Anyone Have Any Columbus Travel Tips

[TallTitan34]

Going to the game. Where do I want to stay, pregame, post game, etc?

[fjm]

Going to the game. Where do I want to stay, pregame, post game, etc?

Hey titan. I'm staying with an old OSU Alum. When I hear I'll tell ya stuff

[tower912]

Don't get beat up for wearing Blue and Gold attire that doesn't say Marquette on it.    Make it very clear Marquette is not in Michigan.   

[MomofMUltiples]

Leave your drag outfits at home.

[tower912]

Be careful getting there by train.   


And the legends about Ohio State troopers and slapping out of staters with speeding tickets are true.     Still a bit salty.   

[willie warrior]

Don't get beat up for wearing Blue and Gold attire that doesn't say Marquette on it.    Make it very clear Marquette is not in Michigan.

But it is.

[muarmy81]

For tickets...I assume our game is a session 1 game, correct?

[fjm]

For tickets...I assume our game is a session 1 game, correct?

Correct

[Herman Cain]

Going to the game. Where do I want to stay, pregame, post game, etc?

Over the years I had to travel many times for my kids games versus the Buckeyes . Stay at the Homewood Suites by Hilton 1576 West Lane Avenue. Gives you a direct route straight to campus and there are good restaurants there as well as a Whole Foods if you want to get snacks etc

[Scoop Snoop]

Wear OSU stuff gear your Marquette gear and do not remove the OSU off until you are safely in the arena.

[asdfasdf]

I do not recommend going to the Char Bar in downtown Columbus.

[fjm]

I thought about buying a USC shirt to wear over my MU shirt. But then realized I'm sitting 7 rows back and I want joey Letter Hauser the 1st to see who I'm a fan of when I boo him and hold up hand written letters.

[Scoop Snoop]

I thought about buying a USC shirt to wear over my MU shirt. But then realized I'm sitting 7 rows back and I want joey Letter Hauser the 1st to see who I'm a fan of when I boo him and hold up hand written letters.

Fall down to attract his attention.

[lostpassword]

I thought about buying a USC shirt to wear over my MU shirt. But then realized I'm sitting 7 rows back and I want joey Letter Hauser the 1st to see who I'm a fan of when I boo him and hold up hand written letters.

Someone needs to get the students on this idea if the matchup happens.  Joey trying to shoot free throws with a giant "Dear coach, Can I shoot more?"

[PVMagic]

I do not recommend going to the Char Bar in downtown Columbus.

What? How could Char Bar Long Islands send you astray?

[wadesworld]

Also wondering where to stay. Got this info from a OSU volleyball alum:

South Village Grill - sit down place but still casual
Barcelona - Tapas + Spanish food, little bit more formal
Club 185 - bar with good pub grub
Lindey's if you want to get fancy
Martini and Marcellas are both good Italian spots
Mikey's Late Night Slice for pizza and Hadley's is a good informal sit down spot

If you go Airbnb I'd look in German Village. Just south of downtown.

[i71_dawg]

I posted this on another thread, but....



As it is St Patrick's Day, for any practicing Catholics interested:

"Columbus Bishop Earl Fernandes has granted a dispensation for Catholics to eat meat on Friday. 

Bishop Fernandes said in a statement that Catholics should do any one of the following things if they want to enjoy corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day:

1. Make a pilgrimage or visit any church in the Diocese of Columbus named in honor of St. Patrick. (There are churches in Columbus, London and Junction City.)

2. Attend Mass at any church, chapel or oratory on March 17.

3. Pray the "Breastplate of Saint Patrick," a prayer attributed to St. Patrick.

4. Engage in a "pious devotion" such as the rosary, the stations of the cross or eucharistic adoration.

5. Perform an act of comparable penance (such as abstinence from meat) on some other occasion during the third week of Lent, ending March 18.

The dispensation applies to Catholics in the Columbus area and any faithful visitors or travelers who may be within the territory of this diocese."

[pbiflyer]

Over the years I had to travel many times for my kids games versus the Buckeyes . Stay at the Homewood Suites by Hilton 1576 West Lane Avenue. Gives you a direct route straight to campus and there are good restaurants there as well as a Whole Foods if you want to get snacks etc

Except the game is downtown at the Nationwide Arena, not on campus.  There are a ton of hotels near the arena, as there is a convention center nearby. We stayed at the AC hotel, it is fairly new and nice. Walkable area with lots of food and drink options.  Head north on High St.

