Visiting Columbus Ohio
Kathy Witt, Contributing Writer

With the addition of the new Nationwide Arena for its National Hockey League, the Blue Jackets, America's 15th largest city has moved right into the major leagues.

After years of polishing its image, this diamond in the rough shines bright with an improved airport, a newly expanded and renovated 1.7-million- square-foot convention center and a new science center with eight interactive exhibit worlds.

But that's not all. Ohio's capital city provides arts and recreational opportunities for all interests, from the internationally renowned contemporary Wexner Center for the Arts to one of America's largest family-owned candy making facilities at the Anthony-Thomas Candy Company. And the city has spruced up and added to its leisure time complexes, like the new Easton Town Center that include shops, restaurants, Steven Spielberg's GameWorks, the Shadowbox Cabaret and the new, upscale Hilton Hotel.

City wide, Columbus has more than 20,000 hotel rooms, with approximately 3,000 of these rooms located in the bustling downtown area. Those in town for business will find themselves within walking distance of the Greater Columbus Convention Center and of Short North, an eclectic little burg bustling with art galleries, fine food and funky boutiques. Leisure visitors flock to brick-lined German Village, charmingly edging along downtown's south side and recalling the mid-1800 era when one third of Columbus' population was of German descent. Just a couple streets west, the Brewery District beckons the younger crowd with a surge of brewpubs that serve up their own recipes for ales and lagers and light and dark varieties with a side of epicurean delights whose origins crisscross the globe.

Columbus' top drawing cards are German Village, the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium--the aquarium was recently added to accommodate a permanent manatee exhibit--and COSI Columbus. This Center of Science & Industry draws families like a magnet to its new digs in the downtown waterfront area. Across town, the Discovery District welcomes visitors to poke around at the Columbus Museum of Art (admission is free on Thursdays), the Heritage Museum, the Thurber House--a literary center, museum, bookstore and gallery--and the Topiary Garden.

Columbus enjoys a moderate climate with the average annual temperature clocking in at 52 degrees. It also boasts four distinct seasons, so color and drama unfold across its level landscape all year long, from summer's rich hue of blooms in Whetstone Park of Roses to winter's stone and granite palette of skyscrapers. Heating up the city is a new mix of eateries in the Arena District that nicely season an already distinctive restaurant scene. From the innovative Asian bistro, Lemongrass, to the old-world charmer that is Handke's Cuisine, Columbus is one appetizing city.

Navigating Columbus is a fairly straightforward process. Visitors can rent cars, hail taxis, hop the Airport Shuttle service or board a bus. Public transportation is provided by the Central Ohio Transit Authority. The Downtown-Airport Circulator connects the airport with downtown hotels and area attractions. Downtown Link runs up and down High Street from the Short North to German Village. Cars make sense for sightseeing around the city--the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium is northwest of downtown and several parks and golf courses are on the outer reaches of the city. Closer in, but still necessitating a car, is Ohio Village, a living history museum of Civil War-era Ohio.

For in-city sightseeing, Columbus is eminently walkable with a visitor center; library and world class convention center within blocks of each other. Visitors can hoof from the northern edge of downtown to the Brewery District in about 20 minutes. Also downtown are the city's "three jewels": the Ohio Theatre, home to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and BalletMet; the Palace Theatre, which presents the Broadway Series productions and Opera/Columbus; and Southern Theatre, an intimate performance venue for a variety of entertainment. Each historic theater (available for meetings and other large gatherings) has undergone extensive restoration to emerge in opulent splendor.

In addition to the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus has more than one million square feet of event space at the Ohio Expo Center. With the 22,500-seat Crew Stadium--the first soccer-specific stadium in the country--it is also home to Columbus' Major League soccer team. The overhauled Veterans Memorial provides an additional 110,000 square feet of ground floor exhibit space and 8,200 square feet of lobby/pre-function space.

Port Columbus International Airport is served by 23 passenger airlines offering more than 185 daily departures to 33 nonstop destinations. It is one of the fastest growing commerce centers in the United States and is just a short 10-minute drive to Columbus' downtown business district.