Symposium Venue
- The symposium will be held at the Ohio Union
Getting Here
- From the Airport
- Uber, Lyft, and local taxi companies – rate is around $20-30
- Parking near the Conference Venue
- Public transit
- Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) :: COTA routes 1 and 2 have frequent service (15 minute headway) along High Street. The stop for the Ohio Union is at High St and 13th Ave.
- Bikeshare
- CoGo bike share :: offers classic bikes and e-bikes (look for the pink wheels)
- Walking
- It is a 1.5 mile walk (33 minutes) from the intersection of High and Buttles (in the heart of the Short North, near The Graduate Hotel) to the Ohio Union. It is generally a safe area, although one might not to walk alone at night, or at all during bar closing time (1am-2am)
Hotel information
There is convenient bus service between the hotels in the Short North and Arena District neighborhoods and the conference site at the Ohio Union. In particular, COTA bus routes #1 and #2 run frequent service (15 minutes or less) on High Street from 5AM – 11PM Mon-Fri, with stops in front of the Ohio Union. You can pay cash ($2 per ride) but we recommend using the TransitApp. See: https://www.cota.com/riding-cota/how-to-ride/
Short North/Arena District Hotels:
- Hampton Inn & Suites Columbus – Downtown
- 501 N. High St., Columbus, OH; Nightly rate (may vary based on availability) : $169 (single occupancy; $15 fee per person for additional guests)
- Call 614-559-2000 if there are issues with getting the $169 rate using the link above. Mention UCGIS room block.
- The Graduate Columbus
- 750 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215
- Nightly rate: $173-$197 (date dependent) (single or double occupancy)
- Register as a guest of The Ohio State University
- Hilton Columbus Downtown
- 402 N. High St., Columbus, OHNightly rate: $216 (single or double occupancy; parking extra)
Other hotels within easy driving distance to campus (on-campus parking information provided above):
- TownePlace Suites by Marriott Columbus North-OSU
- 1640 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, OH 43221
- Nightly rate: $137 (single or double occupancy; daily parking $5.92)
- Aloft Columbus University District
- 1295 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43212
- Nightly rate: $148-$161 (single or double occupancy; complimentary on-site parking
- Hyatt House Columbus/OSU Short North
- 633 West 5th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
- Nightly rate: $166-$169 (single or double occupancy; complimentary on-site parking)
Other area hotels may also accept government/GSA rates ($122) if you are eligible for those.
Restaurants/coffee
Campus Area
There are numerous restaurants near campus that cater to students. Some highlights
- Roots Natural Kitchen :: salads
- Barrio :: tacos
- Heirloom Café (in the Wexner Center for the Arts)
- Shawarma Bite :: 12 East 16th Ave
- Diaspora :: Korean
- Alqueria :: farm to table
Short North
- Brassica :: Mediterranean bowls and salads (680 N High)
- Condado :: tacos (1227 N High St)
- 1126 :: Japanese
- Domo :: Japanese
- Hubbard Grille :: American
- Arch City :: gastropub
- Northstar :: breakfast, lunch, dinner (951 N High)
- Forno :: pizza
- Wine on High :: wine, nibbles from Hubbard Grille next door
- The Pearl :: gastropub
- One Line :: coffee
- Hireath :: farm to fire to table
- Plas :: approachable fine-dining
- Rooh :: progressive Indian
Downtown/Arena District
- Wolf Ridge Brewing
- Jackie-O’s on Fourth :: brewpub with rooftop and garden in a beautifully renovated 1910 building, with Goood Friends (no typo) Midwestern food
- Speck :: Italian
- North Market
Italian Village
- Budd Dairy Food Hall
- Seventh Son Brewing :: daily food truck
German Village
- Bistrolino :: Italian/Lebanese
- Lindey’s :: old school
Victorian Village
Franklinton
Taft’s Brewporium :: brewpub and New Haven style pizza
Things to See/Do
General information and events
Neighborhoods
- Franklinton :: The first European settlement of Columbus (1797) – a once repeatedly flooded industrial neighborhood, now a happening arts district. Also features a great beer garden at Land Grant Brewing.
- German Village :: The Georgetown of Columbus – brick homes, shops and streets. Good restaurants, coffee houses, small shops, beautiful Schiller Park, and a famous 32- room bookshop.
- Short North Arts District :: More entertainment than arts district at this point, but good options for food, drink and shopping.
- Victorian Village:: “…an established neighborhood built when a streetcar line first ran along Neil Avenue around 1900. Columbus Monthly named this neighborhood the top place to live for Arts and Entertainment, with fun right around the corner in the Short North as its neighborhood hangout.”
- Italian Village
Places
- Wexner Center for the Arts (OSU campus)
- Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum (OSU campus)
- Columbus Musuem of Art
- Goodale Park
- Schiller Park
- Franklin Park and Conservatory/Botanical Garden
- Topiary Park :: Georges Seurat’s famous painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte rendered in shrubbery. (Not making that up)
- Scioto Mile :: Award-winning riverfront public space
Rooftop Bars
Information on rooftop bars in Columbus can be found here:
https://www.aol.com/7-columbus-restaurants-bars-offer-100414582.html
Live Music
- Ginger Rabbit :: jazz; must book in advance!
- Natalie’s Grandview :: Excellent live music venue with a bar side and a dinner theater side – good food! Must book in advance!
- Woodlands Tavern :: jam band central
Activities
- Central Ohio Greenways :: Great rail-trail system, and connects to the cross-state Ohio to Erie trail
- Scioto Audobon outdoor climbing wall
- Quarry Trails :: home of the world’s first urban Via Ferrata
