Building this park in the place of the old City Center Mall was a great idea. It's a really nice green space in the middle of downtown. As a park, I think Columbus Commons accomplishes its intended goals. This park also hosts numerous events throughout the year... and the way the events are run, is what disappoints me. Whether it's the Slice of Columbus (which was 2 days ago), the Food Truck festival, or one of the Columbus Symphony Picnic with the Pops concert series, they always oversell the event. At the Slice of Columbus this year, each pizza joint had a line 50~75 people deep. At the Food Truck Festival, I had to wait 40 minutes to get a grilled cheese from the Cheesy Truck. It's just too crowded! If you hate overcrowding and lines out the wazoo, you won't like the events here. Otherwise, I really like Columbus Commons... hopefully whoever that runs events at this park will come to their senses and work out a plan to alleviate the overcrowding before I get fed up and stop going all together. Columbus is a growing city and without adjustments, events here will only get more and more overcrowded. read more

What do humans and livestock have i n common? The answer to that question is the fondness of large green acres of grass. Well, Columbus Commons has 6 acres of grass most of which is beautifully manicured space with flower gardens, statuary, benches and near by splash pad fountains in downtown Columbus. You got to check-out their website for the latest listing of special events many of which are free. Margarita Fest for all you Jimmy Buffet fans, Harmony Project for you concert fans and Picnic with Pops featuring the music of Pink Floyd to mention a few previous events. What else does the Commons have to offer, free fitness classes, holiday decorations, movies, Zumba, Thursday Food trucks and fun family Fridays. There are many food trucks with a diversity of food choices like Jamaican, Korean, Southern Fried Chicken to Maine Lobsters. Parking is relatively easy and bathrooms are on the premise. The Commons is a showcase for what green space can be in an inner city environment. read more

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This is a great green space for events downtown. There are a lot of nice touches here - a couple of small restaurants, a carousel, a Bicentennial Pavilion to host shows and concerts, gardens, and a new electronic playground. In warmer weather, there is a food truck food court, regular kids events in the Commons for Kids series, and an outdoor reading room. Be sure to check out what events are running, like the recent Holiday Fair, which filled the park with festive fun, a concert, food trucks, and lots and lots of lights! read more

Yes, I've brought former Columbus residents here to see what happened to City Center. It was so nice when it was just a park. I'm disappointed they are building apartments/condos after the initial work they did to build the park. I went to the Picnic with the Pops featuring Natalie Merchant this past summer. I followed the "rules" and brought a blanket only to find out nearly everyone else brought lawn chairs. So much for the landscaping! The layout is pretty good and while some areas were crowded for the concert, there were isolated pockets where people could visit with one another while listening to the music. The restroom by Mikey's Late Night Slice and Jen's Splendid Ice Creams was clean. I'm sure that was no easy feat with the number of people there for the concert. read more

Stopped in here on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and it was a lot of fun. Shadowbox was there giving a free concert that night. We brought our chairs and sat along with hundreds of other folks to watch a concert. We grabbed some ice cream at Jeni's and enjoyed the concert. Great place to hang out with friends! read more

Columbus Commons - Parks Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

In an impromptu trip to Columbus, stumbled upon a free concert that this little nook just happened to host. It was just a block away from my hotel so didn't have to worry about parking. The entire park looked like it was new. We probably sat about 300 feet from concert stage and could hear and see the group very well. At the very back of the park, there were about 5 or 6 gourmet food trucks which I would have eaten had we not had dinner before. For restrooms there were about 10 port-o-potties which did not make me throw up in my mouth. Smell was neutral for a refreshing change. The weather was perfect, all in all made for a delightful night outside. read more

