10 Signs You Grew Up On The North Side Of Columbus | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

10 Signs You Grew Up On The North Side Of Columbus

Only regulars at Clown Cone and Skate Zone 71 can relate.

401
10 Signs You Grew Up On The North Side Of Columbus
Ohio Property Brothers

The north side of Columbus often gets a bad rep because, well, it's the north side of Columbus. Growing up somewhere other than a suburb seems to give people the idea that you didn't have a great experience growing up. For me at least, this is far from the truth. Growing up on the north side of Columbus teaches you that there is more to the city than just shopping malls and new housing developments and exposes you to several other hidden gems (hello, Clown Cone) that I am glad to have grown up around. Here's my list of things you know to be true if you grew up on the north side of Columbus.

1. You're used to the confused look people give you when you answer "What part of Columbus are you from?" with "Just Columbus."

This is something I encountered probably once a day when I got to college and met other people from Ohio or other people who were familiar with the Columbus area. No, I'm not from Westerville, Worthington, Clintonville, Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Dublin, Gahanna or Powell. Just Columbus.

2. But you're also only 15 minutes away from those suburbs at any given time.

The north side of Columbus is the ideal location if you want to be close to... pretty much anything. With 270 you can get to any suburb within 15-20 minutes, and you're equally close to campus, the Short North, downtown, Easton and Polaris.

3. Clown Cone is your hidden gem.

I mean yes, the clowns everywhere are arguably very scary, but I think everyone who grew up on the north end of Columbus can agree that this is the best place to get ice cream in central Ohio.

4. "Northern Lights" isn't just a phenomenon found on the North and South Poles.

It's also where you go shopping, bowling and can find the infamous Clown Cone.

5. You played a sport at Woodward Park as a child.

Whether it was basketball, soccer or tee-ball, chances are you spent some time at the Woodward Park Rec Center as a child.

6. You also spent a lot of time at the North YMCA as a child.

As a child taking swim lessons or as an adult lifting or playing basketball, everyone from the north side of Columbus has spent time at the North Y. This is a fact.

7. You always have to drive to more than one McDonald's to find one with a working ice cream machine.

I have a lineup of three different McDonald's drive-throughs within a two-mile radius to drive to when I hear the dreaded "Our ice cream machine is broken" at my McDonald's. You get used to it.

8. Skate Zone 71 was the coolest place to hang out.

Other than the occasional Friday Night Meltdown at the Easton Chiller, Skate Zone 71 (RIP Wow, its former name) wasTHE place to spend your Friday or Saturday nights. If you didn't have your birthday party at Skate Zone in elementary school, did you even grow up on the north side of Columbus?

9. The Dairy Queen at Tamarack Circle reopening was the best thing to happen to you.

After a six-month hiatus in 2008, the Dairy Queen at Tamarack Circle reopening in 2009 was arguably the best thing to happen to summers on the north side of Columbus.

10. Even though you'll always hate Morse Road, you still love the north side of Columbus

There's a lot to not like about the awful traffic on Morse Road and the pedestrians who constantly walk into the road when you're clearly driving there. But even when you hate Morse Road, you still love where you grew up.

The ice cream machines at our McDonald's may not be the best, Skate Zone may not be the coolest place to hang out now (I still think it is) and the North Y might not be the greatest tourist attraction in Columbus, but you can't not love the north side of Columbus if you grew up here.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

10 Facts All People In A Large Family Can Confirm During The Holiday Season

The holiday season can be the best and most stressful time of the year, especially when more people are involved.

1106
kids jumping

The holidays are full of lights, sweets, sweaters, and your favorite movies. There's nothing quite like this period from the beginning of December through January. Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years. The fun of it all.

I don't know about you but with my large Italian family something is always going on during this season. It can be the most wonderful time of the year while also being the most hectic. These are a few things you know if your family is anything like mine during this time.

Keep Reading...Show less
10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over
reference.com

To those who celebrate, you just spent an entire day cooking an elaborate meal with all of your favorite foods. You probably ate your body weight in pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. What happens now? Oh yea, Christmas. It’s time to take out all of the decorations and Christmas themed things that have been sitting in the attic since last year; it’s time to make a reappearance. So, here are 10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

4383
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

2692
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

202074
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments