First off thank you Nicole W. for reminding me about this great FREE! publication that I now miss…read moreand want to read again. I picked it up every thursday at myu local grocery stores but also at bookstores, bars or restaurants downtown. Its written well, easygoing and fun, not too stuffy, like I like my newspapers, covering any and everything going on in the area that week. Always a good inspiration for weekend fun ideas, great paper!

I'm a big fan of Columbus Alive. It seems like you see the crew out everywhere, and everyone there…read moreis so young. They give interns a shot, and they hire young writers. It's tough finding a good gig like this when you're young. Kudos to Alive for taking chances on young talent. That aside, Alive is a good read too. The staff seems to be up on all the current events. I like that they cover entertainment, fashions, food, everything every week. My favorite section is the weekly question, which is answered by the staff and by people on the street. The questions are usually fairly bizarre and have hilarious answers. This week: What's your favorite Italian export? Someone answered 'Giada De Laurentiis.' Agreed! I was once caught by the team and asked where the worst place to go for a first date; I said the cemetery and made it into print! Celebrity status? Maybe not, but it was fun. My favorite issue of the year is the Best of Columbus. Everyone in the city votes on all their favorite stuff from best bathroom and best billboard ad to best gyro and best place for live jazz. This issue makes a terrific to-do list.

I never really paid that much attention to Business First. I don't consider myself in their…read moredemographic so I didn't think that neither the publication nor their events would hold my interest. But somehow I ended up on their events email list and saw a breakfast meeting that I thought I would attend. I didn't sign up because I thought it sounded interesting I only signed up because I thought that I might be able to drum up some more business for my agency and clients. From the description of the meeting it sounded like they were just going to try and sell us subscriptions to the paper. But I thought I could sit through an hours sales pitch for the sake of networking. Wow was I proved wrong. The meeting was actually quite helpful and I'm now left with a new respect for the paper and it can help me do my work better. I've read it cover to cover twice now (and I feel another read through coming) and it is well written, relevant to the Columbus market, and something that I can now see myself reading weekly. And at $2 an issue (less expensive subscriptions are available) it's affordable enough that getting quality news won't break the bank. Not only did I learn a ton, but I walked out of there with meetings set up with 5 potential new clients and a lunch meeting to go over story ideas for my clients with one of the reporters. Win - win!

The High Street Neighborhood guide is basically a book of coupons and ads. It comes out twice a…read moreyear and is filled with discounts to businesses in Columbus districts like Merion Village, German Village, the Brewery District, Downtown, the Short North, Clintonville, and more. You'll never hear me complain about coupons. This guide offers some pretty good ones, like $10 off your purchase of $30 or more at Buca di Beppo, buy two get one free on case items at Three Dog Bakery, and free donut with any purchase at Buckeye Donuts. The coupons are all good for six months, at which point you get a new High Street Guide. I've spoken with the publisher before, and he can be pushy and overwhelming, but his guide is really helpful for a recent post-grad who wants to stretch her entertainment budget. There are a few one-two paragraph pieces with some photos and usually one full editorial piece per issue. The writing isn't terrible but leave something to be desired. But, who cares?! You're getting this FREE publication to cut it up anyway.

I like this advertisement magazine but I honestly don't know it's purpose. I mean, there are a ton…read moreof websites with the same info out there in 2018. I'm not sure what company would pay for an ad in a book when there are so many search engines on the internet. Anyways, the book is colorful and full of pictures of properties for rent. It has the basic info about the property and most of the time, some specials or deals. If you're the kind that likes to read in a paper and not a computer screen, this could be of benefit.

Melt Magazine is a pocket-sized arts and entertainment magazine published in Columbus and…read moredistributed for free. I see it all around campus- in dorms, commons, and shops in the area. It's a cute little magazine. It's colorful and glossy and therefore chock full of advertisements. The space left for magazine content is used wisely, in my opinion: lots of visual data with small blurbs and short articles. It makes sense for a magazine this small- a short review of a concert, for instance, is perfectly fine when it has half a dozen pics of the event on the facing page. It's got a fair share of typos and misspellings, but Melt isn't half bad. I'd skip their video game reviews, though- it seems to be written either by someone who isn't a gamer or somebody who is trying awfully hard to appeal to a non-gaming crowd. Horrible. I mean, hey, it's free. That's about the best review anything could have, right?

Melt sent a friend request on Facebook and I went ahead n friended them…read more Not a bad little publication. Good info on movies, clubs and bands. (Social D and Rev. Horton Heat, hells yes) Worth checking out for entertainment info.

'Collective for Women' is the periodical publication from the same group that publishes 'The…read moreWomen's Book' which highlights directories of local women leaders and resources. It is published 3 times a year (March, June, and December) and is free. A friend picked it up at the Cup O'Joe in the Short North and passed along a copy to me to look over. I think that it has a lot of potential as a niche publication here in Columbus and does a good job of blending regular citizen voices and those of the more 'Columbus Celebrity' types. The cover of the most recent issue has Cheryl Boyce (Executive Director of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health), Andrea Cambern (Channel 10 Anchor), and Dr Theresa Long (Columbus Health Commissioner) but it also includes a dialogue on health featuring every day citizens. Because this is the 1st edition of this magazine, there are still a few growing pains to work through but I would like to see the magazine grow and really become a resource for women in Columbus.

The neighborhood publication. The Village Vibe comes out every month or every two months depending…read moreon the Victorian Village Society's budget. A simple eight-page spread, the Village Vibe has basic editorial about the area and what's going on. It takes submissions from residents and businesses. There are just a few, unobtrusive ads. I find most of the information to be interesting and relevant to me, a district employee. The one section I don't understand is The Sesquipedalian Dumpster Diver. I didn't even know what sesquipedalian meant until I ran across it in this publication and promptly turned to a dictionary. Just to satisfy your curiosity, it means "characterized by the use of long words or containing many letters or syllables." I don't know why they would use such a running title. I guess they think it's clever. But, as a reader, I think it's just hard to grasp. Even after I had grasped it, I didn't want to stay connected. Anyway, it's the chronicles of a Vibe writer who, of course, lives in the neighborhood. There's always a helpful events calendar and a list of common city contacts on the back page. This is a humble publication that is near and dear to me. But, as a slight criticism, I must say they print way too many of these things. I always see them floating around with long-past expiration dates. And the photos need some Photoshopping. This is a black and white publication, and the visuals are always too dark.

Oh yes! First review of----The time and temp number!!!…read more My dumb smartphone became frozen on earphone mode--meaning I couldn't hear anything out the speaker; I could only hear out the earphone jack. After working the problem for a bit I needed a phone number to call to check its status. I remembered back in the old days of the 20th century the time and temp number one called for time and weather info before the internet was born. That would be the perfect number to call to see if my phone was back in order. Did the number still exist? Yes it does! In fact, I did a google search and found this, the yelp listing for the T&T Weatherline. They do have the time and date correct. The weather is on point too. Only downside is you have to listen to the advertisement before hand. So if you want the time or weather and are too lazy to actually press your apps to find out, call this number--nevermind the fact that it takes more work to do than just asking Siri or Alexa, or whoever.