Columbus, Ohio

I had a pretty good experience of the town and its people for the brief time I
stayed there. Most of the folks I met were open and friendly.

I agree, George, and i lived there for longer than i've lived in any other place in my adult life--17 years.

This was first brought home to me when i was waiting in a line of cars at rush hour on a narrow, two-lane road in a residential area, and a woman was waiting to pull out of a gas station. Another driver stopped to let her pull out, and nobody honked their horn, nobody showed any sign of impatience. This sort of thing was common, too. Some guy ran me off the road at the beginning of an unexpected snow storm, so i got out my cell phone and called the shop, and my Boss contacted a guy he knew with a tow truck. While i was waiting, somebody stopped (once again, this was rush hour) about every two minutes to ask if i wanted to use their cell phone.

Good folks.

Bostonian-in-Columbus moment.

I'm standing on a street corner with a lot of people waiting to cross.
Nobody is moving.
I can't figure out why.
Then the "walk" sign came on and everybody crossed the street.
Aaaaah.

hehehehhehehe...!

Hi, Soz.
I still feel bad I didn't get to meet you last time I was there.

Aw... next time!

Maybe you can give sozlet a few soccer pointers.

verging on being Canajuns, those Columbians.

Yep.
They even have a small-market NHL team and a Tim Horton's.

and a real big car show, once a year.

a kinda cool one at that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fbZsl9TDF4

Re-read this after ehBeth's mention... wow.

Really interesting to read back over things that were Greek to me at the time and are HOME now. (For example, Hastings middle school was mentioned in passing and I reflexively frowned because they were middle school soccer arch enemies.)

12 years here in July. A DOZEN! I've never been in one house longer in my life, and one more year will tie the longest I've ever been in a single city. (I "grew up" in Minneapolis but that was ~ age 5 to ~ age 18.)

A few things that were very true at the time have changed since then; Arena district has become much larger and more developed, with Huntington Park (Columbus Clippers stadium) and more. The Scioto Mile (park development along the river downtown) has happened since then, and Audubon Park (I think -- definitely improvements). Bicentennial park downtown is new. Lots of progress with bike routes. Franklinton is gradually gentrifying, though it's still "the Bottoms" in a lot of ways. 400 W Rich is a really cool place, with a fun farmer's market.

http://400westrich.com/the-building/