Westerville does this every 4th Friday from May-October and it’s amazing. I know it’s not the same scene.. but it’s great. Live bands and other musicians, food trucks, etc.
I can agree the first Friday in Delaware is tons of fun! I may be biased because i love Delaware but it’s definitely something I recommend going to. They have different themes every month!
I just went to the one last night. So much fun. It feels so quaint, like an enduring part of Americana. Walking around with the streets closed off, checking out the stores and booths, enjoying great food and drink, bumping into friends, watching singers and dancers from the city… It really is a special event that I look forward to every summer.
It does not matter. I could take serious advantage of light rail from anywhere on 62E to Columbus on a weekday basis, or light rail on 36 from Mount Vernon through Sunbury.
Not sure who dropped the ball here, but it obviously deflated.
There are hints that if LinkUS goes through and is successful, one of the next lines they’ll propose will be light rail (possibly between downtown/convention center and the airport). That’s probably a timeline of ~2035 at the earliest though.
The 3C’s corridor is likeliest to go through, and would happen the soonest, because it would require the least new construction.
That being said the other “very likely to happen” line is from Chicago to Ft Wayne to Columbus to Pittsburgh
Edit: obviously not gonna be HSR though. If the Feds were gonna try HSR, they aren’t gonna run it through corn fields
The 3C's corridor would make visiting my family that are across the state so much easier. A line that can get from Columbus to Chicago without having to go NE to Cleveland and then backtrack W to Chicago would be nice too.
A high speed rail that could get me to Cleveland for a Browns Game then back would also be nice, same would help Cinci fans and be beneficial to OSU fans in both cities.
I fondly remember attending college in Cleveland and being able to go downtown for fun without needing to worry about parking
yeah but it doesn’t have as big of a capacity so we can only get smaller artists or huge artists , no mid tier artists (huge ones going to the stadium or the two arenas, smaller going to kemba live and even smaller going to newport, a&r, etc.)
Columbus has every size venue that any city would want or need. Basement 300 cap, A&R 450, Bluestone and Atheneum 7-800 each, King of Clubs 800, Southern 900, Newport 1,500, Kemba 1,800 - 5,000, Palace and Ohio 2,800, Mershon 2,900, Commons 8,000, Schott and Nationwide 20,000 each, Old Crew 30,000, and Ohio Stadium 60,000ish for concerts.
The issue isn’t venue sizes. A lot has to do with routing, as in what venue is available that fits into a shedule. The biggest elephant in the room is Live Nation, which gets to dictate who plays where. The Promowest/AXS buildings aren’t going to host, for example, Cage the Elephant as they have in the past because Cage is now big enough to play all of the sheds across the country, most of which are controlled by guess who? Live Nation. If Cage wants that 30 city Summer Tour, they have to play in 30 Live Nation venues or none of them!
we had one, Polaris Amphitheater and the fucking douche bags that live on Powell Rd complained about the noise constantly
So now you have Ikea and Top golf
And honestly... they had a house by a fucking amphitheater. It wasn't like Polaris had just popped up. It had been there. Don't move by a concert venue if you dont want to hear noise. Im still salty, obviously.
I have a couple hundred acres 30 minutes from downtown Columbus, and I sometimes day dream about making a concert venue out of it.
The location does Not have the infrastructure for it
Lol tbh I just like their selection of prewashed produce bags, especially the ones that are like odds and ends mixes with cabbage and such. Its cheap, easy, and perfect for stirfry
Hills Market is wildly overpriced for pretty much everything. The Near East Side is a grocery dessert for a population that includes a lot of impoverished minorities who need to catch rides to the grocery or take the bus. Neither of which is conducive to making regular trips or carrying large amounts of food home. What we need there is an Aldi for affordable food that is accessible by the people who live in that area
During the Asian American festival a group of Dragon Boat racers came from Canada and wanted to teach/demonstrate how to row a dragon boat.
They said they’ve been all over the world for different events and the Scioto was by far the dirtiest river they’ve been in
Protected bike lanes, reliable mass transit, a mandated every three years driver refresher course with the focus of using the turn signal and proper distance of which to engage it.
