Yet another reason why Columbus is badass? This city is hoppin' with young pros, 10,000 of which…read moretake part in this (not so) little organization - one of the top three young professional networks in the US! Reasons why I love CYP: 1. FREE membership - rather than pay a flat rate per year, you only pay for the events you're interested in attending, many of which only cost $5-$10 dollars and tend to include free food/drinks 2. Variety - CYP events can be seasonal sports leagues, socials, networking breakfasts, movie nights, local cultural events, etc. You name it, CYP's probably got it. They're open to suggestions for new venues and ideas so you never know what will be offered next. 3. Networking - I might be a little biased on this one coming from a PR background, but I LOVE that this group incorporates people from all different professions. Events are a great way to step out of your comfort zone and meet some really interesting people. 4. Leadership and volunteer opportunities - with weekly events and access to hundreds of non-profits, clearly these opportunities will present themselves. They're another great way to access and connect with the community. With so many members, events can be overwhelming at times. The business events can get stuffy sometimes too, but I suppose that's to be expected since I'm probably one of the youngest members in the group (yeah, 22!) Either way, if you're young and looking for fun, networking and sweet experiences in Columbus, you should probably join CYP.

After living in DC and being a part of a very active Young Professionals network, I wished that…read morethere was something similar here in Columbus. Fortunately, the Columbus Young Professionals were just being formed at that time and I hurried to join. Unfortunately, an opportunity opened up for me out of Ohio and I put my membership on hold. Fast-forward 2 years later. I moved back to Columbus and found that the Columbus Young Professionals I had left behind had grown to be one of the premiere young professionals organizations in the country! They hold a nice variety of events so you are bound to find something that you like to do. There are a wide range of members but do be careful of those that see this as a dating club when you are there to network and meet other like minded professionals. I've met many new, wonderful friends in this group...but I've also met some people who restraining orders would be more appropriate. But that's really the case with any group. Just know what you're getting into. Membership is FREE and you only pay for what you do within the group. For example, there is a monthly member dinner which is fee to attend. You just pay for your meal. Other events, such as outings to the Funny Bone, have discounted tickets (normally $30 but $5 for CYP members). They also have volunteer opportunities to help give back to the community. I'm glad to be back and getting back into a group that with over 10,000 members has become the 3rd largest Young Professionals Network in the US!

Very good live music on Friday evenings. Friendly people of all ages. Low cost membership and…read morevolunteer organization. Full bar with many Irish spirits.

Tara Hall is a private clubhouse on the south side of Columbus that hosts the Ancient Order of…read moreHibernians, an organization for Americans of Irish descent. It sometimes opens its doors to the public during special events and music nights. The inside is quite cozy and welcoming- it echoes the feel of a cozy pub in the heart of Ireland. The beer prices are cheap and overall the place is easy-going and relaxed. There's always Irish music on the stereo and happy faces there to welcome you. I'd call or check out their website to find out about public events or membership.

I attended with a member along with 4 of my sons. The ambience was rich with classic architecture…read moreand furnishings of a high-end establishment. The setting was comfortable and afforded cozy interaction within our group despite other patrons doing the same in varied locations. The size of the establishment was larger than anticipated with a separate dining area. I perused the dining menu and was impressed by the offerings. We had one main server who was attentive and knowledgeable about our bourbon inquiries. Other servers didn't ignore us and stopped by to care for our needs. Overall, a great experience. Looking forward to a future dinner engagement!

Loved our visit with our kids (members). This memoirs only venue is very very special. Treated…read morelike royalty!! There is indoor and outdoor seating. I especially like the outdoor seating with the beautiful landscaping and view of the bridge. Indoor seating is very Club Like. We had a very special time. Thanks! Service is definitely their strong point!-

Did nothing for me and took me to court even though they talked allot about the success of their…read moreservice but was never met by one person. They are a scam. Do not believe in the hype. They collect money from you and leave you the first chance they get. Liars. All of them. Stay away!

