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!

Great and quiet neighborhood that has amazing transit access conveniently right between Downtown…read moreand Franklin Park. Most homes look lovely as well and lots of pride flags. For a cheap place to stay, Chic City Retreat is amazing at Fair and Champion.

Olde Towne East, Olde Towne, or OTE, is a historic neighborhood located in the Near East Side of…read moreColumbus. I moved here in 2009 and one of the first things I learned is here is an "e" in both Olde Towne as folks mistakenly spell it often without. Olde Towne East is one of Columbus' oldest neighborhoods with tons of Historic homes and buildings. The area has over 1,000 homes with some dating back to the 1830s. According to the info online, Olde Towne has more than 50 different architectural styles in the neighborhood as a result of its history. Don't miss these popular events in OTE: -Hot Times Community Festival -Olde Towne East Tour of Homes -Music in the Garden Series -Trash to Treasure Yard Sales -Olde Towne East Art Walk Social Media: -Insta - instagram.com/oldetowneeast/ -Facebook - facebook.com/oldetowneeast -Twitter - twitter.com/oldetowneeast

Columbus Public Health is located at 240 Parson Avenue. The main entrance is in the back of the…read morebuilding. The building itself was built in 1874 as the Ohio Asylum for the Blind and is on the National Register of Historic Places. I believe it is the only building in the Near East Side (on the East Side of Parsons Ave) to have the downtown zip code of 43215 (all others are 43205). It is a massive, beautiful building and you will find plenty of parking in the back lot. Noting that the lower level garage parking is employee only and not public parking. This is a great location for immunizations. I was here this visit for my second COVID booster. I received all four COVID shots now from CPH and it was a good experience each visit! Columbus Public Health houses various departments, programs, and clinics. They not only have their Immunizations Program but also Sexual Health, Women's Health and Family Planning, a Dental Clinic, TB, a Physicians Free Clinic, and WIC. They also have an affordable Car Seat Program that offers booster and car seats at a reduced cost to families in need. If you want to check out their services or see how they might be able to help you can learn more at https://www.columbus.gov/publichealth/

Sweetie and Baby K came here for shots before, and I went for my booster today. Organized,…read moreefficient, friendly, and fast. It's a big old building that used to be the school for the blind. Now it houses all sorts of public health departments. Looks like they have dental clinics, substance abuse programs, childhood immunizations, sexual issue clinic, and more. They're doing vaccines here currently, of course, though not testing (at least at the moment.) You can pick up boxes of rapid Covid tests for free, though (this was right before Thanksgiving, and you could get two boxes per household, totalling 12 tests.) Every staff member was professional and pleasant. The place is laid out well, and is super clean. I waited five minutes or so before being called back. Then you wait in the auditorium for 15 minutes after the shot, of course, just in case you have a reaction. Plenty of parking in back, and looks like a parking garage underneath as well.

McFerson Commons is a city park located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It's right in the heart of it…read moreall, next door to Nationwide Arena (home of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets), down the street from Huntington Park (home of Columbus' AAA Minor League baseball team), across the street from the Columbus Visitor Center and within walking distance from all the local restaurants. So if you come to visit Columbus, I'd suggest stopping by. What also stands out as a major highlight is the Arch Monument. According to columbus.gov/recreationandparks..."McFerson Commons (Park) is also known to many as "Arch Park" because the focal point of the park is the entry arch from the Old Union Train Station". When I first saw this statuesque arch, I had a quick flashback to standing in front of the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Who would have thought I could be transported to one of the most famous cities in the world?! Lol Exploring around McFerson Commons, although you're in the center of the city streets of Columbus, behind the arch is a long pathway of comforting looking grass. It's nice for sitting down, relaxing and sort of taking a break if you're a tourist from out of town. There are benches to sit on. You can enjoy a picnic. You can take a ball and have a catch, throw a frisbee or whatever you may do for fun. Locals were walking their dogs. Overall, it's just a pleasant, stress free setting. Extra details... - Hours are 7am - 11pm. Address is 218 West Street. - There is parking along the streets for a small fee per hour. You can pay with your credit card at the meters. Overall, McFerson Commons is a quiet little park to hang out at within downtown Columbus. I'm glad I walked around and spent some time here.