Columbus Commons - Parks Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I am newer to the Columbus area, and this was my first time going to the Christmas lights set up this weekend. It is a beautiful space, and super fun to have. It's very neatly upkeept, and the ideas that went into it are neat. BUT I have to say I was disappointed with the Christmas lights. I drove down there, and half of them weren't lit! The awful thing is, this is the first week they were turned on!! I expected better for opening week of the Christmas lights. The Christmas tree, the center of the lights display, wasn't even fully lit. A cute photo opportunity was ruined by the tree. Not to mention that half of the other displays weren't lit either. I won't be too hard on them since we are in the middle of a pandemic, but I just had to say I was disappointed. If anyone is considering going here soon, I recommend waiting until they fix all the lights. Merry Christmas y'all! read more

Columbus Commons - Parks Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

What an absolutely beautiful green space in the heart of downtown Columbus. I was at a conference at the Westin, and they conference encouraged us to go over and enjoy lunch at the commons, which I'm so glad they did. This space is huge and beautiful. I grabbed lunch at one of their many food trucks one day, then at Taquero the next day and they were both SO good. I can't wait to come to another event or concert at the Columbus commons! read more

CC is cool as long as there's something there to do. Not really a place you just go to unless you want to take the kiddies to the carousel. I woke up at the Sheraton to a bunch of loud music and saw about 20 people at the Commons doing organized aerobics. There's plenty of parking all over the place...underground parking underneath the Commons and parking in front of the grounds in garages. read more

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I went to Columbus Commons Grand Opening today, though it was rainy on and off, there were quite of people that showed up, including our awesome Yelp Manager - Christina and her pup, Toby! I was really impressed with the job they've done; I've never seen what this place looked like before, but they did a mighty fine job re-shaping it. Columbus Commons has a open field in the middle where you can bring your children and pets to play, chill out and just relax reading a book, step out of the office and to catch some lunch, or if you just want some fresh air. I have to say, it's really clean and spacious and open. I wish it wasn't raining, they'd be more attractions and people there today. I can see Columbus Commons being the place to hold festivals, outdoor events, or an easy meet up spot. I think this is a great add-on for Columbus and will be the park to be at! Be back soon... probably when it's more sunny and warmer ^^;; read more

Hip, hip hooray for this great green space in downtown Columbus. Here are a few of my favorite things... -Outdoor seating and plenty of space for a picnic -Burgers, Dogs and Fries serves up just that, and milkshakes -Free fitness classes -Gorgeous carousel -Great event space, I love attending events here and seeing so many people enjoy downtown -Larger than life decorations for the holiday season If you haven't been, I definitely recommend making a trip to the Commons this summer! The only thing missing is shade. Unfortunately the park doesn't appeal to a pale person like myself on a hot and sunny day. read more

Over the past few years, I've watched the transformation of the Columbus Commons after it was City Center slowly become smaller and smaller. With the Highpoint apartments now built, you can't see the Commons from High St. anymore, and once the new building at the Southeast corner of the green space goes up, you won't be able to really see it at all unless you drive down Rich. That's okay though, because it's still an urban oasis in a quickly growing downtown scene. Besides the nice change of scenery the Commons have a few great things to offer: - Free concerts throughout the Summer and Fall. I saw Gin Blossoms last year, and while they may not have put on a great show, the venue and stage were great. - Food truck court every Thursday running from May to the end of September. This year you can find Aromaku, Blue Olive, Mikey's Late Night Slice, Mixing Bowl Asian Grill, Paddy Wagon, Pitabilities, Red Plate Blue Plate and Schmidt's Sausage Truck as main stays in the Commons. They also have two rotating food trucks each month so be sure to check out the website. - Tortilla is serving out great Mexican at their permanent location in the Commons along with a Jeni's Scoop Shop directly across from it. On top of all this, it's a nice place to chill for people working downtown trying to get away from the busy streets. There's a carousel and giant Chess at the Southern end as well as a bunch of chairs and tables to sit and relax or eat your lunch. If you're downtown, you're well aware that this is here, but if you're looking for a cool little park and just passing through, be sure to check it out, especially on Thursdays! read more