It was a professional office that had so many positive stories about successes relationships that…read morewere found with the company and all the different services they offered. And then after signing up you're supposed to go through all the profiles (maybe 150 men per 10-15 year age group) and click if you were interested. For $3k or more and they assure you they will help you find a good match... fast forward. I have tried it for just shy of a year. And have never met a single person and only had three messages in my inbox... two from men that could have been my father's age or older and one from a very nice guy but never was asked to meet... then the office moved from Columbus to Cleveland... that's a 3+hr drive. Not worth your time, money, or heart ache

I signed up for this social bowling league not knowing a soul involved with it. After joining and…read moretelling others about it, I've learned in that people either know it by name or have no clue it exists. So let's spread the word about it! My league is at Columbus Square Bowling Palace. Bartenders try to get you your drinks quickly so you can get back to your lane by the next frame. Desk attendees are polite and helpful when picking up shoes or printing off the team scores. Extra time has been added when balls get stuck which prevent the game from continuing. Parking lot is well lit. Restrooms are always clean. This is the first time I've been with Better Off Bowling and I don't think it will be my last. The League President sets the tone but I'll get to that later. The site is fairly easy to use when registering. You can sign up in various ways. One person can make a team and send an invite to people to join. One person can sign everyone up and get reimbursed by team members later. Or you can sign up as an individual and hope for the best. I signed up as an individual and hoped I'd be put on a good team. Not necessarily a high scoring team, just one with friendly people and no creepers. My team ended up being 10 people. There's a max of 8 bowlers that can be on a lane so it made it very interesting the first week we bowled. We were offered several different options on how to reduce the team to 8. That needed some ingenuity and good customer service! The bowlers all have different reasons for joining. It's date night, business networking, meeting singles, making new friends, and so on without pressure to bowl high scores every game. Some people are competitive bowlers and have their own gear. Some want a standing appointment with their friends for doing something. Others just want out of the house and have fun. 90-minutes is on the clock for the teams to bowl. The top 4 scores from a single game count for your team. When playing with complete strangers, be respectful that there's limited time to play, and show up on time. On time would be 10-15 minutes early to pickup shoes, bowl, and drinks so the team can bowl right away. If your team can't play an entire game then you'll end up with low scores and possibly frustrated team members. Where does the social part come in? A few ways. The teams are paired up to answer trivia questions. Prizes for winners! A team captain has to put in the scores; pick a captain or two! After the 90-minutes for bowling people are encouraged to stay for social time in the bar. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome. Here's where the League President is key. Did the President stop showing up? Are they friendly? Are weekly newsletters sent out? Are weekly events (Jenga, beer pong, euchre, karaoke) hyped up at all? Does the President coordinate bar use with the venue? Does Better Off Bowling have a budget for board games, cards against humanity, or a deck of cards to facilitate social time? Does the League President remember people's names? Make introductions to others? Some people need a little help in meeting others. Or they feel more comfortable opening up to a few people at a time. There are other leagues and bowlers around while we play. No drink specials other than Happy Hour that I'm aware of, but we usually have the bar to ourselves. Current pricing is less than $100 for six weeks which includes team shirts and shoe rental. There is early bird pricing available as well as referral money if people sign up using your link.

Loved my time bowling with BOB - signed up after seeing an ad on Facebook. Was a great way to meet…read moresome cool new people. I signed up by myself and they paired me with other people who didn't have a team, which was great. Bowling was pretty low pressure and we all hung out after bowling each night. Made some great friends in the process! Will bowl again.

CABS is a go-to hang-out spot for our family. Come celebrate your love of traditional gaming with…read morehundreds of folks who have that same love. The board game library is extensive and a great way to try new games before buying them. Sometimes you'll even run into folks onsite who are playtesting games that aren't even available yet. Or maybe you are a fledgling designer yourself and want to try out your own game on folks. There is a regular sub-meeting just for designers like you where you can do that and get advice from some experienced, published designers who are CABS members. A recently added feature has been the support from the Columbus food truck community. Nearly every week you have the opportunity to eat from one of the growing number of mobile food vendors in Columbus with pickup right outside the doors. You support local business and you don't need to spend much of your precious gaming time worrying about it. Check the facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/cabs.boardgaming/) for details on which truck is coming each meeting. Additionally, snacks and drinks are provided onsite for minimal fee (generally $0.50 each). Part of the snack income helps defer membership costs, so outside food and drink is discouraged. No alcohol permitted at any meeting. Meetings alternate most weeks between Friday and Saturday. Hours vary a bit, but generally run from 3:00pm - 3:00am Friday and 10:00am-3:00am on Saturday. Check the calendar at http://buckeyeboardgamers.org/calendar for the complete schedule. Meetings are free-form with some scheduled events mixed in throughout the year, but generally CABS is just a space to play a game with new or old friends. It can be a bit daunting, the first time, but please know that folks are generally very friendly. If you aren't sure what to do, ask for a member of the board of directors to show you around. There is always at least one onsite. They will show you the ropes and most likely help you get involved in a game right away. Or you can always grab a game off the shelf and try it out. Orange traffic cones are provided to let others know you are interested in meeting new people and having them join you. Kids are welcome at all meetings except for the first Friday meeting every month which is dedicated to adults-only (18+). It is expected that you are onsite and monitoring your kids as necessary. If you have any concerns about how that works, contact a board member. You can always send an email via cabs.board@gmail.com.

