Columbus is having a moment, and it’s about time the rest of the country noticed. Travel + Leisure just published a glowing feature on Columbus, naming it one of the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest and praising everything from the Short North Arts District to Hoyo’s Kitchen at North Market. As locals, we’re thrilled.
But also as locals, we have some serious notes.
Read on, and try not to get as mad as we were.
The Good Stuff, and There’s a Lot of It
Let’s give credit where it’s due. The Travel + Leisure piece nails a lot of what makes Columbus special. They highlight The Junto and its rooftop bar Brass Eye, send readers to Ginger Rabbit for jazz and cocktails, and point out gems like Prologue Bookshop, Sole Classics, and Middle West Spirits. They even quote our friend Bethia Woolf of Columbus Food Adventures on why the city’s scale is part of its charm.
It’s a well-researched piece that clearly reflects actual time spent here, and it’s exactly the kind of national attention Columbus deserves.
Then They Got to OSU’s Campus and Just Stopped Trying
Here’s where it falls apart. In a guide full of specific, well-sourced recommendations, the section on The Ohio State University campus reads like it was written in the last five minutes before deadline. The article calls out the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum as “the official bookstore of the university,” which it is not. It’s a museum and research library dedicated to cartoon art. I mean, does the image below look like a place to buy textbooks and Buckeye gear?
Strike one, Travel + Leisure.
Then the article’s big pitch for campus is that it has “just about every fast-food chain you can imagine.” That’s it. That’s the whole entry.
We love the occasional fast-food run as much as anyone, but that’s not why people love OSU’s campus. If you’re only going to say one thing about the area around Ohio Stadium, it shouldn’t be about freaking Chipotle.
What They Should Have Said About Campus Instead
If you want to actually experience OSU’s campus like a local, here’s where the real character lives.
The bar scene is legendary. Threes Above High has earned national recognition as one of the best dive bars in the country, and it’s become the go-to spot for live music and a genuinely fun night out. Out-R-Inn and Leo’s on the Alley round out a bar scene that’s been part of the Ohio State experience for generations, long before ride-shares made bar-hopping easy.
Buckeye Donuts never closes, and neither should your appetite. This 24-hour High Street institution has been serving donuts, coffee, and late-night gyros since 1969. Ask any OSU alum about their 2 a.m. Buckeye Donuts order and watch their face light up. This is the kind of only-in-Columbus experience a “must-visit” list should be leading with. The following article is a perfect example as to why it’s so beloved:
Small businesses built this campus, not chains. Burger Royale is a new spot slinging made-to-order, In-N-Out style burgers on North High Street in the old Apollo’s location. Adriatico’s Pizza has been an OSU staple for nearly four decades, serving the kind of Sicilian Pie that becomes a core memory for every student who’s ever lived on campus.
Campus is more beautiful than any fast food restaurant. Has anyone at Travel + Leisure even seen a picture of Ohio State’s campus? Mirror Lake, the Oval, Thompson Library, the RPAC, the Wexner Center for the Arts… the list goes on.
These are the places locals actually recommend, not the ones you’d find in any strip mall in America.
Columbus Deserves the Full Story
Travel + Leisure got the big picture right: Columbus is growing, it’s walkable, and it has real culinary and cultural depth. But when it comes to OSU’s campus, the story is so much bigger than fast food and a mislabeled bookstore. The bars, the late-night eats, and the small businesses that have anchored this neighborhood for decades are what actually make it worth a visit.
So welcome to Columbus, Travel + Leisure. Next time, let us show you around.
Read the original Travel + Leisure article here. But if you want to separate out all the noise about Columbus and get to know the true must-visit spots in the city, subscribe to our free daily newsletter here.
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