Aside from the fact that I feel a little bit of my soul died when the city center was torn down, I am glad that the city created the commons on this hallowed ground so I can continue to enjoy it, and relive memories of Christmas shopping, writing letters to Santa, and eating Steak Escape and Cinnabon with my mom. Ok, that's enough nostalgia for one review. I love everything about the Commons. It brings people together. From the food truck lunch hours and festivals, to kickball, movies on the lawn, downtown live (free local music? yesssss!), and all of the amazing FREE fitness classes, this place has it all! Imagine yourself on a segway tour of a city, and you roll right through a park full of a couple hundred people all in the middle of a sun salutation during a free yoga class. Petty freakin awesome, right? This happened a couple of Saturdays ago- I thought it was funny, having segways rolling right through our super zen yoga practice (hehehe) but I thought to myself what a great way to see our city! I could really go on and on about how much Columbus Commons makes me proud to be a resident of this city, but just go and enjoy some of the awesomeness for yourself! read more

I love this park, and I think it's just what the revamped downtown area needs. For anyone who hasn't been in awhile, I suggest to GO AGAIN! There's been a lot of great additions and improvements to the park over the past year-- it's been great to watch it grow. I walk through the park every day, and I am so glad this is part of my commute. First, the plantings are gorgeous. The Franklin Park Conservatory designers handle the landscaping, I think, and I am constantly impressed with how they come in and replace the seasonal flowers and shrubs quickly and beautifully. This year boasts an amazing new outdoor theater space. I remember being baffled while I watched the construction (what the heck is taking so long?!), but the new stage is much more than I thought it would be: Lighting, roof, megatrons. Also new this year (I think?): GIANT CHESS! Along with the established carousel, the park gets a whimsical feel. Also, a bocce pit. There's an outdoor "reading room" with free wifi. Come and do your work outside. I encourage you to check their website for events. This park is fabulous for all the regular events as well as special events. Last summer there was a Food Truck lunch every Thursday, live music on Fridays. Different days of the week also had free athletic events, like yoga, bootcamp, and cornhole tourneys (if you call that athletic). Every now and then, there'd be some kind of free lunch (Bob Evans and Subway, for instance, at a Columbus Crew rally). Pack a lunch for a picnic, or purchase from the Burgers, Dogs, and Fries booth (or just get a rootbeer float!). I honestly don't know what more anyone could want (or do differently, or add) from a park downtown of this size. For just visiting the park as an isolated experience, I might have given it a 3 or 4 star review. However, as I've "gotten to know" it via working adjacent to the park, I honestly feel that it's as good as it gets. I love how it grows with and engages the community. Speaking of community-- I hear the Pelotonia route starts from here this year. While I love the park and will be participating, I'm leery of Pelotonia being able to fit within one city block. read more

The Columbus Commons rocks my socks off! There are a ton of free events here and they are all family friendly!!! Seriously- no matter what you are into.....maybe beer - maybe kickass local music - maybe food trucks (or the permanent Jeni's or Mikey's options) - maybe you are into early as all get out free fitness classes - maybe its outdoor movies at dusk - maybe it's your toes in plush sticker-free grass or oversized chess games or carousel rides.....you get my drift! If you haven't enjoyed any of what the Commons has to offer.....that's your bad!!! read more

I'm so impressed with Columbus Commons! I recently went down there for one of their free Thursday concerts at 5:30pm. There were kids reading in the reading corner or riding on the carousel, families sitting at tables and on the ground listening, and everyone else spending time on the lawn. The only bummer was that it takes A LONG time to get down High Street right after work. If you live relatively close, just walk or ride your bike down there! read more

