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Real Estate & Homes in Columbus - Ohio - Columbus, Ohio homes and communities Columbus
Background Comfortably nestled in the heart of Ohio, Columbus is a city which enjoys many of the advantages of a major urban center while avoiding many of the disadvantages. Created to be the state’s capital, Columbus has grown into a thriving metropolis of learning, culture and comfortable living. Low crime, affordable housing, excellent educational opportunities and an agreeable climate have made Columbus the largest city in Ohio. History An interesting feature of Columbus history which predates the city is the presence of the Mound Builders, a group of Native American tribes who lived in Central Ohio until the 1700s. The mounds they left behind are a crucial archaeological site for North American history which is frequently visited by students and researchers. Columbus was founded in 1812 by the state legislature’s decision to establish their capital city in this central, easily accessible location. The city was officially incorporated in 1816. In the four-year interim, the city planners laid out streets, built churches, schools, and the new statehouse, which was completed in 1814 and still stands on its original site. By 1834, the city population had reached four thousand, and Columbus elected its first mayor, John Brooks. In the following years, the city’s proximity to multiple major transportation routes supported fast growth and economic stability. Throughout the nineteenth century, Columbus became a major center of learning and social activities. Free from dependence upon any single industry, Columbus’s economic diversity has allowed it to keep growing and thriving. Fast Facts City population: 711,470 Metro population: 1.8 million Size: 230 square miles Average temperature (January): 26.4 F Average temperature (July): 73.2 F Community Columbus is a city composed of many parts integrated into a single environment. The city encompasses over 20 independent municipalities within its limits, each with its own government, school system and public safety department. From the affluent northern communities such as Dublin, Worthington, Westerville, Upper Arlington and New Albany to working-class southern communities such as Reynoldsburg, Grove City, Whitehall and Groveport, these smaller portions of Columbus’s whole provide a more manageable home identity for Columbus residents. Columbus’s cityscape features many interesting local neighborhoods. Just south of downtown, the German Village is a quaintly historical community featuring brick-paved streets, Victorian homes and charming shops. It is also home to the infamous Book Loft, the largest independent bookstore in the country and a must-visit for locals and tourists alike. Just north of downtown, the Short North district is rife with art galleries, eateries and trendy stores. Worthington, one of the oldest parts of the city, hosts a large weekly farmer’s market among its upscale shops and homes, while Clintonville embraces an eclectic, progressive sensibility with its whole-food cafés and antique stores. Columbus is notable for its efforts to revitalize downtrodden and ill-used spaces. An excellent example of this is the new Arena District, in the heart of downtown. When the city built Nationwide Arena to house its new major league hockey team, they placed it in a blighted, abandoned industrial site that was a scar on the otherwise appealing face of Columbus’s downtown. Around the new arena they constructed a picturesque, brick-paved neighborhood of bars, theaters, upscale apartments and restaurants that now serves as a major draw into the downtown area. Another example of this urban reinvention is the hip Short North district, which continually expands northwards and replaces unsightly slums south of campus with better housing and retail spaces. Whether you’re seeking the hip groove of a downtown loft, the tranquility of a suburban ranch, the convenience of a modern condominium, or the character of a restored Victorian, Columbus has a neighborhood that will feel like home. Attractions Columbus is home to several major attractions, most notably the Columbus Zoo and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI). The Zoo, guided by its famous director emeritus Jack Hanna, is a model for natural-habitat zoos. Its shady walks and picturesque enclosures, along with the obvious care and consideration with which it treats the animals, make a visit to this large facility a pleasant and enjoyable experience for everyone. COSI, a comprehensive science museum for the whole family, has recently moved into a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility on the downtown banks of the Scioto River. Schoolchildren flock to the museum, which features an outdoor Big Science Park and an Extreme Screen movie theater. The Franklin Park Conservatory, an indoor/outdoor botanical garden located in beautiful Franklin Park, is a world-class horticultural exhibit as well as a space which frequently plays host to gatherings and traveling exhibitions. The Conservatory runs its Blooms & Butterflies event annually, featuring hundreds of free-flying butterflies from all over the world, and recently hosted a show of the magnificent glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly. Columbus is also a short drive from two of the nation’s most popular theme parks: King’s Island in Cincinnati, and Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. Arts & Culture Supported by the University community and the diverse population, the arts and cultural opportunities in Columbus are myriad. Located just east of downtown, the Columbus Museum of Art, in addition to hosting an impressive series of installations, has one of the finest collections of contemporary art in the country. Located on the Ohio State campus, the Wexner Center for the Arts is a contemporary art gallery and a venue for avant-garde performance and film exhibitions. The downtown area is home to two performing arts venues, the Ohio Theater and the Palace Theater, which have recently hosted such events as Stomp, Cirque du Soleil, and the Lord of the Rings Symphony. