Right Now Downtown

The last time the peeps in C-Bus saw this much rain Grover Cleveland had just been inaugurated as President – for the second time; Frank Lloyd Wright had opened an architectural firm; and Thomas Edison was fine tuning his new-fangled phonograph.  Needless to say, the Gore-Tex rain slicker was a few years away.

It could be worse; we could live along the Ohio River where they are getting even more rain.  All the green stuff on the other side of the window pane loves it; so as you watch the grass grow, we’ve thought of a few more things you can do to make life less soggy.

10.  Clean out a desk drawer and spiff things up a bit.  Graham’s Office Supply has just what you need.  Besides, new Post-Its will help distract you while you’re waiting for that gargantuan file that your boss just emailed you to download.

9.  Pick up a few growlers of beer from The Elevator and invite a few friends over to start construction of a mini-ark.  Mmm, Dopplebock.

8.  Head on over to the Ohio Theatre to see Mary Poppins.  The umbrella that Mary uses on stage is big enough to keep your entire office dry.

7.  Dream about warm sunny days when you Kick It Up at Columbus Commons for Downtown Kickball.  Have you sent your registration yet?

6.  Hire a trainer at your favorite gym.  It may not lift your attitude, but you’ll be too exhausted to really care.

5.  Hit every downtown restaurant for happy hour specials.  Cocktails abound downtown; start creating your list here.

4.  Stroll down Gay Street and take a whiff of all the spring flowers.  Heck, Gay Street is also a good place to begin your Happy Hour Hop.

3.  Stop at our very own award-winning Columbus Metropolitan Library for a great read.

2.  Take your inner child to the Center for Creativity at the Columbus Museum of Art and recharge your artistic self.

And the number one thing that will help get you through this rainy season…  Lunch on us and here’s your chance.  Post a comment about how you like to spend your time downtown and you’ll be entered to win lunch from a variety of downtown restaurants, worth more than 30 bucks.  Yum.

Raising kids in the downtown area is a great experience.  When my kids were young, we had easy access to parks, playgrounds, COSI, BalletMet Academy, Columbus Museum of Art, the downtown library, festivals, and many other amenities.  For years, my kids considered COTA buses and skywalks to be as much fun as amusement parks.  They loved walking to bakeries and the North Market.

Downtown neighborhoods get better as city kids get older.  They develop a healthy sense of independence long before they get a driver’s license, because they can walk to each other’s homes and with their friends to movies, hockey games, coffee houses, Gallery Hops and clothing stores.  My teenage girl loves taking COTA to visit her friends, which I encourage because the bus is so much safer than driving.

Columbus City Schools keep getting better and better.  Although many City schools still struggle as they address high levels of poverty, many others maintain a balanced enrollment.  These schools often out-perform suburban schools.

To parents of young kids, I say.  “For the sake of your children, stay in the city!