Named after the Italian explorer who sailed under the Spanish flag (In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue), this city is the largest in Ohio in terms of population with 730,657 (1.7 million in the metropolitan area, which is third in size in Ohio behind Greater Cleveland and Greater Cincinnati) and the 15th largest in the country. A lot of growth has been fueled by government jobs (as the state capital), The Ohio State University (one of the largest student populations in the nation) and numerous Fortune 500 companies headquartered here (Cardinal Health, Nationwide Insurance, Limited Brands, etc.). It is a day's drive from one half of the U.S. population and is located at the intersection of I-70 and I-71.
Generally arranged in a really big wheel, Columbus is the central hub to many nearby cities including (clockwise from the north):
Newspapers
The Dispatch is Columbus' daily newspaper, and has the standard News/Sports/Arts/Classifieds mix. Perhaps due to the fact that Columbus is the state capitol, the Dispatch usually carries more news about state politics than most of the other Ohio dailies. In addition to the standard vending machines, the Dispatch can also be purchased on some COTA (public) buses by depositing an extra $0.50 into the fare box.
The Other Paper is probably the best source for information on the music and arts scenes in Columbus. It is geared towards a younger (or at least more liberal) audience and can usually be found free in coffee shops and restaurants.
While not as colorful or notorious as The Other Paper, Columbus Alive is another good source for entertainment schedules, and may be less jarring to those with conservative sensibilities. It is also provided free at local businesses and libraries.
The Lantern is the student newspaper of The Ohio State University, and can thus be found in and around the University's campus. The writing found in the Lantern is sometimes of questionable quality, causing some students to nickname it The Latrine.
Eat
The City of Columbus issues approximately 6,000 licenses for a variety of types of food vendors, Franklin County issues about 3,000 for the remainder of the County and the suburban area. When you consider this and other food events like festivals, The Ohio State Fair and sporting events (tail gate parties), you have to be convince, they do like to eat here. Columbus can be a real gastronomical adventure for even the most discerning diner. Columbus has an extremely diverse ethnic base, reflected in its variety of restaurants that rivals cities like New Orleans for culinary treats, price and variety.
Food Safety – In Columbus, starting late May of 2007, all 6,000 local restaurants must post :Image:Columbus_OH_Health_Dept_Festival_Food_Stickerjpg.jpg|color coded signs that reflect the results of the most previous inspection by the Columbus Public Health Dept. Green = passing most recent inspection. Red, yellow or white suggests you probably may want...
