Plan Your Trip

Symposium Venue

Getting Here

  • From the Airport
    • Uber, Lyft, and local taxi companies – rate is around $20-30
  • Parking
  • Public transit
  • 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):

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

Short North

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

German Village

Victorian Village

  • Stauf’s :: Great coffee in an old church (1334 Neil Ave)
  • Basi :: Italian

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

Live Music

Activities

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