From other threads:

German Village and The Brewery District with the brick roads.  Walked around by the capitol building and 2 blocks from the capitol I found intriguing that they tore down a mall and built a New England Style Green and named it Columbus Commons.

Yeah, that area is nice, a food market close by. I like wolfs ridge brewing. Pins Mechanical is an upscale Kozs.
Parlay Sporting Club is a good sports bar with nice staff, though turns into a nightclub at night..

[fjm]

Where are we pregaming at?

[mubb3434]

Just booked Hilton Downtown Columbus for a pretty reasonable rate...Basically right across the street from the arena

[i71_dawg]

Where are we pregaming at?

Good question.  As I've never been to a Marquette NCAA game before, does the university organize an official pregame party at a local bar they book space at? 

Or do Marquette fans themselves largely decide on a place (or two) and just randomly congregate there.

I did attend the Conference USA tourney in Cincinnati back in 2002, but I'm sure things are different now.

[Jay Bee]

Don't eat the "chili"

[ZiggysFryBoy]

https://m.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Strip+Club&find_loc=Columbus%2C+OH

[jfp61]

https://m.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Strip+Club&find_loc=Columbus%2C+OH

Bucks or The Chamber?

[mu_eyeballs]

I would totally stay at the new Hilton by the convention center.  Or really any of the hotels on high and front North of Nationwide.  Great bars on High and Front.  My favorite bar is the rooftop bar at the Canopy by Hilton.   Food wise any Camon Mitchell restaurant won't disappoint several on High just north of downtown in the Short North.  The Rossi is fabulous and run by the same team the runs the South Village Grill in German Village(My favorite burger in town despite being right next to Thurman's of Food Network fame).

[QPSS70]

Good question.  As I've never been to a Marquette NCAA game before, does the university organize an official pregame party at a local bar they book space at? 

Or do Marquette fans themselves largely decide on a place (or two) and just randomly congregate there.

I did attend the Conference USA tourney in Cincinnati back in 2002, but I'm sure things are different now.

There are pregame gatherings before our games at the Marquette hotel.  Food and drinks were part of the event last year in Fort Worth.  Cost was about $20.  The band and our fans line up and high-five and cheer the team as it leaves for the stadium on the team bus. 

With our second seed, we should get assigned one of the nicer hotels close to the stadium where you can walk to the game from the pregame event.  In previous years when the hotel was a distance away from the stadium, like last year and in Hartford and Greenville, there were shuttle buses provided by MU to and from the Arena. 

[real chili 83]

There are pregame gatherings before our games at the Marquette hotel.  Food and drinks were part of the event last year in Fort Worth.  Cost was about $20.  The band and our fans line up and high-five and cheer the team as it leaves for the stadium on the team bus. 

With our second seed, we should get assigned one of the nicer hotels close to the stadium where you can walk to the game from the pregame event.  In previous years when the hotel was a distance away from the stadium, like last year and in Hartford and Greenville, there were shuttle buses provided by MU to and from the Arena.

Sonesta, almost $300/night

[i71_dawg]

There are pregame gatherings before our games at the Marquette hotel.  Food and drinks were part of the event last year in Fort Worth.  Cost was about $20.  The band and our fans line up and high-five and cheer the team as it leaves for the stadium on the team bus. 

With our second seed, we should get assigned one of the nicer hotels close to the stadium where you can walk to the game from the pregame event.  In previous years when the hotel was a distance away from the stadium, like last year and in Hartford and Greenville, there were shuttle buses provided by MU to and from the Arena.

Thanks for that info....exactly what I was looking for. 🍻

[TallTitan34]

Is there a Marquette bar in Columbus?

[MURower13]

Is there a Marquette bar in Columbus?

I don't believe so. However, the bars around the arena typically get "assigned teams" that they become a home bar for when the tournament is in town. I should know today or tomorrow which one is assigned MU.

[MDMU04]

I don't believe so. However, the bars around the arena typically get "assigned teams" that they become a home bar for when the tournament is in town. I should know today or tomorrow which one is assigned MU.

Any word on where the team hotel is and if there's any sort of official gathering there before the game?

