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!

What a cute area in Ohio! I stumbled upon this area when searching for things to do on Yelp. When I…read morewas planning to visit, I did not have any particular place in mind to visit; I just planning to stroll and pop into places if they looked enticing. We had our dog with us so we did not do an abundance of walking around. From what I saw, there were no places that welcomed pets in the businesses. It makes sense and it was no biggie, I just did not spend as much time as I would have if pets were welcome. I stopped into what I thought was a deli but more like a restaurant with a counter, hoping to purchase goodies for home. There are several stores for shopping, which were fun to browse. I only purchased some chocolates in a candy store, which apparently were made in house. I definitely want to visit here again with more research.

This is a lovely historic neighborhood just a couple miles south of downtown Columbus. If you have…read morea free afternoon and the weather is nice, it's well worth a visit to Schiller Park (dog-friendly with benches) which has a garden and statue dedicated to the German poet Schiller. I took COTA Bus #5 from downtown Columbus (Ohio Statehouse) and explored the area just north of the park. The brick houses and cobblestone alleyways provide a glimpse of life in the 1880s and early 1900s when this area became a central hub for the German-American community. I don't think there are too many kid-friendly activities or museums nearby - but it makes a pleasant excursion if you're stuck at the Convention Center for a conference in downtown Columbus. Street parking looked a bit challenging. If Bus #5 is running slow on your return trip from the German Village back to the downtown area (it can be up to a 30 minute wait if you just missed the last bus), consider taking an Uber/Lyft taxi instead.

Great downtown workspace. Nice blend of everything a coworking space should be. Loft style open…read moreareas with private office space that you can reserve for any size meeting. Not to mention a top notch Barista running the cafe for your caffeine fix. Hands down best value in Cbus.

From the owner: Immersive work experience lab in Columbus, OH serving up excellent coffee and premier offsite…read moremeeting and workspace.

Just south of German Village is this up-and-coming neighborhood which has seen great strides. No,…read moreit does not hold a candle to the charm of German Village, but few places can. What it does have are plenty of streets that have been repopulated (by people who wanted but can't afford to live in German Village) and, most importantly for non-residents, has edgier nightlife establishments that you won't find in its quiet, tranquil neighbor to the north. Although the neighborhood could use more businesses to fill in the remaining gaps on its commercial streets, it already attracts hipsters and is the gay bar capital of the south side. If you do a little bar hop and include the neighborhood's stretch of S High, S 4th, and Parsons, you'll be sure to come away with a positive impression of the quirky melange of bars/bar-restaurants available despite not being much to look at.

From the owner: The Merion Village Association was founded by a group of neighbors in 1985. Today, the MVA is a…read morediverse group of concerned and active residents of the historic neighborhood known as Merion Village. The Association, which meets monthly, seeks to engage residents in activities that can assist in improving the lives of those within the neighborhood and to encourage friendships and goodwill among members and neighbors.

I love this place. The vibes when you walk in as a new comer can be a off putting. But once people…read morewarm up to you everyone is friendly. They have amazing food and drinks (that you order at the bar). The prices are very reasonable. They also have different events going on depending on what night it is. I love to go on Wednesdays for karaoke. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThpSsXgE/

I used to live in the neighborhood, but I have not been here for 20 or 30 years. It's a little…read moredifferent, but it's the same. It's a neighborhood hang out. It's getting towards the edge of German Village. The sauerkraut balls have been famous forever. Their menu otherwise has changed over the years. They have a Philly steak place in the kitchen, and so some of the menu is geared towards that. But there is plenty of other bar food. I got the balls, of course. They seem smaller thanI remember, but again it's been decades. And they were still excellent. They are essentially what I remember. Perfect combination of textures and flavors, served hot. They brought a collection of sauces to the table, but you don't really need any. So so good. I got wings too, because they looked good. They were out of one of the sauces I wanted, because they make the sauces from scratch. And the one I wanted, had raspberries in it and it's not raspberry season. I went with spicy peach, not very spicy,but very flavorful. Very peachy. The wings were meaty, juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. 6 of them and 6 kraut balls was plenty for me for lunch. Service was excellent. Prices are pretty darn good. The place was cozy. It was not at all busy at two on a weekday afternoon. It gets busy at peak, of course. I will keep it in mind since I am in the area more.

I've been here a couple of times for planned events where my group has rented out the top floor…read more The bar supplies bartenders and we were able to cater in dinner and bring in our own DJ. This year, the rooftop bar had some expanded seating, which was a nice perk (for a private event at least, I don't know how accessible it might be otherwise). The drink selection is kind of limited if you don't arrange for cocktails, etc, and the bartenders can be hit or miss. This year we had a couple of great people mixing drinks for our event. I'm not much for the bar scene, so I can't give an opinion on a regular night, but they did really well with the event.

they wouldn't sell shots of Tito's but only bottle service for $200. How is this that not price…read moregouging. And lightweight discriminator.

This is the main office in Columbus, and I guess I figured it would be a busy place to give blood…read more It's not, at least, it wasn't on a Monday. Small blood drive area upstairs, a steady stream of people but only a couple of us at a time. Staff were super friendly and helpful. I did the fast-pass thing online and that does save some time, but there are still a lot of questions here, plus blood pressure, etc. Did the power red for the first time. A little slower than a regular donation, because it pulls blood out and separates it, then rehydrates you. So maybe helps recovery time. Still sat and had a snack afterwards, just in case. If you are able, this is a simple, easy thing to do that helps a lot of people. Plus you get a snack, and usually a gift like a t-shirt, gift card, etc. I do it because my dad did, and then after 9/11 it felt like my duty to help. Plus blood drives at work meant an hour break!

I started volunteering with the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus over two years ago. In that…read moretime I have had the opportunity to honor First Responders, Veterans, and Volunteers through the 2018 Heroes Gala. We honored outstanding people who went above and beyond to help their community in their chosen field. One of the most fun events I participated in was the Sound the Alarm program in which we tested and replaced smoke detectors throughout the Greater Columbus area. This was a great opportunity to volunteer in a small group, meet amazing people, make new friends, and help to make sure our neighbors were protected and had plans to evacuate their home in case of a fire. I am currently working with the Recruitment Team to bring awareness to the various opportunities the Red Cross has to help alleviate human suffering. Whether it is by volunteering as a Blood Donor Ambassador, working at Blood Drives, or volunteering to drive in our Blood Transportation area, it allows people to be a part of helping to save countless lives. There are also opportunities in Disaster Response and Relief to help be the best part of a person's worst day. From major natural disasters to a home fire in the middle of the night, these dedicated volunteers are always ready to respond. I am honored to play a part in recruiting new volunteers and seeing them flourish and gain a sense of satisfaction by helping. The American Red Cross of Greater Columbus is an amazing organization and I am so glad that I began to volunteer and know that I will continue to volunteer for many years to come.