With me, it comes downtown the point that Columbus built this green-space park smack downtown (awesome, cause we didn't have any others to showcase), then turned around and built a quite bland apartment building that takes up almost half of the urban park. That's what has knocked my review from four-star worthy to three. This made me quite irked. Why? The city (aka, the mayor) had to push quite hard to get the had-been downtown mall space torn down, and green to fill the area. Signed it into fruition with the clause to build the apartment building? Ugh! And I can't help mention the design esthetic of the outside building is pretty poorly executed. I'm done venting. The physical grass space is nice. Trees of course will take several years to provide substantial shade. But, nonetheless, the flowers and shrubs help. The few permanent food establishments are positioned where tables and chairs are spread around a small-pebbles area. A giant stage is at the other end of the rectangle park. Room for music festivals, art shows, music concerts, etc. I am extremely glad this space is reserved for the green environment, and not a parking garage or condo building! read more

I was skeptical when the plans for The Commons were unveiled. I actually gotta say it's lovely and a pleasant spot to visit within walking distance of my office. Well done Columbus. read more

I wasn't a Cbusr when City Center was the place to be -- so, I was so happy to learn that the location would be turned into a city park. I finally had a chance to make it to the Columbus Commons today and I was not disappointed at all. The grass is green and beautiful -- which is great. Unlike other downtown areas, Columbus has quite a bit of grass, which I think is important. Aside from the great grass, the developers and organizers have gone above and beyond to find attractions and activities to bring people to the space. Here are some of the perks that will keep me coming back. -Easy to find underground parking and street parking -Reading materials provided by the award wining Columbus Metro Library -Ample seating with umbrellas -- I appreciate the dedication to shade -Sports leagues and different pick up games each week (It was competitive ultimate frisbee which is not my speed, but I'm willing to try again for something I would like). -Concerts --Free -Kickboxing Wednesdays--Free too! -A carousel -- which I was totally shocked to see and pleasantly surprised. Although I'm not a fan or parking structures because they always seem to charge way too much -- the fact that so many of the quality activities are free really makes up for it in my mind. Overall -- a great urban park and I cannot wait to get down there again! read more

Columbus Commons is a lovely park located downtown where the former City Center Mall used to be. The park features gardens, a carousel and a performance stage. There are two places to eat that I believe are there most of the time (Jeni's Ice Cream and a taco truck - not sure of the name). There are also other local food trucks that rotate being there, especially during concerts. Those food trucks include Cupzilla Korean Barbecue, Cousins Maine Lobster, and Ena's Jamaican Grill just to name a few. If you live in Columbus and haven't been here, you have to make your way downtown for one of the summer concerts (I recently saw Harmony Project there). It's a great open space with plenty of room for seating with lawn chairs, delicious local foods all around, and a great summer music series. read more

All the hype about this place had me purty excited to finally experience this park. The parking underneath the commons was fairly cheap and convenient. The actual park was so....boring. Just a giant open area with grass. Lots of grass and not much else. I would have liked to see more foliage and flowers about. More trees would be nice. There was a carousel that wasn't open at lunch time on a weekday. There was also a stage area with nothin going on at that time. The only food available was from Burgers, Dogs, and Fries. I kind of hate that joint. Boring food. This place seems to be a great VENUE for events and I'm aware of the scheduled free classes and whatnot that happen here, but to visit this park just as a park on a weekday = BORING read more

Although small, the Commons is a park that packs in a ton of fun! Lots of seating throughout, well maintained gardens to view and generally lots of activities during the warm weather months. If you're in the mood for a serene walk through nature, try one of the metro parks instead. If a buzzing, vibrant city scene is your style, you'll love this park! read more

Dog poop and needles on ground everywhere. I won't be going back. Strolled through last week when we were in the area.

