Columbus vs RTP, NC

[jmargaret]

There are no Rails to Trails paths in Columbus, OH--the nearest one of any decent length is over an hour's drive from the city (near Granville, and another near Gambier). There are very few places to bicycle in Columbus (of any decent length) other than on the Olentangy bike path, which is very narrow and packed with people because it is one of the few bicycling/recreational areas available. I'm assuming that when you mean "bicycling" that you mean road bicycling of lengths of 15-20 miles or more. If that is the case, I would not recommend Columbus, OH.

[cartemi]

The Olentangy bike path IS a rails-to-trails path. And yes, it does get crowded at peak times, but it's a decent ride early in the morning. There is also a rails-to-trails path in Westerville which is only about ten minutes down the road. It's also true that both paths are fairly short for a decent ride, but personally, I don't know anyone that does "path riding" who rides more than 15 miles at a shot anyway. For decent road rides, I always head up to the Westerville area and use Hoover Dam as a starting point. There are plenty of good road rides you can map out from there. In fact, the Westerville Bike Club (I am not a member) begins its rides there and from what members have told me, they have rides ranging from 15 to 50 miles already mapped out and available to anyone who wants to join them.

[sloobie]

Forget C'bus and check out Indy.

[Hippiegypsy2009]

I live in Cary, NC, which is very close to the RTP area. If you are family oriented and love families, this is the place to be. I would not recommend for singles. Music is terrible, only live music available is downtown Raleigh, (not impressive, much smaller than Columbus or Cleveland)
I am originally from Cleveland, and I am used to having choices of things to do, not much to do here. No professional sports, if you like college basketball you will be fine. Boring place to live. Can't wait to move back to a more progressive city.

[mathteacher09]

Originally Posted by Hippiegypsy2009

No professional sports, if you like college basketball you will be fine.

How about the Carolina Hurricanes? Besides the fact that they are currently one of the hottest teams on the planet, they also have one of the best hockey fan bases in all of the United States. They also have professional soccer and two minor league baseball teams; AA and AAA.

The RDU and C'Bus pro sport scenes are practical identical.

[Beavercreek33]

Speaking of sports, the Blue Jackets are doing good and the Columbus Crew won the championship.

[Jonnno]

Have you considered Cincinnatti?

[raleightransplant]

Originally Posted by streetcreed

Raleigh is a smaller city than Columbus. The research triangle is nice but I prefer Columbus because it has a bigger city vibe and has more of a great lakes/midwest feel that would be more comparable for someone coming from the east coast.

Regarding downtown Columbus. Downtown itself has seen reinvestment, but Columbus' real turn around are the neighborhoods around downtown. These are where the liveliness and entertainment is. Downtown itself has housing but is more of a business district, except for the northern "Arena District" portion, boarding the popular Short North neighborhood.

I'm now living in Chicago, but I wanted to chime in on Raleigh/Durham vs. Columbus, since I lived 6 years in Columbus, 8 in Raleigh. I agree and disagree with the bigger city vibe/more comparable to east coast statement. On the one hand, I agree...Columbus has this palpable urban feel that is prevalent...largely due to the presence of OSU I believe. In certain pockets...University District on High Street and Short North in particular...you get a nice active urban vibe that you won't find much of in the Triangle. Chapel Hill has an amazing vibe, but if you live there you'll either need to be rich or a college student...I couldn't imagine being post-college and living there, as attractive as it might be. Columbus "feels" more tolerant and liberal to me overall...more urban. Durham is tolerant and liberal, but it's overall a pretty crappy town with some killer restaurants. Raleigh's still a government town, trying to shed it's sleepy image....the future for the Triangle is very bright however...close proximity to beaches and mountains are what is driving growth there, IMO. If the Triangle were in Kansas, nobody would care. Also VERY family oriented---hence the reason I ultimately said screw it and moved to the big city.

I will say this, though....Raleigh/Durham strikes me as much more of an "east coast" area in many ways....for one it's ON the east coast! DC is not very far away, and New Yorkers are moving down there by the boatload. Now Texans, Californians, etc., have joined the party---look at the forum there...it's staggering. Also--Despite it's family vibe, I actually felt the Triangle to be a more sophisticated area overall....there is amazing ethnic food to be found in the Triangle, and I find the food and culture to be much more nuanced than Columbus...there is an EXTREMELY sophisticated dining scene in the Triangle for a region of 1.5 million or so....more than Columbus, IMO. I'm in Chicago now, widely considered on of the best food towns around...Raleigh-Durham can give the restaurants here a run for their money....there just aren't as many of 'em...

Overall, I would weigh out weather vs. city...which do you want more? If it's city...Columbus is more of one, and you don't have to drive everywhere. If weather/nature, Raleigh, but you'll be driving EVERYWHERE. If you want groceries, driving...concert? driving. Columbus has sprawl, too...but it's nothing like the sunbelt. Both are very nice areas, in their own ways

[Tenzo]

Originally Posted by Beavercreek33

Speaking of sports, the Blue Jackets are doing good.

Go Wings!