Columbus/University Area

By car

• SR 23 (High St) runs N/S directly in front of campus, beginning at Lane Ave going S. and King Ave going N. on High.
• SR 315 is west of the campus. Exit at W 12 St. takes you to the east side of campus and University Hospital.
• I-71 Exit on 5th Ave. Go west, takes you directly to High and campus.

By bus

• Greyhound Station

  phone: +1 614 228-2266
  address: 111 East Town St
  Hours: 24 hours a day.

By plane

• John Glenn Columbus International Airport

  phone: +1 614 239-4083
  address: 4600 International Gateway
  Direct flights to most major American cities. Aside from rental cars, the airport can also be reached by the #92 bus, or by taxi. A taxi ride to downtown is 10 minutes and will cost approximately $25. Depending on your schedule and where you are connecting to, it may be worthwhile to check flights to Dayton as well, as they are often cheaper.

By foot

Columbus downtown is a relaxed one hour walk away.

By car

Driving in and around the University area, is not difficult, but you should use caution because of the number of students sometimes rushing to class or distracted by student responsibilities.

Parking

Once on the University grounds, parking is severely limited and being towed for improper parking, even for short periods is very common. Some areas require parking stickers and tow trucks cruise the area looking for offenders. Many spots just off the campus (High St.) are metered spots with a 1-hour limit. Perhaps the best deal for parking near campus is the South Campus Gateway Garage (corner of N. High Street & E. 11th Avenue) which charges $1 for the first 3 hours, and $1 per hour after that. There are also some spots in the area east of campus which don't require a residential permit nor are metered, however these spots are limited and they are also subject to seasonal street-sweeping restrictions.
Parking during Ohio State football games is a completely separate situation and you can except to pay a flat rate for parking in a garage or lot.

By bus

The COTA bus service, while not by any standard one of the greatest in the nation, can take you to most important places in the city, which should be about 5 blocks away from any conceivable location you need to go to. This service costs $2.00 for an express bus and $1.50 for a normal bus. Transfers are free; ask for one from the bus driver when you pay your fare.

By foot

Walking around the OSU area is more than common, many walkways exist (try to avoid alleys after dark), and the locals are very patient with those crossing streets. All in all, walking in the OSU area should be considered safe.

• The Ohio State University

  phone: +1 614 292-OHIO
  address: 154 W. 12th Ave
  OSU is the largest university in Ohio, and one of the largest universities in the USA.

• Mirror LakeA small and pleasant lake on the OSU campus.

• Ohio UnionThe student union at OSU. A large building with visitor information and dining. The Ohio Union often hosts events.

• The OvalThe central park and heart of the Ohio State University campus.

• William Oxley Thompson Memorial LibraryThe central library of OSU. Students and visitors often rub the bust in the library entrance for luck.

• Ohio Supercomputer Center

  phone: +1 614-292-9248
  address: 1224 Kinnear Rd
  Offers 1- to 2-hour-long tours including a decommissioned supercomputer. It is possible to ask for a extended tour to see operating supercomputers, but this requires a security screening procedure.

Museums

• The Jack Nicklaus Museum

  phone: +1 614 247-5959
  address: 2355 Olentangy River Rd
  A 24,000-square-foot educational and historical facility, on the history of golf.

• Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & MuseumOne of the world's largest public collection of cartoons and comic books.

Sports

• Ohio Stadium

  address: 411 Woody Hayes Drive
  The home stadium for Ohio State Football. The stadium also hosts concerts and other events.

• Ohio State Marching BandSports games often feature the top tier Ohio State Marching Band.

• Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center

  address: 55 Arena Dr
  OSU basketball and hockey, concerts, monster trucks.

• Bill Davis StadiumThe baseball stadium of the Ohio State University.

• Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium

  address: 2450 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus 43210

• Hack OHI/OThe annual Ohio State University hackathon.

Arts

• Wexner Center for The Arts

  phone: +1 614 292-0330
  address: 1871 N High St
  One of the country's leading modern arts centers. The center, named after the Limited Brands founder Lex Wexner, features visual art exhibits, international films, live theater, and modern dance.

• Gateway Film Center

  phone: +1 614 545-2255
  address: 1550 N High St
  Independent movie theater.

• Studio 35

  phone: +1 614 261-1581
  address: 3055 Indianola Ave
  Single-screen independent movie theater with bar. Commonly has events with beer tasting from local breweries with that evening's film.

Recreation

• Jogging Olentangy trailYou can easily run up the Olentangy trail along the river. The greenway crosses huge zones of marsh. Running south leads to downtown

• OSU Ice Rink

  address: 390 Woody Hayes Dr. Columbus, OH 43210
  Offers open skating to the public.

