Columbus, Ohio
A place to play, a place to stay
Published June 2013
The City of Columbus has a niche for whatever pace of life suits your mood – from fast-moving Downtown to quiet metro parks.
Named in honor of legendary explorer Christopher Columbus, the city is both the capital of Ohio and the largest city in the state. Founded in 1812, Columbus experienced growth early on due to its proximity to major transportation routes, both on land and by way of the Erie Canal. Industrial growth through manufacturing factories led Columbus’ economic development into the 1900s.
Columbus now offers a stable economy, and is a great location for companies and families. According to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, the city has a reputation as a place distinguished both by its knowledge resources and its openness to ideas and those who have them. Prominent area businesses today include Nationwide Insurance, JPMorgan Chase, Limited Brands, State Auto, Wendy’s International Inc., and many technical, healthcare and logistics companies.
Celebrating culture
Columbus has a diverse population and offers something for everyone. The Columbus Metropolitan Library – with more than 20 branches – has received numerous awards, including being named National Library of the Year in 2010 by Library Journal.
The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, one of the finest zoos in the nation, is a must-see attraction and Columbus has a multitude of museums including the Columbus Museum of Art, the Ohio Historical Society and COSI.
Columbus boasts many large and small-scale venues that showcase local talent and bring in entertainers from across the globe.
Dining, shopping and attractions can be found in one of the city’s many areas including the Arena District, Brewery District, Downtown, Short North, Easton, German Village and Polaris.
Columbus is also a city for sports lovers as the home of Ohio State Buckeyes, Columbus Blue Jackets ice hockey team, Columbus Crew professional soccer team, and Columbus Clippers Triple-A professional baseball team.
A city of learning
Education is a way of life in Columbus. The Ohio State University main campus is one of the largest and most comprehensive in America. Numerous other colleges exist in the Greater Columbus area, includingColumbus College of Art & Design, Columbus State Community College, Otterbein University, Capital University, Franklin University and Ohio Dominican University.
The Intelligent Community Forum named Columbus as a finalist for the 2013 Intelligent Community of the Year Award. Columbus, the only U.S. city to be named in the Top 7, was lauded for its collaboration among city government, academic institutions, businesses and nonprofits.
Going green
The RecyColumbus program was designed to show city pride in being part of a greener community. City-issued 64-gallon carts for recycling are distributed to Columbus residents who live in single family homes or buildings. Recycling in Columbus promotes environmental preservation, extends landfill life, free savings in landfill fees, and job creation – in Ohio, recycling is a $22.5 billion business, providing more than 100,000 jobs.
The city’s Get Green Columbus initiative works in groups with a focus on transportation, growth and development, education and engagement, energy, business, greenspace and green building.
Keep Columbus Beautiful helps Columbus residents keep the city clean and safe through community cleanup efforts, Adopt-An-Area programs, and education opportunities.
A leader in public power
The Columbus Division of Power was established in the late 1890s and provides reliable and competitively priced electricity services to its power customers. Columbus serves more than 12,500 meters in residential, commercial and industrial customers. Services include street lighting programs; maintenance of the city’s electric distribution systems and related infrastructure; capital improvements program to upgrade infrastructure and provide street lighting; and customer service call center, meter reading, repair and inspections.
As a member of AMP, Columbus participates in a number of AMP programs and projects that assist in providing reliable energy and other benefits to the community and its citizen-owners. These include:
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Central AMP Service Group (CASG)
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Direct Connections, which assists municipal electric systems in organizing and/or enhancing and implementing a locally controlled key account, business retention and expansion program
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Business (Economic) Development, which offers assistance to community economic development and public power utility officials in marketing municipalities as desirable locations for new businesses and job creation
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Municipal Energy Services Agency (MESA), which provides member communities a source of technical assistance including planning, design and engineering, field services and training assistance
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New York Power Authority (NYPA), which provides hydroelectricity generated by the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers
For more information, please visit www.columbus.gov