OOO #63: 36 Hours in Columbus, Ohio
Find yourself in Cap City? Here's what you should do.
I have been a fan of The New York Times’s “36 Hours” series for years. I always consult it before planning a trip to a new city and even have a hard copy of “36 Hours in Europe,” which my husband bought me for Valentine’s Day at least 8 years ago.
While The New York Times has yet to profile Columbus in its “36 Hours” series, it did recommend Columbus for its “52 Places to Go” list in 2019 and followed up with a travel writer’s review of the city. Midwest Magazine, however, did their own profile of the city using the 36 Hours format.
Here’s what I would do with a weekend in Columbus.
Friday
Hotel
Check in at Hotel LeVeque. My husband and I spent this past weekend at Hotel LeVeque, and I can’t remember a time I so passionately loved a hotel. I’ve written about my admiration of LeVeque Tower before, and staying as a guest was very special. Upon check-in, I was reminded by the concierge that when LeVeque Tower opened, it was the fifth tallest building in the world, and people believed it could touch the stars. The hotel therefore has a celestial theme in the rooms and the lobby, which I could not get enough of. Our room was chic, the staff was incredibly kind, and I had an overall great experience there. In fact, the Marriott Autograph Collection now has two new fans for life.
Evening
Head down to German Village for the evening. Walk around the neighborhood for a bit before dinner, and then go to Bistrolino for dinner. Get the eggplant parmesan as an appetizer and then whatever you want for the entree. It’s all good.
If it’s summer, walk to Schiller Park to watch a production by the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus. Personally, I’m looking forward to their upcoming run of “Twelfth Night” (of course I’m recommending Shakespeare) in July/August.
On your way to Schiller Park, stop by Jeni’s Ice Cream’s summer stall for a delightful ice cream cone.
Drinks
After the play, head over to Law Bird for drinks and snacks.
Saturday
Morning
I am a monster and therefore like a good workout on vacation. In fact, the first thing my husband and I did upon checking in to Hotel LeVeque was spend some quality time in the fitness center. ANYWAY, I still think the Butcher Shop is the best workout in Columbus, so grab a pair of grippy socks and book a class if you didn’t have too many cocktails the night before. Afterward, grab breakfast at Emmett’s. The best part about this plan? You can do the Butcher Shop + Emmett’s combo both in German Village or at Open Air.
Spend the remainder of the morning walking around the Short North (on High Street, just north of Hotel LeVeque and Downtown). There are tons of shops to peruse, and some favorites (all of which I have yet to profile) include: Prologue Bookshop, Karavan (imports from Turkey, including beautiful lamps) Homage (all the Ohio gear you could ever want/the softest shirts), and On Paper (stationary). You can also stop by Quinci Emporium or get tea at Zen Cha.
Afternoon
For lunch, head over to Olde Towne East and grab a slice of pizza from Yellow Brick at East Market, and take a quick walk throughout the market. Then, walk over to Franklin Park Conservatory to check out the plants AND the Chihuly. Afterward, walk back toward East Market to spend the rest of the afternoon at Columbus Brewing Company.
I cannot believe I haven’t written about Columbus Brewing in a separate post before, and I will right this wrong later this year. The beer is excellent (I love the Crocodile Tongue because it’s so sour) and the food is shockingly good. Columbus Brewing also has a ton of vegetarian options. Eat a light dinner here to accompany a flight (or two).
Evening
During the evening, check out a sports game: the Crew, Ohio State Football, or the Columbus Clippers (I have a soft spot for minor league baseball… and you know I love baseball). Alternatively, see what’s going on at the Ohio Theatre that night—especially if it’s a performance by BalletMet.
Drinks
If you’re not tired yet, go (or perhaps go back to) to Open Air to have drinks and food at Understory’s Cocktail Lounge.
Sunday
Morning
Head up to Lox for breakfast, which Bon Appetit named as one of the 24 best bagels outside of New York. We did just that the morning after our stay at Hotel LeVeque. My husband had a bagel with lox and capers (he was incredibly satisfied), and I had my (outside of New York) go-to order of a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese (my New York go-to order always involves pumpernickel, but it’s hard to find outside of NY).* This time, I added the strawberry peppercorn jam to my order which was definitely the right move. Also, as always, I had their blueberry mint lemonade.
Before Heading Out of Town
Stop at Dublin’s cement corn field. Frolic in said field. It’s delightful.
That’s it! Have a great rest of your week!
*and you thought I wasn’t going to mention New York in a post solely about Columbus.
Catch me, a Columbus native, saving this for future reference. 🙂