The Arena District Neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio Offers the Best of Urban Life

The Arena District Neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio is a mixed-use neighborhood of housing, retail establishments, offices, and entertainment. The catalyst for the development of the neighborhood was the 20,000-seat Nationwide Arena, opened in 2000. The building of the arena district was part of a joint partnership between the city of Columbus and the Nationwide Realty Investors Group. Upon its creation, the neighborhood strived to embody three theories of urban development - walkable street and neighborhood design, an urban setting where young professionals can combine work and play, and sports venues. The Arena District indeed has all three.

The neighborhood began with the construction of 525 housing units but another 450 are planned for the final phase of the development. More office space and retail areas are also planned as is a large parking structure to accommodate the growing crowds that frequent the neighborhood. There are also plans for an expansive grocery store to serve area residents, and a baseball stadium for the AAA Columbus Clippers. Currently, the area enjoys the highest rates in the city for office and retail space.

For those who wish to live in the area, apartments are available for rent or condos may be purchased at one of two developments within the Arena District Neighborhood. Prices are quite steep because of the central Columbus location of the neighborhood and its proximity to the busy downtown area and its many offices and entertainment venues.

Dining and entertainment options within the Arena District are many and varied. Restaurants currently number about 20 and range from fast food to pizza to establishments serving fine cuisine with table service. A number of eateries also offer live entertainment several evenings per week, making the district an ideal nightspot and a great place to linger after enjoying a concert or sporting event at the Nationwide Arena.

In addition to the arena, the neighborhood is also home to the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, a unique facility with a reversion stage that converts the pavilion from indoor venue to outdoor amphitheater. That means concerts or other events scheduled for outdoors can continue rain or shine. The amphitheater can seat 4,500 patrons in chairs or on its expansive lawn, where patrons can set up their own chairs and bring a picnic to enjoy during the event.

Also in the district are a movie theater, an athletic club, and an ice skating rink. The latter is the practice rink for the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets, who play at the Nationwide Arena. It's also used quite often as a practice area for other visiting NHL teams.

For visitors planning to stay in the Arena District neighborhood, there are three hotels from which to choose that are within walking distance of the arena itself and many of the offices and businesses in the neighborhood. These include the 384-room Crowne Plaza Hotel, which offers lots of meeting space; the Hyatt Regency, which has a direct connection to the Greater Columbus Convention Center; and The Lofts, dubbed a New York-style hotel with 44 rooms, located in the historic Carr Building, which was built in 1882.