OSU Visit Day

[Dr. Old Bill]

For those of you accepted to OSU: who is planning on attending their visit day next month? I was going to set up a group PM, but I've lost track of all the various acceptances, since it's a fairly large cohort...

I'll be driving in on the Sunday, and should be in Columbus around 2:00. I may do a bit of general driving around the city (looking at possible living areas etc.), but I'd be happy to pick up anyone who happens to be flying in that afternoon / evening and take you to your hotel. I've heard that there may be an unofficial get-together with the DGS and others at a pub near campus on the Sunday night, but haven't heard anything specific yet...so if that's not happening, then perhaps we can have a little pre-visit pub trip of our own?

Anyhow, feel free to chime in if you're going to make it to the day for admitted students, and we can potentially work out specific details via PM!

[slightlymoreanonymous]

I'll be there! Waiting to book a flight till I get reimbursed from my campus visit last week, but I'm down for a potential-new-cohort get-together:) 

[biyutefulphlower]

For those of us on the wait-list, could you share your thoughts upon your return?

[Avalanched]

I won't be able to go for logistical reasons, but I'd love to hear what you all think as well! 

[Dr. Old Bill]

39 minutes ago, biyutefulphlower said:

For those of us on the wait-list, could you share your thoughts upon your return?

25 minutes ago, Avalanched said:

I won't be able to go for logistical reasons, but I'd love to hear what you all think as well! 

Will do!

 

[slightlymoreanonymous]

Definitely!

[sgc001]

 

4 hours ago, biyutefulphlower said:

For those of us on the wait-list, could you share your thoughts upon your return?

I'm seconding this request!

[Bumblebea]

Have fun in Columbus, guys. I lived there for a while and it's really and up-and-coming city. I really miss it. 

I would recommend checking out the Short North/Victorian Village/Harrison West, if you have the time. And Clintonville is also a good place for grad students to live. 

Edited March 3, 2017 by Bumblebea

[unræd]

Let me toss in a shoutout for the Brewery District/German Village! Great neighborhoods, had a lot of cool things stating to happen when I left Columbus a couple of years ago, and far enough from campus to give you a clear work/life split.

[Dr. Old Bill]

2 hours ago, Bumblebea said:

I would recommend checking out the Short North/Victorian Village/Harrison West, if you have the time. And Clintonville is also a good place for grad students to live. 

4 minutes ago, unræd said:

Let me toss in a shoutout for the Brewery District/German Village! Great neighborhoods, had a lot of cool things stating to happen when I left Columbus a couple of years ago, and far enough from campus to give you a clear work/life split.

Thanks to you both! Do either of you have opinions on Dublin and other areas in the Northwest? That's the area I seem to be circling when looking at properties etc. Call me crazy, but I actually like a bit of a commute (a twenty-minute drive is ideal), and want to be near the city, but not exactly in the city, if you know what I mean.

[Bumblebea]

Yeah, Dublin's a pretty good place to live. It's a more upscale suburb, so rents may be high, but it's possible they won't be as high as stuff that's really close to campus/downtown. 

The commute from Dublin can indeed be a little tricky because Dublin isn't really "on" any major interstates or highways except the outerbelt, which won't get you anywhere near OSU. (You either have to take 33 down, which is annoying because it goes from four lanes to two lanes and then four lanes again, or you have to drive over to Worthington to get on another major highway.) I might recommend Worthington instead. It's also a fairly nice suburb, but more accessible to a number of roads that will take you down into the city.

The one major drawback about Columbus is its lack of good public transportation. I think it's the biggest city in the US that has no train or tram or anything like that. It's a liberal city surrounded by an ocean of Jesus Land. Like seriously, we call Columbus "the island" sometimes. 

[Avalanched]

@Bumblebea How is the cycling/biking? Would I get smushed in Columbus, or are there bike routes or respect for cyclists from drivers? That's my preferred means of commute outside of public transportation...

 

Edited March 3, 2017 by Avalanched

[Bumblebea]

39 minutes ago, Avalanched said:

@Bumblebea How is the cycling/biking? Would I get smushed in Columbus, or are there bike routes or respect for cyclists from drivers? That's my preferred means of commute outside of public transportation...

 

I'm not much of a cyclist myself, so I'm not sure. My impression, having talked to other cyclists, is that it's mixed, and some spots in the city are okay while others are more treacherous. A large number of OSU students do rely on bike transportation, if I'm not mistaken (Columbus is super flat and the neighborhoods where a lot of students live are ~a mile from campus, making bike transportation a cost-effective way of getting around). 

[slightlymoreanonymous]

Okay, @Wyatt's Terps...looks like I'll have to forgo the Sunday evening festivities. I waited too long to book a flight and the only ones left that weren't $800 arrive in Columbus around midnight Haha this should be a whirlwind trip! 

 

And thanks for the insight, @Bumblebea and @unræd! Are there neighborhoods to avoid at all when looking for places to live? 

[Ramus]

9 minutes ago, slightlymoreanonymous said:

Are there neighborhoods to avoid at all when looking for places to live? 