[Dr. Blackheart]

Any word on where the team hotel is and if there's any sort of official gathering there before the game?

Sonesta

[i71_dawg]

Sonesta

Someone email the Sonesta's food & beverage manager & tell him to stock up on extra Miller 🍺 products ....MUBB fans have been known to drink hotels & their bars dry.

Also given the occasion, we'll need extra Guinness, Jameson, Tullamore Dew, Murphy's, Harp, etc ☘️ 🇮🇪 🥃

[i71_dawg]

Here's a couple links to Columbus' Arena District (Nationwide Arena, Huntington Park - Triple-A baseball, and the Columbus Crew's newer stadium):

https://www.columbussports.org/fan-experience/columbus-gameday-guide-arena/?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MBB_KBYG_FSR_Columbus

https://www.arenadistrict.com/

There are also quite a few craft breweries in Cbus as well as a ton of restaurants for people sticking around multiple days & nights this weekend.

For higher end dining, I'd highly recommend either Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse (great steaks and great service) or one of the Cameron Mitchell family of restaurants (a bunch of different ones in Columbus):

https://www.jeffruby.com/columbus

https://cameronmitchell.com/restaurants/restaurant-map/

[i71_dawg]

Finally the area around the arena is a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) under Ohio law.

You have to purchase your drink from one of the designated bars or restaurants, and you get a special cup, but you can walk down the street inside the DORA boundaries with your drinks.

https://www.arenadistrict.com/dora/

[DoctorV]

Wow that DORA thing is great, should make for an awesome time for the entire MU fanbase as well as good banter amongst rival fanbases, thanks for all the info.

Do they serve alcohol inside the arena or the NCAA still doesn't allow that?

[Galway Eagle]

If there's any rugby fans I'll be heading to Dempseys or Byrnes to watch the Six Nations final Saturday AM.

Looking for some solid food and breweries for Friday and Saturday

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Someone email the Sonesta's food & beverage manager & tell him to stock up on extra Miller 🍺 products ....MUBB fans have been known to drink hotels & their bars dry.

Also given the occasion, we'll need extra Guinness, Jameson, Tullamore Dew, Murphy's, Harp, etc ☘️ 🇮🇪 🥃

Minneapolis ran out of Miller Lite and Jager in 2003.

[i71_dawg]

Also posted this info on the Columbus Roll Call thread....

Just got the Official email from MU about the festivities in Columbus this week.

https://alumni.marquette.edu/2023-mens-ncaa-tournament

Sonesta is indeed the team hotel.  There's a reception & team send off sometime 12:30 pm or later on Friday.

There's an official MU bar near the arena too....The R Bar (which according to my brother that lives in Columbus is a hockey bar that Blue Jackets fans frequent....he said it's a very cool establishment).

https://www.rbararena.com/

[real chili 83]

Minneapolis ran out of Miller Lite and Jager in 2003.

.

And the event was run by an astute '83 alum.

[Dr. Blackheart]

.

And the event was run by an astute '83 alum.

Weak. real chili 83 hates MU! 

[ZiggysFryBoy]

.

And the event was run by an astute '83 alum.

I'm talking about the whole city.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Saturday is the Columbus St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl.

https://socialcityevents.com/

[SonOfWarrior]

Try the veal, it's on special

[wadesworld]

Handel's and Graeter's for ice cream. Almost as good as Leon's. Almost.

[StillAWarrior]

Handel's and Graeter's for ice cream. Almost as good as Leon's. Almost.

Jeni's is better. There's a Jeni's about two or three blocks from the convention center.

[wadesworld]

Jeni's is better. There's a Jeni's about two or three blocks from the convention center.

(I think) I can get Jeni's in grocery stores in MO (for the price of my left arm). But I do need to give that a try. So good thing I have 3 days here to try all 3!

Have done the other 2 many times and they're great. Jeni's will probably be Sunday's stop.

[brewcity77]

My tip is avoid going through West Lafayette.

[StillAWarrior]

(I think) I can get Jeni's in grocery stores in MO (for the price of my left arm). But I do need to give that a try. So good thing I have 3 days here to try all 3!

Have done the other 2 many times and they're great. Jeni's will probably be Sunday's stop.

Yeah, it's stupid expensive.

[Warriors4ever]

There are Graeters stores in Winnetka and Northbrook. Been there once, nothing particularly special.