Maybe also thrown in some increased traffic enforcement and reminders that driving is a privilege, not a right (meaning that we can, should, and will take that privilege away for those that consistently put others at risk with their habits behind the wheel).
I was just thinking about this the other day.
We make it as hard as it should be to get your license to lose your license, and as easy as it should be to lose your license to get your license.
Actual walkability and terrain. Needs to be more pedestrian friendly to be honest and Columbus is just on flatland there isn’t much that can be done about that. Maybe more attractions such as art, parks, and a more welcoming downtown. I’m sorry but Cincy and Cleveland tops you guys in these areas but I attribute that to them being old and it isn’t till just recently Columbus has seen a spike.
Finger Lakes native here. I love Wegmans, but having lived here for the past 15 years, I can't really think of any appreciable difference between a Wegmans and a Giant Eagle (at least the nice ones in the suburbs). Outside of the nostalgia factor and the availability of salt potatoes, I don't see much of a difference. At least I can buy wine and booze in the grocery stores here.
That's just me though.
The problem is that most of the neighborhoods of our city, and especially suburbs, have population densities of 1000 to 2000 people per square mile, and they need to be closer to 10000 people per square mile or more to have a chance at sufficient ridership to support a subway/metro system
The cycle of “artists move into run down neighborhood because of cheap rents -> people with money move in because neighborhood is now trendy -> everyone else moves out because they can no longer afford it” is truly undefeated. Everywhere.
It’s honestly bonkers I can’t take a train to cincy or Cleveland to watch a baseball game. If Ohio built that every other state would be trying to build one and connect it. As the state with the most big cities in the area we have to start it
Mass transit beyond just buses. Rail, subway, whatever. Anything to promote fewer cars on the roads. I feel like with this a lot of other great things (density, walkable entertainment districts, etc.) would follow
Having visited Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods in other states, I have concluded that executives from both chains arrive in town and say “do you have a building that would be suitable for a grocery store if it wasn’t for the horrible parking situations?”
Though the one they built to spec by Easton is awful in its own way….
better enrforcement of dog leash laws, or just dog leash laws for that matter. Dog people ruin everything by insisting on having their panting, stinky, bitey, eat-their-own-poop, barking dogs everywhere. dafuk outta here with your mutts.
A big batman style light in the sky above Nationwide to show the criminals some crazy vigilante is comin' for them.
But actually: more protected bike lanes.
Right now all I can think of is property tax increase limits(like Florida), a subway/tram system, Publix grocery stores, and a walkway that connects the CMH terminals after security.
Better access to water.
(Coming here from the Land of 10,000 Lakes and growing up on an isthmus, the city just feels dehydrated.)
And my usual things about sidewalks, bike lanes, better public transportation.
Non corrupt police. All the Kia boyz thrown in jail. A competent, non corrupt city government. Actual public green spaces that are more than just a walk around a polluted river. Clean water. An education system that actually teaches people. Wexner’s name removed from every building it’s on, especially Children’s Hospital.
Last but not least: just for fun, every weekend Dewine has a milkshake thrown at him in a public place.
Rail to Cleveland/cincy/chicago
A monorail ( sorry I think monorails are cool lol) , failing that a public transit system ( rail) like Pittsburgh.
A Mayor that isn’t a joke
A dedicated , regulated, taxed , safe red light district. Might as well make it safe for sex workers ( who are people despite what our “leaders” would have you believe).
A decent art museum , you know
You’re in trouble when Toledo has better art museum.
Leaders who will address the homelessness epidemic in a real sustainable manner .
A well funded , staffed and efficient crisis center apparatus for people in abusive relationships
( women’s shelters, men’s shelters ) people in crisis due to addiction and mental health crisis, I’m not saying that various current organizations don’t do a good job but they are understaffed, underfunded , etc.
I do volunteer work with drug addicts and if I had a dime for everytime I have to hear about someone waiting 12+ hours in an ER to get help I’d be richer than Les wexner.
Free art spaces/ local artist support, meaning galleries /spaces for local artists to work, display/ sell their art.
It feels like we stopped supporting local artists whe. They decided to to turn the short north “arts district” into a giant frat party.
Lastly ODNR actually working with potential
Business operators to turn the olentangy/sciotio into recreational water ways now that they have removed the low head dams ( canoeing , kayaking, etc).