Looking for a lush green lawn to picnic at in the Arena District? Maybe you need a fresh air break,…read moreor a cozy spot to enjoy a good book outside. Well my friends, this is a great little nook in the downtown area that will certainly fill that need. McFerson Commons, otherwise known as "Arch Park" faces Nationwide Blvd and runs long and narrow between two buildings. The famous arch greets you near the sidewalk and once you walk through, the grass welcomes you with open arms. There's a few benches but I'm a fan of ground sitting honestly. The space is also kept really clean. It makes for a great photo op, especially if you can get one under the arch. I believe various events are also thrown here. It could definitely be versatile. Go ahead, take a break and enjoy escaping the hustle and bustle of the city in this quaint splash of green.

Stonewall offered a number of resources focused on the queer community. The Stonewall faculty is…read moreimpressive, and it offers a number of rooms set up to perfectly host events.

I'm not really sure what this place is. I thought it was a place for the LGBTQ+ community but I've…read moreasked for help 3 times and nobody helped me. I even came in person. I have no clue. Honestly speaking. I was in a Domestic Violent relationship. I told 3 different managers. No one helped me. I've asked for food assistance. I've asked for Clothing assistance. What do u guys do besides host parades during pride month? Is everyone too dang busy to notice the homeless? Guess so! DO BETTER!

Hadn't been here ever, hadn't paid much attention to it, but when I heard Schmidt's has a new cafe…read morehere I swung by when I was in the area. Big, attractive building across Broad from the Statehouse. Security was professional but friendly. Once in, I was impressed with the art displays around the lobby (and some downstairs.) They have displays, concerts, and more, so check out their schedule. Easy to get around. Easy parking at the Statehouse garage. I should have read Marissa's review and gone to the observation deck. Oh, well.

It recently came to our attention that you can visit the viewing area at the top of the Rhodes…read moreState Office Tower, so we decided to go check it out! The Rhodes, located near the Ohio Statehouse, is the tallest building in Columbus and is perfect for the purpose. To head to the observation deck, we checked in at the front desk at the lobby where they requested state-issued IDs from all adult members of the party. We received sticker badges and then were directed to the security screening, which was the usual set your bag/keys/phone/etc on the machine and walk through the security screen. A security guard took us over to the elevator deck (and there are a lot of them, each labeled by a letter of the alphabet) and took us up to the 40th floor. The elevators move quickly so it didn't take long at all. The floor is a working floor, so we were asked to keep the volume down. There are displays that show you a picture of the skyline labeled with locations of interest. The observation deck provides great views of the north, east, and south, in particular. Unfortunately, there is only one small window to peek out towards the west (located in the elevator bay), because that is a great view of the river and the LeVeque Tower. It was also fun to see a falcon fly up and hang out near the observation area - possibly one of the peregrines that like to nest up there? Either way, it was a neat addition to our viewing experience. Visits do need to take place during typical working hours/days, so we opted for a mid-day visit during the week and everything went quite smoothly. All of the staff were friendly and the security guard who accompanied us was very kind and gave some great info. This is free to do, other than the usual parking fun of downtown.

Love coming to this place it helps tremendously!!!Love going where everyone is eager to help you!read more

This library has it all. Spacious and relaxing, efficient and clean…read more What I really like is all the internet computers are upstairs. Off the main floor so I don't have to see kids fooling around when they are supposed to be doing homework. I can see that at home. Southwest public library system is connected to Columbus Metro, so it's all accessible. yes! The location in historic downtown Grove city is also a major plus.

One of my favorite Libraries! You can park for free for the…read morefirst hour, or up to the whole day when they have really big events. There is a cute outdoor place to sit and play if you have small kiddos. They have a cafe, 3 floors of books, a huge children's area, and an art gallery! This one is also the host of Local History & Genealogy so they have all kinds of interesting things to learn about, maps, displays, and plenty of staff to ask questions or help you find things.

Really nice branch with a huge parking garage, plenty of seating, and lots of copies of popular…read moretitles.