Columbus

Stauf's:

Grandview village (http://www.staufs.com) possibly the best coffee place in columbus.

The Waiting Room

North high st, near 1st ave.

Cup O' Joe

Several locations throughout the city including north high st, german village, bexley and olentangy river rd. coffee roasted by stauf's.

The ShiSha Loungue

2367 n. high st, cafe, hookah bar, live music, djs

Panera

The nation's largest free wifi provider, has many locations in malls, on high st, and in the suburbs.

Scottie MacBean's

Location in worthington on high st.

Arena District

(http://www.harborlink.net...) anywhere in the green spaces of the arena district.

 

Easton visitor information center: 188 Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio 43219 +1 614 416 8080. Located on the first floor of the Easton Town Center mall; two free parking garages are located on either end of the mall.

Downtown visitor information center: 277 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus, Ohio 43215 +1 614 221 6623. Located on the corner of Nationwide Blvd. and Neil Ave. in the Arena District; parking is free for the first fifteen minutes in the lot across the street.

Dial 911 to get emergency police/medical/fire help.

Although down somewhat in recent years, crime is still a problem in certain areas of the city. Most violent crime occurs in areas that would not be frequented by tourists. Visitors to the area should be aware that the theft of laptop computers and other items from automobiles is a common occurrence. Always store valuables in the cargo compartment of one’s car and make sure it is locked.

Motorists who drink and drive will face stiff penalties if one’s blood alcohol concentration is above the legal limit 0.08. Police routinely set up checkpoints along major roads where all drivers must pass through and show their license and registration to check for intoxicated people.

Vehicles are required by law to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. However, the law is not universally followed. Take care to watch for turning traffic when crossing streets.

Some of the most dangerous areas in Columbus are neighborhoods around the Port Columbus International airport. When passing through these areas in a car, it's best to stay on major streets and keep all windows and doors closed. One shouldn't try walking there on foot in the evening or after dark. Areas on the East side of town, past the Downtown areas are similarly dangerous as there are a lot of drug deals and robberies occurring in dilapidated neighborhoods there. These areas are usually defined by I-71 on the West, I-270 on the East, I-670 on the North, and I-70 on the South.

Neighborhoods in the South Central portion of the city, just on the inner side of the I-270 outerbelt, are also known to have a moderate volume of drug-related crimes. Abrubt growth and urbanization from Ohio's surrounding states to these areas in the late 1970's is responsible for a high unemployment rate for both white and black families, thus leading to a lower-class portion of Columbus. Though this area does not commonly attract tourists, it is a large intersection of a cross-counrty Inter-state highway system I-270,I-70,I-71, along with Rickenbacker International AirportRBI, which are known to be common distribution centers for drug trafficking across the United States.

Traveling through the South-Central and Eastern portions of the city should be avoided unless necessary. Attractions/businesses are scarce, due to a large lateral-strung system of housing developments. Constructed in the late 1970's, to house the many new coming middle-class families of that era. These various communities South gate, Linoln Park, Marion Village, Southern Pines, Scioto Village resemble racially-balanced, subtle neighborhoods. However, increasing gang activity, drug dealing, and semi-organized crime is prominent in these areas. Especially in the hours of the night when violence occurs the most. Similar to the east side, lock all doors and close windows. Avoid traveling by foot if possible. Robbery, mugging, vehicle theft and other violent crimes are a possibility.

On the West side of town, a sliver of neighborhoods around Broad St. and east of I-270 South are relatively safe during the day, but not at night. Generally, areas outside of the I270 loop the Outerbelt are safer and more peaceful than areas inside. Safe areas inside I270 include the Arena District, the Short North District, OSU campus areas, Clintonville, Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights, much of German Village and Bexley.

religious services

Broad Street in Downtown Columbus is home to a number of Christian churches of considerable historic and architectural interest, including First Congregational United Church of Christ (http://www.first-church.org/), where Washington Gladden , a pioneer in the Social Gospel movement, preached from 1882-1918. Both First Congregational and the nearby Catholic cathedral, St. Joseph's (http://www.saintjosephcat...), offer a range of special services and concerts throughout the year.

Jews can attend services at Congregation Beth Tikvah (http://bethtikvahcolumbus.org/), while Muslims can attend the Islamic Society (http://isgc.org/main/).

law enforcement

In the Columbus area, you will find a variety of Law Enforcement that includes Ohio State Patrol, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff, local Police depts., in Dublin, Westerville and other local municipalities to name a few. Usually, they are what one would expect from law enforcement as far as being professional, polite and helpful. They are well trained and compensated, very good at crowd control and traffic control. Be polite, respectful and you will have few problems with them. Most have cameras in cars, do not offer any bribes of anything and keep in mind you are likely being video recorded.

smoking

Ohioans passed "SmokeFree Ohio" ballot measure in 2006 banning smoking in most public areas with very few exceptions. Some hotels, motels, or other lodging facilities may have special smoking rooms that are permitted under the new law. The law forbids restaurants and bars from allowing smoking on premises, unless they have an outdoor patio. Some private clubs, such as AmVets, Eagles, Moose, and similar establishments have been slower to enforce the smoking ban, especially in the outskirts of the city.