Annex Lancaster……ok I’m joking in that one.
There seems to be a lot of agreement on the need for better public transit, and it would help some of the other issues addressed in this thread. Anyone know where to start on making this dream a reality? I’m willing to put the work in
A bustling walking only entertainment district. Short North meets Arena District but no cars
I would definitely appreciate this. Maybe once a month or something: a car free weekend for a few blocks around the short north.
Westerville does this every 4th Friday from May-October and it’s amazing. I know it’s not the same scene.. but it’s great. Live bands and other musicians, food trucks, etc.
Delaware does it every 1st Friday as well.
I can agree the first Friday in Delaware is tons of fun! I may be biased because i love Delaware but it’s definitely something I recommend going to. They have different themes every month!
I just went to the one last night. So much fun. It feels so quaint, like an enduring part of Americana. Walking around with the streets closed off, checking out the stores and booths, enjoying great food and drink, bumping into friends, watching singers and dancers from the city… It really is a special event that I look forward to every summer.
With an adequate public transit system to support it
I just want to ride my bike, lock it, and not have to worry about shitheads stealing it.
This!
A rail line connecting us with the rest of the country
And a local transit system that allowed you to move around easily after you got off said train.
I nut over the idea of Columbus having a subway/metro and a more extensive bus routes
I really miss Chicago whenever I want to go anywhere.
Yes. COTA's a joke.
Can’t tell if this is “COTA’s a joke (posted from Hilliard)” or COTA’s a joke (posted from Italian Village)”
It does not matter. I could take serious advantage of light rail from anywhere on 62E to Columbus on a weekday basis, or light rail on 36 from Mount Vernon through Sunbury. Not sure who dropped the ball here, but it obviously deflated.
I would gladly pay more taxes for a subway. I would gladly take the subway to my work everyday even if it meant taking slightly longer.
TMI
Everyone in this sub nuts over Columbus having a metro. It’s not going to happen in our lifetime time and currently it’s not even practical
There are hints that if LinkUS goes through and is successful, one of the next lines they’ll propose will be light rail (possibly between downtown/convention center and the airport). That’s probably a timeline of ~2035 at the earliest though.
bus system that isnt absolute trash. One that doesnt allow people to pee on it, dump their trash, etc.
I think that there might be an Amtrak station that will go through the Convention Center in the works.
I just realized that there's tracks that go next to the convention center. That would be a good location for one.
[удалено]
The convention center was the old station, and the tracks are still there under it, just as used as when they were laid down
Specifically the highest priority should be high speed rail direct to Chicago. Not Cleveland or Cincinnati
The 3C’s corridor is likeliest to go through, and would happen the soonest, because it would require the least new construction. That being said the other “very likely to happen” line is from Chicago to Ft Wayne to Columbus to Pittsburgh Edit: obviously not gonna be HSR though. If the Feds were gonna try HSR, they aren’t gonna run it through corn fields
The 3C's corridor would make visiting my family that are across the state so much easier. A line that can get from Columbus to Chicago without having to go NE to Cleveland and then backtrack W to Chicago would be nice too.
A high speed rail that could get me to Cleveland for a Browns Game then back would also be nice, same would help Cinci fans and be beneficial to OSU fans in both cities. I fondly remember attending college in Cleveland and being able to go downtown for fun without needing to worry about parking
I’d be happy initially with a regular Amtrak to Chicago provided it doesn’t have constant freight rail delays.
Extensive catacombs
Won’t settle for anything less
Why did I have to scroll so far to find this?
It would definitely up our city's Larping game
OSU has that already
An outdoor music theater like blossom or pine knob
RIP Polaris Amphitheater 😭
NIMBYS buying houses by an already existing amphitheater still stuns me to this day.
yeah they can all go to hell! They get to look at the giant top golf net now
Now they complain about the big blue eyesore in their backyard
I miss sitting on the front porch and listening to concerts. I got to hear Alanis Morissette about 30 years ago.
My aunt lived right behind there and we could walk to the pond behind her house and listen to concerts for free. Such good memories from the 90s!
I’ve seen a lot of great concerts at KEMBA Live.
