This past week I had the opportunity to fly to Columbus, Ohio. I haven't done much travel within the region encompassed by the two coasts; I've pretty much stayed along the East Coast as well as a few more recent trips out to the West Coast. So this was pretty exciting! The States has so much to offer, with gorgeous parks, turquoise waterfalls, sheer cliffs holding back crashing ocean spray...
My overall impression of Ohio was that it looked and felt almost exactly like my hometown in New Jersey. Lots of large, open spaces (especially huge fields of gorgeous green grass, often with two soccer goals at either end...just the type of fields I would have played field hockey in or run around in at home), clustered malls with similar stores and restaurants (Best Buy, Ulta, Panda Express, etc.), and long highways with walls alongside the road. Just like in NJ, you have to have a car to get around in Ohio.
An international friend made an interesting comment to me when we were observing the landscape around us: "This is why I love NYC and never really go out to suburbia. Everything looks exactly the same!" And I realized, from my very very small sample size, that this was true...suburban Ohio looked pretty much exactly like suburban NJ. Is this true elsewhere in the States? I guess that's something I'll be looking for in the future.
Some differences included an abundance of large, modern-looking medical facilities (they were everywhere!), major Ohio State school pride (you saw OSU and Buckeyes merch being sold everywhere from the airport to little candy shops, which I thought was pretty cool) and this interesting architectural style where there were 3-story houses connected by sets of staircases located outside but within the confines of the structure, and each story was painted a different stripe of color. I know that was confusing, and I unfortunately don't have a photo, but it was really pretty interesting.
An international friend made an interesting comment to me when we were observing the landscape around us: "This is why I love NYC and never really go out to suburbia. Everything looks exactly the same!" And I realized, from my very very small sample size, that this was true...suburban Ohio looked pretty much exactly like suburban NJ. Is this true elsewhere in the States? I guess that's something I'll be looking for in the future.
Some differences included an abundance of large, modern-looking medical facilities (they were everywhere!), major Ohio State school pride (you saw OSU and Buckeyes merch being sold everywhere from the airport to little candy shops, which I thought was pretty cool) and this interesting architectural style where there were 3-story houses connected by sets of staircases located outside but within the confines of the structure, and each story was painted a different stripe of color. I know that was confusing, and I unfortunately don't have a photo, but it was really pretty interesting.
The first night, we all headed to Downtown Columbus for dinner and drinks. The area is called The Short North and has more of an artsy cultural scene. It has its own website! Comparing to my hometown this area would be like Red Bank, NJ: a compact area that is lively and fun, with little boutiques and restaurants to explore during the day and interesting bars and going-out places to visit at night. Both have a clean and cozy atmosphere, with lights strung up across the streets adding a Christmas-like glow to nighttime fun. I really enjoyed wandering around The Short North- there were some pretty upscale bars, similar to what you would see in NYC, and it sometimes felt like I was back in the city.
Above are some snapshots of Columbus nightlife that I instagrammed in a collage. The top left corner bar bathed in yellow is called The Guild House and was really fancy! The green chandelier in the upper right corner was also from the same place. The bartenders were dressed in white button downs with tan suspenders and little bow-ties. It had a kind of old-timey, speakeasy feel, and the drinks were expensive (just like NYC haha). We went to a couple of other bars in the area, one of which served a shot recommended by the bartender called the Orange Tic Tac (a mix of Red Bull and either rum or vodka). It was super sweet, but really good! The middle right photo was actually taken inside a mall which I'll talk about later, but I loved the kind of Spanish vibe I got from this little seating area. The bottom left corner was a place called The Pint House, and I felt like I was in the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz. Everything was bathed in green light. I liked this place a lot, it was pretty fun with cool decorations. And it's pretty big. The bottom right corner is just a sky-view of Columbus at night taken as our plane lifted off for NYC.
One cool thing about The Short North is the murals that were on every corner. I can't count how many times I said "Oooh I like that!" when just walking down the street. Below is a photo of my friend and I in front of one of the paintings. We were trying to do the move and look at it at the same time...
One cool thing about The Short North is the murals that were on every corner. I can't count how many times I said "Oooh I like that!" when just walking down the street. Below is a photo of my friend and I in front of one of the paintings. We were trying to do the move and look at it at the same time...
The next day, a couple of us went to go explore the area of Easton. It's a shopping and town center recommended to us by our Ohio-an friends. Easton is the NICEST MALL I HAVE EVER SEEN, and this is coming from someone who lives in NJ and used to go to malls all the time. (Here is Easton's website, by the way). Easton is huge; there are about four big sections of shops and restaurants which center around this open-air space with a fountain and seating area. As we walked about, I noticed the incredible architecture that was everywhere. It was very art-deco, elaborate architecture that reminded me of The Great Gatsby...all triangles and fancy text. The movie theater looked like a castle, with a red-carpeted staircase surrounded by large, beautiful sculptures of bronze women leading to its entrance. There were chandeliers made of panels of glass that hung from the ceiling. This is the type of place that you can just hang out with friends, not necessarily even shopping, but just to enjoy yourself in a place that has everything.
For dinner, we picked a French bistro called Bon Vie for its outdoor seating. The menu had so many delicious items on it! I ended up ordering the Spicy Shrimp Creole Pasta (sooooo good) and the White Peach Palmer Iced Tea while my friends both ordered the Steak with Black Pepper Shrimp.
After that it was about time to head back to the airport to catch our flights. I really loved chilling out and relaxing in Easton and would have enjoyed having more time there to hang out. I guess I can save that for next time!
All in all, Columbus was a great visit. I was constantly told "Oh you're going to Columbus? There's nothing to do there." before my trip. But there was plenty to do! I encourage everyone to keep an open mind and to travel with the right people. You'll always find something to do and new places to see.
~burn bright~
Jess
All in all, Columbus was a great visit. I was constantly told "Oh you're going to Columbus? There's nothing to do there." before my trip. But there was plenty to do! I encourage everyone to keep an open mind and to travel with the right people. You'll always find something to do and new places to see.
~burn bright~
Jess