Downtown is where the action is. That’s what you’d like to think, right?

Ask most of the suburban residents about downtown Columbus and they’d probably say things like “everything closes after 5″, “it’s a ghost town”, “there used to be stuff there”, or “that’s where people work but not much else”.

Wait a minute, where’s the action in Cbus then?

Contrary to popular belief, downtown is (still) the cultural center of Columbus.  Some might say its a little to the north in the hip Short North or in the rich history of German Village just to the south.  Close, but not quite.  The culture is right smack in the middle where it should be.

I live downtown so perhaps I’m a little biased but I had similar views to those above when I lived in Dublin.  Even when I lived in the Short North I would peer down High Street past Nationwide with a little touch of snobbery.  It took moving downtown and exploring the area to realize what I was missing.

It all clicked while I sitting in the Rife Center waiting to watch The Last Smoker in America, a new musical that is testing in Columbus before making its way to the bright lights of New York City.  I was sitting in small theater on a Sunday evening but it was full of people from several different social groups.  We were about to see a musical before it premiered in New York City.  We being the residents of Columbus, OH.  That felt significant.

Besides the Rife Center there is also the Palace Theater and the Southern Theater.  If you want to see a show in Columbus, the odds are good you’re heading downtown. Beyond the theater, there’s the main branch of the Columbus Library on Grant St and the Columbus Museum of Art on Broad St.  There’s the greek revival architecture of the State House.  Don’t forget that Ohio State isn’t the only college in town either.  Downtown is home to Franklin, Columbus State, and CCAD.

Okay, so there’s the arts but what about night life?  Don’t all the restaurants close their doors at 5pm and keep them closed all weekend?  Yes, a lot of smaller delis and lunch spots dedicated to the 9-5 crowd do shutdown once the working day is over.  And yes, downtown does lag behind some of the surrounding neighborhoods when it comes to dining, but things are improving each week.  Downtown has its fair share of fine restaurants and has a growing group of bars thanks to pioneers like Liz Lessner and the gang behind Tip Top and Dirty Frank’s. Don’t forget about the beer either.  Elevator, the best microbrewery in town is located on High St.  If you’re willing to stretch the boundaries just slightly the second best brewery, Barley’s, is located across from the Convention Center in the Arena District.

Downtown lacks the gallery presence of the Short North and it is definitely not a shopping destination.  These areas will only improve as the population grows.  It seems like there is a story every couple months of another gallery closing in the Short North because of they can no longer afford the area or have seen a drop in traffic.  Perhaps some of these gallery owners should consider looking south to the downtown?  There are a handful of them down here already.

Columbus has a vibrant downtown that is not only the working center but also the cultural center.  I only see the cultural side growing as the city grows, the condos get filled, and new developments are started.  Downtown will never be a primarily residential neighborhood like Grandview but that’s not the point.  Downtown will be a mix of urban residents, offices, shops, restaurants, and everything inbetween as it should be.  I’m happy to be a downtown resident.  The next time you’re down take a second look around.  You might be surprised.