When you think of "things to do on a Friday or Saturday Night" you don't hear a lot of people…read moresaying "Lets go to a board gaming club!" At least that is what I thought back in 2009 when I first discovered this place. Now - at the time I was a novice to board gaming. Sure I played Monopoly or Battleship, but this was something more. Its not just a place for people to play games, is a community. The first time I walked into this place, I was nervous. Not sure what to expect or how many people would be there. I was very pleased and reassured. Not only was I greeted at the Door by a board member for the club, I was given the tour and immediately asked to join in the fun. I didn't know then... but this opened my world to a whole new form on entertainment. Being a gamer , as in board gaming, was something new to me. So I didn't know where to start or learn games. Here they have people who are more then happy to teach a game to you. They will let you play the game at your learning pace -despite being able to breeze through the game on memory of playing. There is food trucks that come to the meetings and it varies each time. There are snacks available for purchase to munch on through out the day. Lets talk about the games they have... with well over 750+ games in their library they have everything from kids games , to card games, to euro and war games. This is a place for all gamers. They even have a Designer's group where people create and play test games. Its great to be involved in such a community of gaming, and as years have past the gaming community has just grown. Your first visit is totally free, and if you return again and again its only $5.00 a visit. You can chose to join, and become a full member with CABS. Honestly the prices have changed several times over the years. I do know that the 2015 rate will be $80 for returning members and $49.00 for new members (not having been apart of CABS in the last 3 years) The Membership includes: Access to the ever growing Library (currently 750+ games) Free admittance to Buckeye Game Fest. (locally ran by CABS) 4 day gaming event Ability to 'check out' games from the library An All General Meeting in December (with holiday potluck) After Turkey Day - 36+ hour gaming event Discounts at local gaming stores 41+ meetings in a year (Friday/Saturday alternating usually) CABS has become a place where I love going. I have made several friends and been involved with chances to meet people creating games, publishing games, and playing games.

Kyle Dynes has created a great new organization to promote the appreciation of America's original…read morespirit. His first event on Sept. 9 was a smashing success. Anyone in central Ohio who appreciates fine bourbon and is interested in learning more about it, where to acquire it, and how to enjoy it should become a member.

From the owner: The Whiskey Barrel Society is an organization focused on creating community through the shared…read morepassion of Oak-Aged Spirits. Our mission is to bring together a diverse group of like-minded people through events, educational opportunities and tastings; to become the go-to resource for the ultimate whisk(e)y experience; and to be a resource for anyone who shares a passion for the "Oak-Aged Spirit."We recognize that success in all of our actions is directly linked to the dedication and commitment that resides in our members and partners.

Columbus Sports Club is a poker club in north Columbus, off of High Street north of Worthington…read more New owners took it over several months ago, and there have been some teriffic changes. You can find a nice tournament each evening (they are closed Monday) and some good cash game action. Great place to sharpen your tournament skills for both no-limit hold em and omaha 8 or better. The players range from beginners to solid veterans. Not too big that you become just a number, but not too small that there is no one there. Everone is friendly, and the staff and dealers are quite personable!

Well, well well... I was the lucky recipient . Visiting…read morethis beautiful country club in New Albany.. Rich in history, Dripping in style. The Nicolas room was my favorite. (the bowl of warm nuts with my cocktail.) please We enjoyed the pool area and the wonderful menu. I had chicken fresh mango tacos. I was a little overwhelmed that it was just that fresh. Played nine holes of golf, gorgeous pristine course . All the golf carts have GPS fresh cold water in the cart and a cocktail gal coming around. I even hear that if you buy a home there's a waitlist for the club ... Don't quote me on that, but you would have to ask . Sign me up!

I have been to the New Albany Country Club twice. Once for a Chamber of Commerce meeting and then…read moreagain yesterday for a family function in a private room upstairs. The outside of the country club has a beautiful double staircase that clearly lends itself perfectly to bridal party and prom photos. The upstairs rooms feature balconies that overlook the surrounding lawns. Both times I have been it was early in the year, but I imagine with summer flowers it looks really beautiful. The inside of the place is somewhere between totally dated and an episode of Bridgerton, depending on who you ask. Each room is filled with baroque décor, and one hallway even features a slough of old paintings of hunting dogs. On some level I guess it's all completely appropriate for a country club. The food yesterday was tasty, done buffet/catering style for our large family group. The chicken panini was delicious, as was the pasta salad. The food overall was pretty solid for our group and the buffet looked nice. I was pretty content with my experience and I would go back.