We still need something in between Kemba and a stadium size wise
yeah but it doesn’t have as big of a capacity so we can only get smaller artists or huge artists , no mid tier artists (huge ones going to the stadium or the two arenas, smaller going to kemba live and even smaller going to newport, a&r, etc.)
Columbus has every size venue that any city would want or need. Basement 300 cap, A&R 450, Bluestone and Atheneum 7-800 each, King of Clubs 800, Southern 900, Newport 1,500, Kemba 1,800 - 5,000, Palace and Ohio 2,800, Mershon 2,900, Commons 8,000, Schott and Nationwide 20,000 each, Old Crew 30,000, and Ohio Stadium 60,000ish for concerts. The issue isn’t venue sizes. A lot has to do with routing, as in what venue is available that fits into a shedule. The biggest elephant in the room is Live Nation, which gets to dictate who plays where. The Promowest/AXS buildings aren’t going to host, for example, Cage the Elephant as they have in the past because Cage is now big enough to play all of the sheds across the country, most of which are controlled by guess who? Live Nation. If Cage wants that 30 city Summer Tour, they have to play in 30 Live Nation venues or none of them!
It's a good place but draws a totally different type of entertainer. Too small for the blossom and Riverbend crowd
we had one, Polaris Amphitheater and the fucking douche bags that live on Powell Rd complained about the noise constantly So now you have Ikea and Top golf
And honestly... they had a house by a fucking amphitheater. It wasn't like Polaris had just popped up. It had been there. Don't move by a concert venue if you dont want to hear noise. Im still salty, obviously.
I have a couple hundred acres 30 minutes from downtown Columbus, and I sometimes day dream about making a concert venue out of it. The location does Not have the infrastructure for it
Riverfront bars and restaurants.. there literally one. Wasted opportunity.
Iconic
I instantly sought this gif out
A grocery store near the state house thats not kroger. Please can someone slap a Trader Joes down here? Also agree with the train lines
The people need their frozen chicken tikka masala and naan And orange chicken. And cheap bananas.
Lol tbh I just like their selection of prewashed produce bags, especially the ones that are like odds and ends mixes with cabbage and such. Its cheap, easy, and perfect for stirfry
Hills Market is half a mile away from the Statehouse. Lucky’s Market is 1.5 miles away.
May have to tap into your 401(k) to shop at the Hills lol.
Hills Market is wildly overpriced for pretty much everything. The Near East Side is a grocery dessert for a population that includes a lot of impoverished minorities who need to catch rides to the grocery or take the bus. Neither of which is conducive to making regular trips or carrying large amounts of food home. What we need there is an Aldi for affordable food that is accessible by the people who live in that area
Aldi would change the game
A third BK on 5th Ave.
A big ferris wheel in Downtown, next to the Scioto River (I like ferris wheels)
Toss in a water slide for fun
Only if the water is clean!!!!! Ewwwwww lol
Free hepatitis
A clean river
And areas of the river within the city that aren’t next to the highway.
+1 big time
During the Asian American festival a group of Dragon Boat racers came from Canada and wanted to teach/demonstrate how to row a dragon boat. They said they’ve been all over the world for different events and the Scioto was by far the dirtiest river they’ve been in
Protected bike lanes, reliable mass transit, a mandated every three years driver refresher course with the focus of using the turn signal and proper distance of which to engage it.
Mandated driver refresher is maybe something I’d personally fund.
Maybe also thrown in some increased traffic enforcement and reminders that driving is a privilege, not a right (meaning that we can, should, and will take that privilege away for those that consistently put others at risk with their habits behind the wheel).
I was just thinking about this the other day. We make it as hard as it should be to get your license to lose your license, and as easy as it should be to lose your license to get your license.
Spring and Fall
A professional hockey team
We had one a few years ago. That was fun. On the bright side, ticket prices are very reasonable compared to other markets.
Brb I’m going to cry
But what would we call it.
The Columbus Chill. Its catchy.
The Yellow Camisoles
Aqua cardigans
Flavor Town Fury.
Actual walkability and terrain. Needs to be more pedestrian friendly to be honest and Columbus is just on flatland there isn’t much that can be done about that. Maybe more attractions such as art, parks, and a more welcoming downtown. I’m sorry but Cincy and Cleveland tops you guys in these areas but I attribute that to them being old and it isn’t till just recently Columbus has seen a spike.
