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If you say Columbus in the South, especially in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, most people think Columbus, Georgia not Columbus, Ohio. People always ask if you mean Georgia or Ohio.
Sounds like this is a signage issue. Put up more interstate signs across the country, I mean, they're cheap.
For example:
You could put one outside LA on Route 15 that says "2200 Miles to Columbus" or one on Route 1 outside Anchorage that says "4000 miles to Columbus".
I resemble this comment. I DROVE from Columbus to Anchorage and back. UGH!
If you say Columbus in the South, especially in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, most people think Columbus, Georgia not Columbus, Ohio. People always ask if you mean Georgia or Ohio.
That's one of the things that bugs the hell out of Columbus residents. I hate when I go to an airport and every city on the signs stands alone, but Columbus always has "Ohio" after it. So lame.
John, have you gotten involved in the Columbus Metropolitan Club? They've done a number of forums on this topic.
My biggest issue with Columbus has nothing to do with Columbus. My biggest issue with Columbus is Ohio. I hate Ohio. As a gay man, I feel incredibly unwelcome in this state.
On the other hand, Columbus has a large (unknown) gay population. This city just finished hosting the Gay Softball World Series last week and has the second largest gay pride festival in the Midwest (behind Chicago).
My partner and I plan to move to Seattle in the next year. After going to college in Columbus and living here for 15 years, I'm ready for a change. I need a bigger city, more temperate weather, mountains, ocean, etc. Columbus is a really great city, but I've gotten a little bored.
As one of the first posters put it, Columbus really is all about OSU football, and for those of us who aren't into college football (Go Steelers!), it gets old quickly. If I hear one more O-H!!!! I-O!!!!...I think I'm going to die. I do agree that the Blue Jackets need to stay in Columbus, because we have two beautiful arenas and the NHL helps to put Cbus on the map.
Nearly everyone who visits Cbus is pleasantly surprised. But the only reason they come here in the first place is for a conference or to see family/friends.
The biggest issue I have with Columbus (other than the Suckeyes) is that it is so bland. It's a nice city, but there's nothing unique or exciting about it. A typical, characterless CBD, surrounded by miles of generic suburbia, surrounded by flat, lakeless cornfields. Even its name is generic: there's a Columbus in almost every state. When I think "Columbus," I think of Columbus, Minnesota first, then Iowa, Ohio and Georgia.
Columbus is also a very "in between" city: it's too Southern to be a Midwestern city, but too Midwestern to be a Southern city. Too big to be a college town, but too small to be a major metropolis. It's dwarfed by Cincinnati and Cleveland (even though it's technically larger). There's really nothing to draw me to Columbus: I can't think of anything remarkable about it. It has good jobs. It's not far from Cleveland. It's halfway to Florida (from Minnesota). Uhh. . . . I have family there? There's not much to it. Columbus is a bland city in a very bland state.
The biggest issue I have with Columbus (other than the Suckeyes) is that it is so bland. It's a nice city, but there's nothing unique or exciting about it. A typical, characterless CBD, surrounded by miles of generic suburbia, surrounded by flat, lakeless cornfields. Even its name is generic: there's a Columbus in almost every state. When I think "Columbus," I think of Columbus, Minnesota first, then Iowa, Ohio and Georgia.
Columbus is also a very "in between" city: it's too Southern to be a Midwestern city, but too Midwestern to be a Southern city. Too big to be a college town, but too small to be a major metropolis. It's dwarfed by Cincinnati and Cleveland (even though it's technically larger). There's really nothing to draw me to Columbus: I can't think of anything remarkable about it. It has good jobs. It's not far from Cleveland. Uhh. . . . I have family there. There's not much to it. Columbus is a bland city in a very bland state.
M GO BLUE!
I was curious, so I viewed a couple videos from the Columbus convention & visitors bureau. It has several lively districts, as well as a lively downtown. I wouldn't call it unique but I wouldn't call it bland either. It's a typical American city and thats not a bad thing.
I like your comments, they quite sound logical to me ... especially concerning the fact that both Columbus and Charlotte are transitioning from regional "Super Cities", to attain a level that is more closely aligned to that of "national and international status".
You essentially hit the nail on the head with what I was saying. In this transition both cities, but mainly Columbus since its the topic of discussion, has to figure out how to get a new identity and can it keep its old one or what does it do with its old one? It will be intersting to see how this works out.
Out of curiousity, does Cbus have neighborhoods/business districts going through a rebranding as well? In Charlotte, there is the University Area/ University City area that has this business park called University Research Park, it was set up to mimic RTP in Raleigh-Durham. It became instead a smaller, and sub-urban, CBD pulling in satellite banking firms, financial service companies, smaller manufacutirng operations, and braodcasting companies. This area is going through a rebranding and has recently been branded Innovation Park.
The biggest issue I have with Columbus (other than the Suckeyes) is that it is so bland. It's a nice city, but there's nothing unique or exciting about it. A typical, characterless CBD, surrounded by miles of generic suburbia, surrounded by flat, lakeless cornfields. Even its name is generic: there's a Columbus in almost every state. When I think "Columbus," I think of Columbus, Minnesota first, then Iowa, Ohio and Georgia.
Columbus is also a very "in between" city: it's too Southern to be a Midwestern city, but too Midwestern to be a Southern city. Too big to be a college town, but too small to be a major metropolis. It's dwarfed by Cincinnati and Cleveland (even though it's technically larger). There's really nothing to draw me to Columbus: I can't think of anything remarkable about it. It has good jobs. It's not far from Cleveland. It's halfway to Florida (from Minnesota). Uhh. . . . I have family there? There's not much to it. Columbus is a bland city in a very bland state.
M GO BLUE!
Now I agree that Columbus can be boring, but I think it's a little unfair to call it so "bland." German Village has a lot of character, as well as Victorian Village and definitely the Short North. Gallery Hop takes place the first Saturday of every month in the Short North, and the area is teeming with people. Clintonville has some unique areas as well.
I agree that downtown is bland, and they are building a huge park in the space that used to hold City Center Mall. The suburbs aren't especially exciting either, but there are a few good neighborhoods in this city.
Along the lines of being bland, I feel that Columbus is a prototypical Midwest city. I'm not getting the southern reference at all. When I drive through Indianapolis or Fort Wayne, I feel like I never left Columbus. I don't see anything southern about Columbus, except for maybe grits at Waffle House.
I will agree that it's too big to be a college town but too small to be a major city.
I do think that Columbus' best character is found in its urban neighborhoods. Downtown definitely has some really cool and interesting poi... but you have to know where to look as it's primarily a financial district. But the fact that Cbus' greatness is in the urban neighborhoods makes it hard to market the city as a whole... bc each neighborhood has its own flavor.
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