• Olentangy River Wetland Research ParkResearch wetlands. Open to the public.

• Lane Avenue Shopping Center

• Lennox Town Center

  address: Olentangy River Rd
  Theaters, Target, Bath and Body Works, Barnes & Noble, restaurants, student-oriented shopping center for the needs of OSU students.

• Used Kids Records

  phone: +1 614-421-9455
  address: 2500 Summit St
  This used CD and record store has been a Columbus staple since 1986.

• Volunteers of America

  address: 3620 Indianola Ave
  Used clothes and furnishings. Numerous Columbus locations.

Budget

• Hound Dog'sGreat pizza.

• The Blue Danube

  phone: +1 614 261-9308
  address: 2439 North High St
  An Ohio State University institution, it's a cheap bar/diner with a wide variety of food and drinks, open late. Try the gravy fries.
• Buckeye Donuts, North High St Open 24-7, this is another Ohio State University institution. As their name suggests, they have a wide selection of donuts and crullers, as well as inexpensive gyros and falafel.

• Lavash Cafe

  address: 2985 North High Street
  Mediterranean restaurant with classic dishes like shawarma, humus, kabobs, and baklava as well as daily vegetarian specials.

• El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant

  phone: +1 614 261-0900
  address: 3230 Olentangy River Rd

Mid-range

• Aladdin's Eatery

  phone: +1 614 262-2414
  address: 2931 N. High St
  Clintonville. Mediterranean cuisine, shawarma, hummus, mujadara. Children's menu; beer and wine.

• Cap City Fine Diner

  phone: +1 614 291-3663
  address: 1299 Olentangy River Rd
  University area. Diner favorites with an upscale twist, meatloaf, Romano-encrusted chicken, chocolate cake. Lunch and dinner: daily; Sunday brunch. Children's menu; patio smoking; cocktails. Entrees: $7.95-$24.95. Several Columbus locations.

• Bistro 2110 at the Blackwell Hotel

  phone: +1 614 247-2110
  address: 2110 Tuttle Park Place
  On the ground floor of the Blackwell hotel. The restaurant has a view on the historic Ohio Stadium and offers fusion cuisine with several vegetarian options.

• New Taj Mahal

  phone: +1 614-421-2323
  address: 2361 N High St
  Indian and Pakistani cuisines. Children portions available; patio smoking; cocktails. No wheelchair access.

Splurge

• The Columbus Fish Market

  phone: +1 614 291-3474
  address: 1245 Olentangy River Rd
  University area. Seafood, cedar-roasted salmon, hoisin-glazed yellowfin tuna, Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes. Lunch: Monday-Friday; dinner: daily. Children's menu; cocktails. Entrees: $15.95-28.95.

• Newport Music Hall

  phone: +1 614 294-1659
  address: 1722 North High Street
  Popular music concert hall amongst college students. Newport Music Hall draws a fair number of national acts.

• Skully's Music Diner

  phone: +1 614-291-8856
  address: 1151 N High St
  A trendy, but unassuming bar in the Short North.

• Ruby Tuesday Live

  phone: +1 614 291-8313
  address: 1978 Summit St
  (Unrelated to the chain restaurant.) A dive bar in the north campus area. Often hosts small- to medium-popularity bands and has special theme nights, including a themed weekly Nerd Night, and frequent sports-watching gatherings, especially for soccer and Columbus Crew games. Cheap drinks (many domestics under $2, most imports under $4) and a relaxed atmosphere.

Budget

• Varsity Inn OSU South

  address: 1445 Olentangy River Rd

Mid-range

• Fairfield Inn & Suites

  phone: +1 614 267-1111
  address: 3031 Olentangy River Rd

Splurge

• The Blackwell

  phone: +1 614 247-4000
  address: 2110 Tuttle Park Place
  On Ohio State's campus, the Blackwell offers top amenities. The top floors over a nice view over the campus or the Olentangy river. Very clean and friendly staff. The rooms generally have a big working desk. The free Wi-Fi uses the Ohio State University connection.

Wi-Fi

• OSU WirelessThe campus has public Wi-Fi across campus.

Radio

• WOSU-FMOhio State University's public news radio station on 89.7MHz

• WOSAOhio State University's public radio station specializing in classical music on 101.1MHz

Television

• WOSU-TVOhio State University's public television channel.

Newspapers

• The LanternThe student newspaper of the Ohio State University. It can be found in and around the university's campus. The writing found in The Lantern is sometimes of questionable quality, causing some students to nickname it The Latrine.

Hospitals

• Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University

  phone: +1-800-293-5123
  address: 410 W. 10th Ave
  The Ohio State University's Medical Center is one of the largest and most diverse academic medical centers in the country.