This park is within walking distance to my apartment and I LOVE IT. I love how local businesses sell their food and there is so much green space. Great use of tax dollars. I wish we had more options like this. I can't get over how happy it makes me to see green when I am driving downtown in the city. I would recommend parking after five so you don't have to pay to park downtown! read more

I went to the Holiday Fair Friday night with my kids and grandkids. I was disappointed in the long lines in the darkness. We bought my 4 yr old granddaughter a $5 wristband for the rides, then stood in line for 20 minutes to see Santa. That was nice, except it was in the dark, by the lit tree, and they did not offer photos, like last year (when it was in a tent). It was DIY photo time. The lines for the carousel, and train ride were very long, so the $5 was not well spent. There were not enough food options and again, those lines were very long. We did not find the free cocoa that was offered last year. An event for kids should be better organized. Kids don't wait well in line... :-) read more

Have been to CC before to check out ornaments and lights during the Xmas holidays(recommend, not as crowded as other places), today ventured there for Taco Tuesday, which is basically a collection of Food Trucks that gather in the commons and provide lunch choices for the workers downtown and others who visit....The trucks park right by the Jeni's ice cream and Tortilla storefronts (permanent food choices at CC)....got there around 11, and crowd was light, ventured and checked out all the choices....decided on a barbecue burrito ($9, don't remember name of truck but it was green LOL), condiments a plenty at truck, sat down at one of the many seats and tables scattered around commons and enjoyed my burrito....I would say burrito was very good, especially enjoyed chorizo which a bit charred/blackened, burrito came with a white sauce and and a bit of pico de gallo on top....delicious....took kids to TT, since they have a Carousel, rode the Carousel and my kids enjoyed, did have a bad experience with one of the attendants of the Carousel, which is gonna take a star away, not gonna get into specifics, but attendant was very rude, and frankly was unprofessional....still, recommend going down to the commons for Taco Tuesdays/Taco Trucks...nice enjoyable lunch on a beautiful summer afternoon....warning, if you get to the truck after 12, the lines start to form so be warned...also, if you are visiting and don't work downtown, expect to park in a garage, street parking limited....enjoy... read more

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Love Columbus Commons! Great replacement to City Center Mall, especially because my favorite Mexican fare, Tortilla Street Food, is there! read more

Columbus Commons - Parks Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Love this open space downtown. You can see what everyone else has said about the amenities an it's pretty much all true. My only nit? Went here for an event not too long ago and was seated in one of their bistro chairs for a couple of hours. My god, what an uncomfortable chair. It's not just that it's not comfortable, it causes discomfort. I would go down here and work on more sunny days if I weren't faced with sitting in one of those chairs (and also if I had a new laptop battery which I need to remedy soon). read more

I just got to see one of my favorite artists of all time and it was pretty much ruined because this is such a terribly designed venue for music. I would never suggest going to see a concert here UNLESS you have a super close seat. We sat along the fence of the second section (general admission 2) and there was an extremely rude group of people that stood the entire show, mind you they were the only ones standing up in our are. (Also, in this section people walk in front of you the entire show, so that's super distracting also) We asked the security guards multiple times to have them sit down and they would ask them to sit and the group of people would just argue back and laugh in the security officers faces. Security did not enforce anything, which led to a lot of anger and harsh words back and forth between those of us that couldn't see and the group of egotistic and disrespectful people that refused to sit down. So A. Beautiful venue but Terribly designed, if you can't get a ticket in the front sections, you might as well forget about buying tickets. At this particular show the big screens were not turned on so you literally couldn't see at all. B. Security seemed too afraid to do their job and be authoritative and dissolved an issue which could have easily turned into a fight. C. The sound was great, band sounded amazing (or what I could enjoy of it) 2 thumbs down, go see your favorite artist elsewhere. read more

Update: Columbus Commons looks pretty cool with the Christmas decorations. Perfect for a romantic stroll, and when I stopped by the other night they even had the carousel on. read more

Columbus Commons - Christmas at the Commons. - Parks Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Great place to see a concert! Almost surreal with all of the buildings surrounding you. A nice big open park with plenty of room for lots of activities. The sound system for concerts is GREAT. It's a very convenient location and there is parking right across the street! read more

I was down at Columbus Commons today for a few hours, and it is really nice! There was a lot of people, and I'm excited that Columbus finally has a park downtown! I hope they do some events down there and people take pride in this park. It would be really sad to see it left unattended. But if you work downtown you are so lucky to be close enough for lunch. It was nice to see people downtown on the weekend, if you get a chance definitely take a stroll through Columbus Commons. read more

