Came here to view an art exhibit in a gallery upstairs. But there is a lot more here, and it is…read moreimpressive. Free parking in the lots or garages nearby. A big play area in the lobby, so Kid K and her friends hung out there some. There's also a pool and a workout center on the main floor, plus a track and basketball court upstairs. And more exercise areas, for all I know- it's a big building. Staff were friendly and helpful. The gallery up on the 5th floor has a nice balcony with seating. The whole place is shiny and new and comfortable, with many amenities. There's a small cafe in the lobby, and it sounds like another on maybe the 4th floor? If I were a UA resident I'd be here often. They allow non-residents to use the pool for a fee, and I'm sure other areas too. Many areas are available to rent for meetings or parties, and they have classes in various activities.

The space is large which is awesome! There is an opportunity to create an easier to navigate…read moreschedule of activities. It would also be great if your membership included classes because the classes, leagues, ect are expensive. This can be a good place to work when the WiFi is working but I have stopped in a couple of times and the WiFi wasn't working. I also wish they always had pickleball courts set up.

Great Park. We always go here with the kids to picnic and everything. Plenty of easy parking and…read moreclean facilities.

South Central Columbus city (Driving Park, Mooberry Gardens, Southern Orchards etc) community…read morerecreation center. I nanny part time and one of the kids I nanny attends a summer camp at Driving Park Community Recreation center. The program is staffed by youth (college kids/high school seniors) who are polite and respectful. They take field trips like most summer camps, and occasionally go swimming at the onsite pool & water park! The pool and water park is gorgeous! I was surprised to find this here. Definitely a hidden gem, something special for locals to enjoy. The inside of the recreation is always clean despite any number of kids coming and going, everytime I enter the building or leave the staff are cordial and speak to me. I feel welcomed and safe -- and like my kiddo is in good care. The gym at the center is comparable to a luxury apartment gym; I'm not sure what all is regularly required to access it but I'm sure the staff would be more than happy to answer questions! Columbus Parks & Rec offers a ton of cool and potentially free classes (sometimes spare for a low " materials fee") you just have to search the website after making an account which will sllow you to register for your classes. Wide range of classes from Ceramics, to swimming, acting, STE(A)M -- which is Science technology art and mathematics for kids and more!

Came here for a graduation. It's a former school building, that hosts various social services and…read moreevents, etc. Adult education, daycare, career classes, addiction services, and more. It's a joint project of the city, county, and various non-profits. We went to the fairly small gym for the graduation. Very nice inside, with a stage, and enough room for a basketball court. Sound and lighting was good for this sort of event. Staff were helpful and friendly.

The enCORE House was designed by students at the Ohio State University for the Solar Decathleon…read more2011, where it placed 5th. After the event, it was moved to its current location amongst the extended gardens at Chadwick Arboretum. It has a lakeside location in Arboretum North. The house has an interesting combination of features to show how sustainable design can be used inside and outside of a home to better work with the environment. There are a variety of plaques on the interior that give a rundown of these elements, and if you're fortunate to be there when it is open for tours, the volunteers are great at answering questions and providing a general overview. There are also recordings available on their website that provide similar information. A very neat place to check out!

I came on a Friday evening after hours for a fundraiser and we mostly stayed on the second level…read more Still, it was a lot larger than I thought! Very open space and lots of wood. Long tables and offices. Couches, a huge case of stairs for you to sit and study on in the middle of one huge room, and Stauf's downstairs. Very cool! Would love to come back here for another event!

The Columbus Idea Foundry is such an amazing concept and opportunity for the members of our…read morecommunity. The Idea Foundry defines itself as a community of makers, designed to help you explore new ideas and unleash your passion to make things. It is a place for creative people to gather, work on their projects, bounce ideas off of and support others. They also offer a multitude of classes to the community. We decided to sign up for "Woodshop Orientation A: Table Saw, Miter Saw, Jointer & Planer" in the hopes that it would help us with our first home project. The cost is $90 per person for non members. Yes, you can become a member but I'm not going to get into all that info in this review. If you want more info on that, check out their website. When we arrived on a Saturday morning, our class was given a mini tour of the foundry. Then we went into the workshop that they utilize as their classroom. There was one instructor for our small class of 9 people. I appreciated that the class was small. I also enjoyed the instructors vast knowledge and concern for woodshop safety. In fact, maybe the class should have been named Woodshop Safety 101. We went through the class with one piece of wood, starting by making a cut with the miter saw, and working out way through the use of each tool. By the end of the class we had a perfectly cut and planed smaller piece of wood. Ultimately what I think I got from this class was the confidence to use machinery such as the table saw and miter saw on my own. The class gave me a real chance in my adult years to use these tools and I hope that will be helpful for me in the future.

The park has been reviewed, but not just the YMCA. And while it is set in a nice park and is…read morepretty new, this Y is odd. Small. Like, brand new but tiny. Parking is set back a bit to allow for some trees and grass, and a small aviation memorial including a stone for the Challenger crew and a bench for North American Aviation. The building looks big from the front, but is wide though not deep. The workout area faces the front with nice big windows, and looks big- till you realize one wall is a big mirror, and the actual weight/machine area is tiny. Like, smaller than any other Y in town tiny. They have to put some machines in the halls. In a new building? Who designed this? Still, brand new machines in a clean space. Other areas in the building for cooking, daycare, classes, etc. Friendly staff. Just a weird setup, and though I'd come if I lived nearby, it is not worth any kind of trip.

I love the Italian Village Society (IVS) for its good-hearted members and grass-roots efforts. The…read moreVictorian Village Society (VVS) has less of a grass roots feel and may be the more outwardly sophisticated of the two groups. The VVS has a more aesthetically pleasing, though just as outdated, website and a successful, highly touted, ritzy event under its belt: the Victorian Village Tour of Homes and Gardens. The Tour of Homes cost $15 per person, and ticket holders get to browse I think 6 homes and gardens in the neighborhood. The night before the big event, there's this big dinner that costs $100 a head. The VVS also holds an annual Yard Sale that people buzz about weeks in advance. It's one of those where you go with a red wagon and a bottle of wine and spend the entire day turning other people's trash into your treasure. The best thing about the VVS is its ability to spread news. The VVS publishes a monthly paper called the Village Vibe. Residents and business owners can submit articles to the Vibe, and the paper has regular staff writers too. The Vibe keeps people posted about what's happened, what's happening, and what's about to happen. The Vibe is all black and white and consists of about 8 pages of information with a few photos. You can pick one up just about anywhere. I think they print too many copies because I always see outdated extras hanging around in local shops. Recently, the Vibe has been appearing in irregular bi-monthly installments. I'm not so sure what's going on there. The VVS promotes good-neighbor relationships and guides efforts to continuously mark its district as a valuable, historic asset. It helps with some area events, donates grants, and maintains signage. The VVS is also working on making the area greener by teaming up with several other organizations to install bike racks and recycling bins in the Short North.

Rabbi & Rebbetsin Kaltmann have made going to the Mikvah such an uplifting spa experience. From the…read moremoment you walk in you feel the beauty of the mitzvah. It is so beyond any other mikvah experience. The attendant is always friendly, warm, relatable and welcoming unlike some other mikvah experiences I've encountered. Rabbi and Rebbetsin Kaltmann do an amazing job enriching the lives and educating the children of our community. They are the epitome of what leadership looks like. The work done here is inspirational, and is a model for selfless giving.