Columbus (lots of pics)
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:27 pm
why columbus?
1) $10 fares on skybus
2) erasure (this was before they announced their KC date)
3) never been before
first, the skybus experience: we did get $10 fares on the way to columbus, but total r/t fare was $65.11 + $25.69 in fees for each person, still a very good deal. skybus has one gate in terminal C at KCI, allowing you to board via jetway (all boarding in columbus is on the tarmac). we checked in the morning of our departure and i paid the $10 upcharge for "priority boarding" (recommended!). by the time we got off the satellite parking bus and made it into the terminal, the flight monitor revealed a 2-hour delay for our departure... thank god for free wi-fi! the planes themselves are new or newly leased airbus with a very cozy 3+3 seat arrangement that nets 144 passengers. three flight attendants (in black t-shirts) handled announcements, safety info, and selling you merchandise (including drinks/snacks)! i felt so bad for the lead attendant who had to roll the cart down the aisle and ask you if you wanted to buy a box of bon bons, a bottle of cologne, or some bad jewelry. it was like QVC invaded southwest with US airways timekeeping! you can even sponsor the in-flight announcements and the exterior surface of the planes!
since we were so late getting in (3 a.m.), the local livery service (urban express) gave up on us so we took a $20 cab ride to our hotel and crashed.
second, the city: overall impression is very good. columbus is a relatively neat and tidy mid-sized city that is easy to navigate and friendly. we elected not to rent a car and were pleased at the frequency of bus service, availability of cabs, and continuity of the pedestrian experience (especially along high street). after walking around the bustling downtown business district, we spent all day wednesday exploring the german village, a very photogenic neighborhood south of downtown and the neighboring brewery district, a light industrial area on the rebound. after working up a sweat and downing a carafe of white sangria with lunch, we went back to the hotel (columbus renaissance, $80/night on priceline) to clean up for the concert.
we stepped out of the hotel refreshed and walked over to the intersection of high and broad to catch the local #18 bus ($1.50, express routes are $2), which dropped us off right in front of the schottenstein center for the concert. OSU students ride the bus for free, which i'm sure has a lot to do with the frequency. we enjoyed the show and then walked home along high street, which has a lively and youthful (yet safe) vibe for the whole route. bars and shops line the side of the street opposite the campus until you get to the south campus gateway, a new "entertainment district" of all new construction (so we skipped it). after that is short north, the best part of town, full of eclectic local shops and eateries. at the end of short north is the infamous new cap over part of I-670 (coincidence?). it's such an ingenious design that we didn't even know that's what it was until the next day... i hope it bodes well for KC.
our skybus departure was also in the evening (9 p.m.) so we checked our backpacks and walked to short north and hit the stores that were closed the night before, especially american apparrel. on the way back we took the #2 local to cool off, then hit the north market for some gelato and iced tea. we walked along the riverfront to try and cool off again, but we were through with the heat so we found a theater in the arena district (near nationwide arena and the convention center) and watched "ocean's thirteen". a quick walk back to the hotel after the film and we were in a cab and on en route to the airport.
all in all, i was as more impressed with columbus than i was indianapolis (or the two other "C" cities in ohio). i would go back in a heartbeat, although next time i will fly midwest instead of skybus!
german village/brewery district:
CBD:
(the beautiful levesque building - exterior)
(interior)
(city hall)
(high street)
(city scape from the 40th floor of the ohio state building - ask nicely to go up top!)
(capitol without a dome!)
(cool infill)
(you can't escape nationwide!)
arena district, riverfront, short north:
(the unconventional convention center)
(tower properties are you listening?)
(wouldn't these look great over westport road or troost?)
(this is the cap from the rear)
(the santa maria)
(a very thoughtful design for reuse)
1) $10 fares on skybus
2) erasure (this was before they announced their KC date)
3) never been before
first, the skybus experience: we did get $10 fares on the way to columbus, but total r/t fare was $65.11 + $25.69 in fees for each person, still a very good deal. skybus has one gate in terminal C at KCI, allowing you to board via jetway (all boarding in columbus is on the tarmac). we checked in the morning of our departure and i paid the $10 upcharge for "priority boarding" (recommended!). by the time we got off the satellite parking bus and made it into the terminal, the flight monitor revealed a 2-hour delay for our departure... thank god for free wi-fi! the planes themselves are new or newly leased airbus with a very cozy 3+3 seat arrangement that nets 144 passengers. three flight attendants (in black t-shirts) handled announcements, safety info, and selling you merchandise (including drinks/snacks)! i felt so bad for the lead attendant who had to roll the cart down the aisle and ask you if you wanted to buy a box of bon bons, a bottle of cologne, or some bad jewelry. it was like QVC invaded southwest with US airways timekeeping! you can even sponsor the in-flight announcements and the exterior surface of the planes!
since we were so late getting in (3 a.m.), the local livery service (urban express) gave up on us so we took a $20 cab ride to our hotel and crashed.
second, the city: overall impression is very good. columbus is a relatively neat and tidy mid-sized city that is easy to navigate and friendly. we elected not to rent a car and were pleased at the frequency of bus service, availability of cabs, and continuity of the pedestrian experience (especially along high street). after walking around the bustling downtown business district, we spent all day wednesday exploring the german village, a very photogenic neighborhood south of downtown and the neighboring brewery district, a light industrial area on the rebound. after working up a sweat and downing a carafe of white sangria with lunch, we went back to the hotel (columbus renaissance, $80/night on priceline) to clean up for the concert.
we stepped out of the hotel refreshed and walked over to the intersection of high and broad to catch the local #18 bus ($1.50, express routes are $2), which dropped us off right in front of the schottenstein center for the concert. OSU students ride the bus for free, which i'm sure has a lot to do with the frequency. we enjoyed the show and then walked home along high street, which has a lively and youthful (yet safe) vibe for the whole route. bars and shops line the side of the street opposite the campus until you get to the south campus gateway, a new "entertainment district" of all new construction (so we skipped it). after that is short north, the best part of town, full of eclectic local shops and eateries. at the end of short north is the infamous new cap over part of I-670 (coincidence?). it's such an ingenious design that we didn't even know that's what it was until the next day... i hope it bodes well for KC.
our skybus departure was also in the evening (9 p.m.) so we checked our backpacks and walked to short north and hit the stores that were closed the night before, especially american apparrel. on the way back we took the #2 local to cool off, then hit the north market for some gelato and iced tea. we walked along the riverfront to try and cool off again, but we were through with the heat so we found a theater in the arena district (near nationwide arena and the convention center) and watched "ocean's thirteen". a quick walk back to the hotel after the film and we were in a cab and on en route to the airport.
all in all, i was as more impressed with columbus than i was indianapolis (or the two other "C" cities in ohio). i would go back in a heartbeat, although next time i will fly midwest instead of skybus!
german village/brewery district:
CBD:
(the beautiful levesque building - exterior)
(interior)
(city hall)
(high street)
(city scape from the 40th floor of the ohio state building - ask nicely to go up top!)
(capitol without a dome!)
(cool infill)
(you can't escape nationwide!)
arena district, riverfront, short north:
(the unconventional convention center)
(tower properties are you listening?)
(wouldn't these look great over westport road or troost?)
(this is the cap from the rear)
(the santa maria)
(a very thoughtful design for reuse)