I really like this place. My daughter rode on the carousel and ran around on the giant chess set. Lots of nice grass. It's really green. Greener than Kermit, I think. Well, it's close. Maybe Kermit is a bit more green. Barely. It's not easy being green, but Columbus Commons manages just fine, thank you. read more

A lovely park that keeps getting better. This park offers fantastic downtown amenities: cheap parking, open green space, interesting and rotating food options, outdoor entertainment, and a carousel. It's a wonderful little oasis in the middle of Columbus concrete jungle. I fully expect that this park will only get better as development around it continues. For now, though, it's a lovely space to spend a lunch hour or a coffee break. read more

Tonight is my first time visiting the Columbus Commons, and so far I have to say that I'm just blown away! This is an absolutely gorgeous park, situated right in the center of Columbus with the buildings of the skyline rising up to the sky all around you. The park is ringed by beautiful landscaping and a very cool, modern stage works as a focal point at the front. The food trucks offer a unique and local dining experience, and there are plenty of activities for children covering the range from a carousel to a human-sized chess board to corn hole! Easy access to plentiful parking makes the park accessible, and the entertainment will keep you coming back. Make sure to round out your night with a few scoops of Jenis ice cream! My only complaint is that restrooms are limited to porta-johns, but that's not too unexpected for an open area like a park. read more

The Columbus Commons is a fantastic addition of open green space inside Downtown, replacing the former City Center. with wide lanes for walking, a good amount of landscaping and gardens, and access to several downtown shops as well as the on-site food, it's a great place to spend some time during your day to get a walk in or take a break while running around. My only disappointment is A) cost of parking (it's not bad, but it's not great, either), and the fact that I wish it was just a bit bigger - if you want to walk the park for exercise, you're going to be doing a lot of fairly small circuits compared to larger areas like Goodale or Schiller Parks. Still, for what it is, it's a wonderful place and I'm glad to see it completed! read more

Having the Commons downtown is great, and activities there this summer should be wonderful too. Its a great, green space with beautiful gardens very handy to my apartment. I'm very concerned about how the planned line of apartments along High Street (beginning construction summer 2012) will change the character of the place. It really makes no sense to me, given all the vacancy and other planned development downtown. I realize it has much to do with money, but its a shame it will impact this great resource. read more

Columbus Commons - Pavilion - Parks Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Awesome park! There's a merry-go-round (adults are allowed, btw), Mikey's Late Night Slice, and Jeni's. There's a big stage for concerts (saw Richard Marx here recently...great show), lawn bowling, pretty gardens. There's a lot of green space and place to spread a blanket and have a picnic. There's a giant chess board, and some odd game with blinking lights that you need to see for yourself. Many cool festivals and events are held at the park, so find the schedule and check it out. read more

It's quite a park even if the rain put a damper on things today. read more

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This park comes with programming. That is what makes it a destination and brings me back on a weekly basis. On Wednesdays at lunch time they have local businesses come in and do a cooking demonstration. My son and I attended the Three Babes and A Baker demonstration and received a free cupcake and scoop of ice cream! They have days devoted to kids so my son comes out and plays soccer, frisbee and does the parachute thing with dozens of kids. If you watch carefully, they have days where the carousel is free to ride. We love to bike up there. Bike parking is free parking, even downtown! I love having the ability to take my son downtown, to see all the big buildings and play in a safe, large, grassy area in the middle of everything. Besides all that they have surprisingly good food for their little vending areas. There is free wi-fi, lawn games, picnic tables with umbrellas and it's a great place to listen to music when they bring it in. One thing that would be a huge improvement would be a little shade. It's been uncharacteristically hot lately and the sun really beats down on you. Luckily it's only a block away from the Bicentennial fountains so you don't have an excuse to not go. read more