for at least 200 years. Those kind of deep ties must be pretty rare in a state like California, so I can see why it would be rare for people to have that kind of regional pride.
I lived in Columbus for about four months. The main thing I always hated about Columbus was how spread out and suburban it is. Not to mention how Columbus has swallowed up many of its' suburbs (which in the case of New Rome, probably makes many people happy, lol)...You can drive on much of 270 and stay within the city limits. Columbus might as well just merge with Franklin County.
The other thing I hated about Columbus is the lack of efficient public transportation. Denver, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Boston (all cities either equal to or smaller than Columbus in population) all have SOME form of light rail or, in the case of Pittsburgh and Boston, subway transportation. A city that has overtaken Detroit in population should have at least SOME form of decent rail service.
The third and final thing about Columbus that really got me is how Ohio State sports seem to be the ONLY games people care about there. To your typical Franklin County resident, the Blue Jackets are that team Rick Nash plays for that their 6-year old likes but nobody else cares about, and the Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are just those pro teams that play the day after the Buckeyes do. "Andy Dalton? Who's he? Oh, he's not Braxton Miller, so I don't care. GO BUCKS!"
Sorry for the rant, I was on a roll...lol
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