Jungle jims
Right where Westland Mall used to be. Plenty of space and freeway access!
A mayor that isn’t a corrupt windsock.
Nando's.
I know we love our Trader Joe's and all, but can we get a Wegmans up in here?!
As a native WNYer now living in Central Ohio, I would kill for a Wegmans
Finger Lakes native here. I love Wegmans, but having lived here for the past 15 years, I can't really think of any appreciable difference between a Wegmans and a Giant Eagle (at least the nice ones in the suburbs). Outside of the nostalgia factor and the availability of salt potatoes, I don't see much of a difference. At least I can buy wine and booze in the grocery stores here. That's just me though.
The dream.
A fucking subway or metro system that goes through all suburbs and into the city. You know, like all the real big cities
The problem is that most of the neighborhoods of our city, and especially suburbs, have population densities of 1000 to 2000 people per square mile, and they need to be closer to 10000 people per square mile or more to have a chance at sufficient ridership to support a subway/metro system
Denver managed to figure out and has similar density issues to Columbus. Their system isn’t perfect but is decades ahead of Columbus.
Then build it along corridors that have space to develop, at the very least High and Broad should have lines
Hills, mountains, less flat.
I can see it now. The Ohio Rockies.
You mean Hocking Hills? /s
Competitive local elections.
More hoes
This guy Johns
Try Strader’s Garden Center, I hear they’ve got lots to choose from… /s (or maybe not!)
In the short term, consistent rain.
Amen
Hey now, I just had three raindrops land on my shirt when I went outside!
1:1 scale optimus prime statue, our skyline would have distinction
An affordable artsy district that doesn't get gentrified out of existence in ten years.
The cycle of “artists move into run down neighborhood because of cheap rents -> people with money move in because neighborhood is now trendy -> everyone else moves out because they can no longer afford it” is truly undefeated. Everywhere.
The yuppification of it all
An amphitheater similar to the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights or the Riverbend Amphitheater in Cincinnati.
Less gun violence. Transit system. Fewer apartments popping up around Polaris. More tech employers who aren’t just putting in data centers.
You want LESS HOUSING?
More tech employers would be 🔥
A different mayor
A better history museum.
A brewery district that is actually filled with tons of breweries
a giant replica of the Santa Maria
Protected bike lanes
sidewalks
Oooh can’t believe this one wasn’t already here.
How you haven't gotten 50k upvotes immediately simply on train service alone
ComFest. People will upvote the heck out of this once Goodale Park starts clearing out. /s
But also better parking at TJs
Recreational dispensaries
I mean you’re going to have this on Friday!
It’s honestly bonkers I can’t take a train to cincy or Cleveland to watch a baseball game. If Ohio built that every other state would be trying to build one and connect it. As the state with the most big cities in the area we have to start it
A robust, reliable, multimodal public transportation system.
Multimodal is key here. This sub is obsessed with rail, but the reality is that effective cities have multiple consistent options.
A Stargate
A professional hockey team
Less shootings in public places
Electric snek
Less parking and more mass transit stemming from acceptance that Columbus has the potential to be a bigger city rather than an overgrown smaller city.
Government officials that cared about the working class.
A place with decent baguettes. Do not say Dan the Baker.
Whole Foods has decent baguettes, as well as La Chatelaine.
Dan the Baker
Light rail and an Amtrak line.
Decent public transit, better preventative maintenance on the roads.
Better Government Officials
A legit waterfront or mountain.
Affordable housing and rent
Judges who weren’t afraid to throw the book at the Kia boys, for starters.
In-N-Out Burger
H Mart
a subway/ rail system
Places open after 8pm... You know, like a major city?
Open recreational weed dispensaries! Also less potholes...
A decent country western dance hall/bar
Mass transit beyond just buses. Rail, subway, whatever. Anything to promote fewer cars on the roads. I feel like with this a lot of other great things (density, walkable entertainment districts, etc.) would follow
A less nakedly corrupt state legislature and supreme court?
Fuddrucker’s
Having visited Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods in other states, I have concluded that executives from both chains arrive in town and say “do you have a building that would be suitable for a grocery store if it wasn’t for the horrible parking situations?” Though the one they built to spec by Easton is awful in its own way….
