Off the top of your head: What makes Columbus unique?(other than Ohio State) (Cleveland: neighborhoods, place to live)

[high mileage]

After numerous conversations with friends and family, I've come to realize, outside of the midwest (maybe even out of the state) Columbus virtually has no identity. A lot of times when I bring the city's name up, someone will always ask a question in relation to Cincinnati or Cleveland. Mainly, " How far is it from Cleveland or Cincinnati." I can easily think of several things that makes Cleveland and Cincinnati stand out, both good and bad. Columbus, not so much. Also, Columbus is not one of those cities where you can go practically anywhere in the U.S. and say, "I'm from Columbus," and automatically have them know which state you're talking about. Most people are pretty much familiar with Cleveland and Cincinnati but some people think of Georgia when you say Columbus. So anyway, what makes Columbus unique?

[Tenzo]

As someone once pointed out;

"The remarkable thing about Columbus is, there is nothing remarkable about Columbus"

That help?

[spotch]

Originally Posted by high mileage

After numerous conversations with friends and family, I've come to realize, outside of the midwest (maybe even out of the state) Columbus virtually has no identity. A lot of times when I bring the city's name up, someone will always ask a question in relation to Cincinnati or Cleveland. Mainly, " How far is it from Cleveland or Cincinnati." I can easily think of several things that makes Cleveland and Cincinnati stand out, both good and bad. Columbus, not so much. Also, Columbus is not one of those cities where you can go practically anywhere in the U.S. and say, "I'm from Columbus," and automatically have them know which state you're talking about. Most people are pretty much familiar with Cleveland and Cincinnati but some people think of Georgia when you say Columbus. So anyway, what makes Columbus unique?

LOL!!! I just had a guest come in from out of town and she asked me the exact same thing. That's a question for the ages.

What makes columbus so 'remarkable' is that it's so insular and generally unremarkable...

[coach123]

Nothing

[wGoshen]

We have the world's largest whistle manufacturing plant.

[5Lakes]

C-Bus is kind of generic to me, but I would say that German Village is unique. You do not see many German style neighborhood districts in the United States, which is strange since German is the largest ethnicity. I guess the World Wars have something to do with that.

[northstar22]

If you want generic go to South Bend - now that's an unremarkable city. There are many things that make Columbus unique.

It's a Midwestern city with a good economy. Not many cities in the Midwest can say that (Des Moines, Indianapolis, Chicago are the others). It's also a remarkably clean city, and really feels like a Sunbelt town that just happens to be in Ohio. It's nothing like Cleveland, Dayton, or Cincinnati. It also has a large out-of-state transplant presence. It has many great neighborhoods (Merion Village, German Village, Arena District, The Short North) that many other cities don't have.

Despite being a huge Michigan fan, I really like Columbus (Shhh, don't tell anyone). I may actually be moving there if these job interviews I have lined up work out.

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by flyingwriter

If you want generic go to South Bend - now that's an unremarkable city. There are many things that make Columbus unique.

It's a Midwestern city with a good economy. Not many cities in the Midwest can say that (Des Moines, Indianapolis, Chicago are the others). It's also a remarkably clean city, and really feels like a Sunbelt town that just happens to be in Ohio. It's nothing like Cleveland, Dayton, or Cincinnati. It also has a large out-of-state transplant presence. It has many great neighborhoods (Merion Village, German Village, Arena District, The Short North) that many other cities don't have.

Despite being a huge Michigan fan, I really like Columbus (Shhh, don't tell anyone). I may actually be moving there if these job interviews I have lined up work out.

I agree that the decent economy in Columbus is kind of unique for the midwest these days. The comment about the whistle factory being the largest in the country is true and unique as well, even if the entire whistle making process takes place in one small room (I took the tour once. They gave me a free whistle). Other than that though, I haven't seen many things that are unique to Columbus. No major monuments, no outstanding geographical attributes, no unique museums that I can think of.

There are plenty of other towns out there that seem clean and have neat little ethnic neighborhoods so I really wouldn't designate those things as unique to Columbus. Especially a neighborhood like the Arena District. There are sports/entertainment/residential districts in a number of cities. Even the Short North isn't that unique. It's just an artsy, young professional type of area with some restaurants and shops. Indy has Broad Ripple and Louisville has Bardstown Rd which both offer the same sort of thing, although they don't have the arches over the streets.

One unique thing I can think of, I suppose, is that Columbus is the only town I know of that destroyed numerous indian mounds during it's growth. There are still a few reminders left such as 'Mound street' downtown and an actual indian mound at High Banks metro park, but many of them got built on or paved over.

Still, Columbus isn't a bad place to live. There are a lot of great neighborhoods, and a person can find things to do if they look hard enough.

[MitchArk87]

It depends. If you mention Columbus, Ohio, I would automatically think of Ohio State Buckeyes since I happen to be a Hooiser and an IU-Bloomington alumini myself.

At least, Columbus, OH isn't like Columbus, GA or any other Columbuses since the city can be identified with Ohio State and be considered as the jewel of Ohio with stable economy compared to statewide economy that sucks!

[coach123]

I forgot. We do have a fake field of corn (made out of cement I think) in Dublin off of Frantz Rd. Pretty sure you won't find that anywhere else.