[JakeBarnes]

Jeni's is better. There's a Jeni's about two or three blocks from the convention center.

UDF is better than all.

[StillAWarrior]

UDF is better than all.

Both Honey Hut and Mitchell's in Cleveland are better than any of the Columbus ones.

[Galway Eagle]

Went to El Lugar this evening, was fantastic. Wouldn't stand in Lincoln Park or West Loop but most of Chicago and certainly the rest of the Midwest cities.

The Indian place in the North Market for lunch will hurt tomorrow, they did not ask about spice level...

[wadesworld]

Went to Jeni's today, so I've had all 3. All 3 are very good for ice cream. I'd definitely put it behind the best custard spots (Leon's, Murf's, and LeDuc's), but right up there with the overrated custard spots (which is still good, it's just not on the top level...Gille's, Kopp's) and better than the bad custard spots (Culver's, Andy's, Freddy's).

In terms of the quality of ice cream, I can't say there's a noticeable difference, so it comes down to flavors. My favorites are at Graeter's. Then the quality of the waffle cone was a lot better at Handel's than at Jeni's. Plus I got probably 3x the amount of ice cream at Handel's than what I got at Jeni's for a dollar less.

But it's worth paying a premium to get that quality of ice cream in a grocery store.

[StillAWarrior]

Went to Jeni's today, so I've had all 3. All 3 are very good for ice cream. I'd definitely put it behind the best custard spots (Leon's, Murf's, and LeDuc's), but right up there with the overrated custard spots (which is still good, it's just not on the top level...Gille's, Kopp's) and better than the bad custard spots (Culver's, Andy's, Freddy's).

In terms of the quality of ice cream, I can't say there's a noticeable difference, so it comes down to flavors. My favorites are at Graeter's. Then the quality of the waffle cone was a lot better at Handel's than at Jeni's. Plus I got probably 3x the amount of ice cream at Handel's than what I got at Jeni's for a dollar less.

But it's worth paying a premium to get that quality of ice cream in a grocery store.

My absolute favorite is Honey Hut in Cleveland. Their Honey Pecan is sublime. Mitchell's in Cleveland also has some really good flavors - Bramble Berry Crunch (pretty much always available) and/or Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch (rarely available) are my favorites.

I know that I brought up Jeni's, but I'm not a huge fan (although I probably do like it better than Graeters and Handel's). My wife and kids love, Jeni's though, so I figured I'd mention it. I agree that it's overpriced. I think Handel's (which they also have in Cleveland) is pretty ordinary -- just trying to copy Ben & Jerry's (e.g., "Spouse Like a House" as a total ripoff of "Chubby Hubby") but not as good. I almost always get it in a dish so I can't speak to any of their waffle cones.

[wadesworld]

My absolute favorite is Honey Hut in Cleveland. Their Honey Pecan is sublime. Mitchell's in Cleveland also has some really good flavors - Bramble Berry Crunch (pretty much always available) and/or Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch (rarely available) are my favorites.

I know that I brought up Jeni's, but I'm not a huge fan (although I probably do like it better than Graeters and Handel's). My wife and kids love, Jeni's though, so I figured I'd mention it. I agree that it's overpriced. I think Handel's (which they also have in Cleveland) is pretty ordinary -- just trying to copy Ben & Jerry's (e.g., "Spouse Like a House" as a total ripoff of "Chubby Hubby") but not as good. I almost always get it in a dish so I can't speak to any of their waffle cones.

Over the last year or so I've become obsessed with waffle cones, to the point is equally as important as the actual ice cream.

[DegenerateDish]

Over the last year or so I've become obsessed with waffle cones, to the point is equally as important as the actual ice cream.

This is 1000% right on.

[TallTitan34]

Again today MU has the highest representation at the bars. Haven't seen any MSU fans today and only a handful yesterday.

They must have all went home in between.

[lawdog77]

Again today MU has the highest representation at the bars. Haven't seen any MSU fans today and only a handful yesterday.

They must have all went home in between.

Did you check the local jails?

[Galway Eagle]

Again today MU has the highest representation at the bars. Haven't seen any MSU fans today and only a handful yesterday.

They must have all went home in between.

My wife mentioned that as well. Was thinking maybe MSU put together a bunch of parties for them by age bracket or something at the hotels event spaces