I would avoid Weinland Park, an area east-southeast of main campus. It's tempting to those who aren't familiar with the area because it's fairly close to campus and isn't anywhere near as expensive as Clintonville. But it's a fairly high-crime area and has a generally bad reputation. 

I'd also be cautious about locations south of German Village. I actually live in the neighborhood directly south of GV right now (Merion Village) and love it, but even a couple of blocks away the area is kinda sketchy. My advice would be to go and check out those properties in-person before signing a lease, if that's at all possible. Same for Old Town East. It has a hip/hipsterish, up-and-coming vibe but is, like WP, a high-crime area. 

[Ramus]

6 hours ago, Bumblebea said:

The one major drawback about Columbus is its lack of good public transportation. I think it's the biggest city in the US that has no train or tram or anything like that. It's a liberal city surrounded by an ocean of Jesus Land. Like seriously, we call Columbus "the island" sometimes. 

While I would love to see the city install a tram system (even a one line tram running up and down High St. would make a world of difference), the bus system isn't that bad. The routes cover a fairly comprehensive spread of the city and even a couple of the outlying suburbs. Consistency and issues with tardiness have improved in the last couple of years, too. What's more, as students, we get unlimited bus fare for $13/semester. Sure beats the prospect of paying hundreds of dollars on a parking pass and dealing with traffic on 315 every day. 

[acciodoctorate]

On 3/3/2017 at 2:30 PM, Old Bill said:

Thanks to you both! Do either of you have opinions on Dublin and other areas in the Northwest? That's the area I seem to be circling when looking at properties etc. Call me crazy, but I actually like a bit of a commute (a twenty-minute drive is ideal), and want to be near the city, but not exactly in the city, if you know what I mean.

So I know this is an old post, but just to chime in--I live in Hilliard, which is a little South of Dublin.  Still about a 17-25 minute commute if you're avoiding rush hour, muuuuch cheaper than Dublin, and I feel like it's sort of up-and-coming.  Lots of new construction and amenities.  I've really enjoyed living here and I'm staying for the foreseeable future.  Feel free to PM me if you have questions!

[acciodoctorate]

And in general, if people have questions about Columbus/the program/the visit day, I'd be happy to answer them!

[Dr. Old Bill]

17 minutes ago, acciodoctorate said:

So I know this is an old post, but just to chime in--I live in Hilliard, which is a little South of Dublin.  Still about a 17-25 minute commute if you're avoiding rush hour, muuuuch cheaper than Dublin, and I feel like it's sort of up-and-coming.  Lots of new construction and amenities.  I've really enjoyed living here and I'm staying for the foreseeable future.  Feel free to PM me if you have questions!

Thanks for this! I'm in constant awe of how inexpensive housing is in the area.* I plan on driving around a bit when I get into town on the 26th, and will definitely make a point of checking out Hilliard. As I mentioned above, I like a bit of a commute, so it's nice to know that the cost of living is cheaper a few miles out of town...

*ETA: I'm coming from the greater D.C. area, after all, where you can't find a one-bedroom in the outskirts for less than $800/m, and even that is a rarity...

Edited March 13, 2017 by Old Bill

[Courtney Whited]

I was just accepted, but I will not be able to visit due to the drive being 13 hours from where I live.  I am so looking forward to meeting everyone though! 

[Dr. Old Bill]

6 minutes ago, Courtney Whited said:

I was just accepted, but I will not be able to visit due to the drive being 13 hours from where I live.  I am so looking forward to meeting everyone though! 

Ack! I think you might have the wrong OSU. When I created the thread I didn't realize that Oklahoma State University uses the same acronym as Ohio State.

[Courtney Whited]

6 minutes ago, Old Bill said:

Ack! I think you might have the wrong OSU. When I created the thread I didn't realize that Oklahoma State University uses the same acronym as Ohio State.

Oh gosh! Yeah, sorry about that 

[toasterazzi]

Looking forward to seeing you all soon! As I said on the acceptances thread, feel free to send any of your OSU/Columbus questions my way as well. Particularly, my wheelhouse is the pop culture/media studies/digital media corner of the department, so if you're into that stuff, hit me up

FWIW I live in the Old North area, which is between campus & Clintonville, pretty accessible via the bus, and decently affordable in most instances.

[Dr. Old Bill]

Apologies for bumping a rather old thread, but I just have to say how happy and impressed I was with the events of OSU's visit day. It's truly a congenial environment here, and I felt extremely welcome. Major hat-tip to @acciodoctorate for answering a ton of questions and showing me around campus (and a delightful dive bar!). Were it not for an early morning drive back to Maryland, I'd probably still be enjoying the subtle pleasures of Columbus' nightlife...

I'll likely announce my final decision by the end of the week.

[engphiledu]

I just wanted to second what @Old Bill said. Really, a lovely visit.

For those unable to make it to the visit or who are on the waiting list, feel free to PM me. I don't mind gushing about the experience, and especially if you're a 19th century person, hit me up.