Columbus, Ohio, is trying really, really hard, and I don't mean that patronizingly. A visitor could spend a long weekend exploring the outsized footprint of the largest city in Ohio and the Midwest's fastest-growing metropolis. Neighborhoods are among the most beautiful and walkable in the Midwest. The arts are well supported and thriving. Retail, restaurants and nightlife are thriving. Rents are cheap. Ultimately, Columbus' biggest selling point is its quality of life. And what's good for residents is also good for visitors.
German Village and OSU
Begin in German Village. This gorgeous neighborhood of Italianate red brick miraculously survived the wrecking ball of urban renewal. Founded in 1938, Helen Winnemore's is supposedly the oldest craft store in the United States. Its beautiful wares, like glazed pottery and an array of personal accessories, embody dignified Americana (1-614-444-5850).
"We just dig European cafe culture and think we need it on more street corners," said Anne Fletcher, who opened the Pistacia Vera pâtisserie in a formerly vacant building with baker Spencer Budros, her brother. Buy a rye croissant or savor fleeting perfection with a macaron (1-614-220-9070). Schmidt's Sausage Haus since 1886 has been a Columbus tradition, with its frequently refreshed buffet (hey, it's the Midwest) with four kinds of wurst, hot potato salad and red cabbage. The famous cream puffs, seasonally flavored, are half-price with the buffet (1-614-444-6808).
Downtown, the Scioto Mile park alongside its namesake river is a lovely expression of urban landscape design. The Columbus Museum of Art houses the renowned Schiller Collection of American Social Commentary Art, which vividly captures midcentury scenes of poverty, segregation and urbanity. The museum also has a collection of the late native daughter Aminah Robinson, a black feminist artist celebrated for her mixed-media works (columbusmuseum.org).
Take Ohio State University as an opportunity for more gallery-going. The Wexner Center for the Arts (wexarts.org) is a multidisciplinary contemporary arts space with running exhibitions, with recent retrospectives of photographer Cindy Sherman and fashion designer Todd Oldham. OSU also hosts the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum (cartoons.osu.edu), the premier American institution devoted to the funny pages. Laymen will appreciate Ohio native Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" displays; nerds will go ga-ga for original "Krazy Kats" and underground comics.
"First and foremost, we're a soda house," said the bartender at the earthy, off-campus Rambling House, pleasantly devoid of frat boys. It's true: The cola and sarsaparilla were great, as was the "Relentless Mule" with honey and house-made ginger beer, named for the house bluegrass band that plays every Tuesday night. There's music every night, and 24 taps hosting Ohio brews (1-614-468-3415).
High Street area
Columbus' best neighborhood is Short North, centered along High Street between downtown and the campus. It's pedestrian- and transit-oriented, with booming construction, classy retail, risk-taking food and drink — and Midwest friendly. Complete the triumvirate of Columbus art museums at the Pizzuti Collection (pizzuticollection.org). Three or four shows a year are curated exclusively from the thousands of contemporary art pieces in its collection and shown across 10 galleries. The permanent sculpture garden (free) shines through four seasons.
Give your nose a workout at the Candle Lab, where customers choose a complementary blend of scents and pour it into a handsome soy candle. Mine combined earth and rain with yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit (1-614-915-0777). Columbus' fashion industry is the third-largest in the country (Victoria's Secret, among other brands, is headquartered here). Kiln Mercantile focuses mostly on artisan American labels, though I was most tempted by beautiful handmade Scandinavian knitwear. Look for cast brass accessories and a great selection of independent design publications (1-614-867-5610). At Rowe Boutique, shop for contemporary womenswear like Mother denim, Allsaints leather and Snythe outerwear (1-614-299-7693).
