Old North Columbus is one of the best C-bus neighborhoods around, arguably the best for its great variety of restaurants, bars, and retail along with a mixed residential base from all walks of life. The sub-neighborhoods consist of: Washington Beach, Washington Bluffs, Awesome Town, SoHud, and Glen Echo South. The tour starts with the main drag on centered on High St, just like the rest of Columbus' worthwhile hoods. The difference is that unlike the Short North, German Village and recently Downtown, it's basically gentrification-free: you won't find yuppie filled martini bars or untucked dress shirts and jeans and drunk girls in short skirts stumbling around after a few too many cosmos and mojitos making their way up here. It's an old-school urban neighborhood that isn't particularly well-off, but many people here know how to have fun and are eating well.
MAP
Arch City.
Just another day in the neighborhood.
The Library, as is the case in Minneapolis, is actually a bar (this one is hands down the better of the two).
Kafe Kerouac: coffeeshop, bookstore, record shop, with DJ's on some Saturdays.
Notice that the Asian language on the window is Korean, not Japanese.
Taj Bar is great: live music, Indian food, and Indian beers. You go upstairs and it's a converted living room with double sliding doors.
Alana's is one of the best restaurants in the city. Trained under Emeril, you know.
Hear good things, but still haven't been for some reason.
Blue Nile also has a lunch buffet. I recommend it.
Johnny Oak's: the real deal. *Update* Sadly, the only cajun joint around specializing in po'boys no longer has a brick and mortar restaurant: you have to go a couple miles Downtown to find their truck. I think they have alligator sometimes and the menu is daily and has more variety.
Most popular hookah lounge.
Weird building.
Faye's has مواد غذائية عربية
...Across the the street.
Why not?
The Dube. An evening diner must.
A couple of retail spots were built out from the front of North Campus Video.
A slice of suburban heaven.
Jack & Benny's is a breakfast fave. I just can't get up early enough.
The two spots on the right were casualties of months long road/sewage improvements.
You read right.
Sunflower also couldn't withstand the lengthy sewer/road improvements.
Miani's with a different name. *Update* Sloopy's is no more, thank God. The northernmost outpost for bro douchebags has been replaced by a new live music venue with a chill crowd (neighborhood locals vs. lowest common denominator dorm rats) and some great beers on tap.
Hounddog's Pizza (some of the best in the city) and Ravari Room: a part of a good night out.
Ooh, a CVS.
Something new.
What a shame. *Update* A much higher quality and local burger joint, indisputably better than Five Guys, opened up here and has been thriving.
End of the line!
Before heading out east to the little, but compelling, commercial nodes tucked away from the main drag we'll take a little detour in Glen Echo South which is a residential area adjacent to locales on Summit St. It's right up against Glen Echo Park which has a small ravine for those who need a little escape from the mostly flat landscape.
The eastern interior of Old North Columbus centered on Summit St boasts some great destinations for those venturing off of High St. Here we head off of High down Duncan St to up Indianola to Arcadia and down Summit where you come across SoHud and Washington Beach. Further south is Iuka Ravine which is a rarity in the area for its relative peace & quiet and being not flat at all.
Yes, Ledo's makes pizza. Never had it and likely never will. *Update* Mikey's Late Night Slice moved in and although I never had Ledo's there's no doubt it was an improvement: they're sticking to just doing the bar thing.
New shisha place for OSU fans.
Very divey bar. Turns out it's a gay bar, despite the description I found that it has "mixed" crowd, unless they meant different kinds of gay guys.
A former commercial space perhaps?
Duncan is lined with speed humps. I don't need to slow down on my bike, but the parts of the edges have eroded from this winter leaving small potholes.
Driver who went out of their way to block the wheelchair ramp. What a dick.
A typical residential street off of Duncan.
Another random commercial space on Duncan.
Now we're on Indianola.
Couple shots of Glen Echo.
Downtown SoHud.
Wild Goose Creative hosts a wide variety of events.
Old school dive bar from the not-so-good old days.
A little corner park.
Downtown Washington Beach
Night shot.
Extreme Weiners operates inside of local dive bar Cafe Bourbon Street (you know it's a dive when the ceiling panels are falling on patrons) and it's worth it: they even make some tasty falafel tacos.
Now a few shots of Iuka Ravine from Indianola. See? Columbus is not flat as a pancake (in parts).
And lastly Ruby Tuesday. No, not the chain: this is much better, but they serve live music and booze. I think there's a menu, but I forget (it's been a little while). Cash only.
Hope you enjoyed!
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