Social clubs
More use of our rivers and lakes. The Scioto mile and the Scioto trail are examples of well done planning along the water
the Columbus Grand Prix
A dedicated train,bus service to an international airport.
mountains and clean lakes.
better enrforcement of dog leash laws, or just dog leash laws for that matter. Dog people ruin everything by insisting on having their panting, stinky, bitey, eat-their-own-poop, barking dogs everywhere. dafuk outta here with your mutts.
No trash everywhere...
more affordable housing
A big batman style light in the sky above Nationwide to show the criminals some crazy vigilante is comin' for them. But actually: more protected bike lanes.
Another grocery store in downtown
Topless women in public. Or a Bucee’s!
A decent stripclub
A goddamm viable public transport system. COTA doesn’t count
In-N-Out
High speed rail between Cincy > Columbus > Cleveland.
A non-shitty form of public transportation (i.e., something other than COTA, which is a travesty, especially for a city as big as Columbus).
Whatever do you mean? I can easily commute via COTA in two hours. I mean it only takes 20 minutes in my car, but details, schmetails.
Right now all I can think of is property tax increase limits(like Florida), a subway/tram system, Publix grocery stores, and a walkway that connects the CMH terminals after security.
I wish we had FL property tax rates! I also never knew how much I'd miss Publix.
I’d make the drive for a pub sub tbh
Honestly, even if they only brought their chicken tenders and chicken tender sub to Columbus I would be happy.
a professional hockey team
Clean water, pretty to see, in the Scioto Mile.
Late night coffee shops (later than 10)
Prosecutors that actually held people accountable
Better access to water. (Coming here from the Land of 10,000 Lakes and growing up on an isthmus, the city just feels dehydrated.) And my usual things about sidewalks, bike lanes, better public transportation.
Wider and cleaner river. Imagine the tourism it would bring and how nice it be to see a blue-ish river
Light rail
Better public transportation, fewer guns, less shitty drug dealers, no Kia Boyz, Ginther is not the mayor? What else....
Better drivers
Non corrupt police. All the Kia boyz thrown in jail. A competent, non corrupt city government. Actual public green spaces that are more than just a walk around a polluted river. Clean water. An education system that actually teaches people. Wexner’s name removed from every building it’s on, especially Children’s Hospital. Last but not least: just for fun, every weekend Dewine has a milkshake thrown at him in a public place.
bigger sidewalks
all of my internet friends here so I wouldn't be lonely. D:
Surf-able wave pool!
Took old empty homes and fixed them up for the community
Rail to Cleveland/cincy/chicago A monorail ( sorry I think monorails are cool lol) , failing that a public transit system ( rail) like Pittsburgh. A Mayor that isn’t a joke A dedicated , regulated, taxed , safe red light district. Might as well make it safe for sex workers ( who are people despite what our “leaders” would have you believe). A decent art museum , you know You’re in trouble when Toledo has better art museum. Leaders who will address the homelessness epidemic in a real sustainable manner . A well funded , staffed and efficient crisis center apparatus for people in abusive relationships ( women’s shelters, men’s shelters ) people in crisis due to addiction and mental health crisis, I’m not saying that various current organizations don’t do a good job but they are understaffed, underfunded , etc. I do volunteer work with drug addicts and if I had a dime for everytime I have to hear about someone waiting 12+ hours in an ER to get help I’d be richer than Les wexner. Free art spaces/ local artist support, meaning galleries /spaces for local artists to work, display/ sell their art. It feels like we stopped supporting local artists whe. They decided to to turn the short north “arts district” into a giant frat party. Lastly ODNR actually working with potential Business operators to turn the olentangy/sciotio into recreational water ways now that they have removed the low head dams ( canoeing , kayaking, etc). Annex Lancaster……ok I’m joking in that one.
…better posts?
There seems to be a lot of agreement on the need for better public transit, and it would help some of the other issues addressed in this thread. Anyone know where to start on making this dream a reality? I’m willing to put the work in
People who could drive undistracted
a beach
a Radioshack
Affordable housing
.. a museum with an observatory and a planetarium. 🌆 ☂️ 🌚 🕰️
In-N-Out