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra, in addition to their regular performances, hosts a series of summertime outdoor “Picnic with the Pops” concerts which are very popular for families. For live music, there are many choices. Columbus is a frequent stop for national music tours, the largest of which play in Nationwide Arena, the Schottenstein Center, and Germain outdoor amphitheater. In the campus area, smaller music venues such as the Newport and Little Brother’s host cutting-edge music weekly. Live music can be found in many bars and restaurants, ranging from jazz at Dick’s Den to piano at Mozart’s. Education Columbus’s most famous educational institution, The Ohio State University, is the largest single campus in the United States with an undergraduate enrollment of 48,000. A member of the Big Ten conference, OSU’s athletics should not overshadow its academics. The Ohio State medical school is one of the top five in the country, and the undergraduate colleges boast top-ranked departments in education, science, and anthropology. The university is a strong presence in Columbus, affecting the city’s demographics and atmosphere. Located just twenty blocks north of downtown, the large and attractive campus is strongly integrated into the heart of the city. In addition, Columbus is home to a number of four-year institutions such as Otterbein College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Capital University, Franklin University, Ohio Dominican University, Columbus State Community College and the prestigious Columbus College of Art and Design. The Columbus Public School system dominates K-12 education, but most of the smaller communities also support their own systems. The public schools offer a number of alternative schools, and there are many top-ranked private schools within the city limits. Columbus is also home to one of the largest and most efficient public library systems in the country, as well as several independent libraries. Sports & Recreation Although it is unusual for a city of its size, Columbus is not home to a professional baseball, basketball, or football team. It’s likely that this is due to the city’s proximity to Cincinnati and Cleveland, which host five such teams between them. However, Columbus is certainly not lacking in opportunities for its citizens to enjoy sports. The biggest draws in town are the various teams representing Ohio State athletics, most notably the powerhouse Ohio State Buckeyes football team. Buckeye football is less a pastime and more an obsession in Columbus. Tailgate festivities draw crowds of 30,000 to the campus, and the recently-renovated Horseshoe (as the Buckeye’s home stadium is affectionately called) is always packed to the gills regardless of weather. The season reaches a fever pitch in November, when the Buckeyes face off against their longtime nemesis, the University of Michigan Wolverines, in one of the fiercest rivalries in sports. In the realm of professional sports, Columbus has come up in the world in recent years. The Columbus Crew soccer team draws huge crowds to its stadium, which was one of the first stadiums in the US to be built for the exclusive use of a major-league soccer team. In 2000, Columbus acquired an NHL expansion team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, for which the city constructed the palatial Nationwide Arena. Columbus is also home to the Columbus Clippers, the New York Yankee’s minor-league farm team, and the Columbus Destroyers, an arena football team. Festivals There’s scarcely a summertime weekend when there isn’t something going on along the downtown banks of the Scioto River, where festival space stretches from the Arena District on the north end to Bicentennial Park on the south. The three biggest events of the summer are the prestigious Columbus Arts Festival, the boisterous Jazz & Ribfest, and Red, White & Boom, the city’s Fourth of July celebration, which features the largest fireworks display in the Midwest. Located in the Short North, Goodale Park hosts ComFest (short for Community Festival), a large three-day gathering featuring art, local music, food and quirky vendors. The suburb of Dublin hosts the Dublin Irish Festival in July, which is the second largest Irish festival in the country. The festival includes Irish dance, crafts, food and multiple music stages featuring such world-renowned Irish musicians as the Chieftains and Black 47. German Village also hosts a yearly Oktoberfest with food, music and German crafts. The Ohio State Fairgrounds and Expo Center frequently plays host to large events as well. Aside from the mammoth two-week Ohio State Fair, the fairgrounds hosts Winterfair in December, an enormous arts-and-crafts expo, and the annual Home & Garden show in the spring. The Short North is also home to a year-round monthly social event, the Gallery Hop, which takes place on the first Saturday night of every month. The local galleries and eateries remain open later than usual, and people flock to the streets to walk from gallery to gallery, enjoying wine, conversation and the displayed artwork. Dining Columbus is known for its excellent dining. Local restaurateur Cameron Mitchell operates eleven top-quality restaurants in the area including the friendly Cap City Diner, the elegant M, the Columbus Fish Market, and Martini Italian Bistro. Columbus also boasts several five-star restaurants and a dizzying array of quirky, independent eateries. The city’s diversity translates into many ethnic dining experiences, from Thai to Ethiopian to Japanese to Middle Eastern. In Columbus, there is a great deal of excellent food to be had at truly bargain-basement prices. The North Market, located in the Short North, is a dazzling indoor marketplace which is a favorite lunchtime destination for downtown workers. It is also home to one of the two largest farmer’s markets in town, the other one taking place in Worthington. Local ice-cream chain Graeter’s has been featured in several television specials for their continued use of the old-fashioned French Pot method of ice-cream making. Their stores have the charm and appeal of the ice cream parlors of yesterday, and are crowded with hungry ice-cream lovers year-round. Economy The largest employment segments in Columbus are retail trade (18.8%), goods manufacturing (8.9%) and professional education (8.9%). Since Columbus is the capital of Ohio and is home to the state university, the state of Ohio is the single largest employer in the city. It is far from the majority employer, however. Columbus is headquarters to a number of Fortune 500 companies including Nationwide Insurance, Limited Brands, Wendy’s, White Castle, Cardinal Health, and American Electric Power. In the scientific and research fields, Columbus hosts the headquarters of Battelle, the world’s largest private research institution, and Chemical Abstracts Services, the maintainers of the world’s largest scientific database. Honda has its North American auto plant in nearby Marysville, and there is a major Budweiser brewery on the north side of town. Shopping in Columbus is second to none. Since the demographics in Columbus are unusually middle-of-the-road, retailers flock to the city to test new products, establish new stores, and create solid bases for expansion. A huge open-air shopping plaza, Easton Town Center on the city’s east side, is made up of literally hundreds of stores, restaurants, and attractions such as GameWorks, the Funny Bone comedy club, and Shadowbox Cabaret. On the northern side, Polaris Fashion Place is home to upscale shopping while the Dublin-based Tuttle Park Mall contains the finest department stores. The median income in Columbus is $47,391 per family and $37,897 per household.
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