Broadleigh - Columbus, OH

In 1830, Capital University was founded in Wexley, and this community was home to many teachers and professors. In preparation for the 1898 Spanish-American War, 15,000 volunteers headed out for duty from a military camp. The improvements to the camp, including lighting, water and sewage lines, remained, and in 1905, prominent and wealthy citizens began to build large mansions. The university community flourished and promoted more improvements, such as sidewalks and street lights, to attract families to the area. The university continues to influence the culture in this area, as do tech-related jobs in career fields such as engineering and the presence of retail corporate businesses, such as Abercrombie & Fitch. The university hosts an annual Jazz and World Music Festival featuring free community concerts, as well as the annual July Fourth fireworks display.

Eateries in the area vary from cozy Chinese and exotic Middle Eastern to the local pizza place and the family diner. Billy Lee's, a long-time, family owned restaurant prepares favorites such as hot and sour soup deemed fantastic by locals, sweet mango chicken, scallops with garlic sauce and spicy bamboo pork in addition to standard favorites, including egg foo young and sweet and sour pork. The cozy dining room and lounge along with friendly service make your visit a satisfying experience.

The Pita House Restaurant serves up a fabulous array of authentic Middle Eastern cuisine at this well-established, highly recommended, family-owned restaurant. Locals suggest you try the lamb gyros, Jerusalem cucumber and tomato salad, and the kafla kabob plate. The hummus receives rave reviews as do standard favorites such as the falafel and chicken kabob.

Craving a slice of pizza? Joe's Pizza on East Broad Street serves fresh made-to-order pizzas with a variety of toppings available. Customers praise this laid-back pizza joint for its friendly service and casual atmosphere while stipulating it serves some of the best pies in the area. Joe's offers delivery and also serves hot and cold subs and spaghetti and meatballs.

If you want a neighborhood sports bar with a friendly and laid-back atmosphere plus plenty of entertainment such as pool, darts and TV, don't miss out on G J's Lounge on Kellner Road.

Rubino's Pizza, famous in this location for over 60 years, earned the reputation as "Ohio's Best Pizza." The old-school establishment has updated the Coke machine and the upholstery, but the same cozy, family feel remains. The pizzas, baked in brick ovens rather than on conveyors, feature very thin Roman-style crusts and tasty Italian-style sauce.

For a "meet you there" local hangout in the neighborhood, drop in at the Rusty Bucket. Not only a great place for a beer, this establishment serves up an eclectic menu that includes blackened salmon salad, Mahi Mahi tacos, fresh fruit, an Asian tuna wrap and barbecue ribs. This tavern promotes "pay it forward" with an annual coat drive and fundraisers throughout the year to support and strengthen the community's residents.

You can easily accomplish some errands on foot in the Broadleigh neighborhood, although a car remains essential for most daily activities. Public transportation stops dot the main street areas running west into downtown, east away from the city and along the eastern boundary leading north and south. Several cab companies and Uber operate in the area as alternative transportation options. No public parking exists in Broadleigh. Located within the I-270 outer loop, access to all major highways presents few obstacles. The neighborhood streets, lined with wide sidewalks, also support safe biking.

In the neighborhood, Jeffrey Park contains 40 acres of land that include two Commonwealth parks. One of these parks houses the Jeffrey Mansion, with 30 acres of fantastic walking paths through the flood plain, conifer groves, and deciduous woodlands dotted with local flora and fauna, where butterflies and goldfinches from the Ohio prairie abound. Jeffrey Park sports play apparatus for kids, two tennis courts, picnic areas supplied with grills, lots of green space and a community swimming pool. Dogs are not welcome in either park.

Your dog is welcome at the Downtown Dog Park on East Spring Street, which features a fenced-in, off-leash area for your dog to romp in freedom, water kegs to keep him going and benches that get you off your feet for a few minutes. The adjacent parking lot fills up during workdays, but in the evenings, weekends and on holidays, enjoy free parking.

At the Jeffrey Mansion Park, the city operates a pre-school program and a summer camp with kid-related activities in and out of the pool. Lots of trails wind through the parks for your walking and jogging pleasure.

The cost of living in Broadleigh remains lower than that of nearby Columbus. Bus transportation to the city costs less than $2 one-way, with express tickets at less than $3. Weekly and monthly passes afford regular riders reasonably priced transportation to the city center in Columbus from the suburbs. A one-bedroom apartment in Broadleigh averages $435, a beer runs around $3, and the cost of gas sits nearly 2 percent lower than the national average.

Find shopping specials at the Town and Country Shopping Center with anchor stores such as Target, Staples and Ashley Stewart and restaurants that include Bob Evans, Buffalo Wild Wings and Chipotle. Enjoy knowing that this shopping area was billed as the nation's first regional shopping center in 1974, although it was more a strip mall than a center.

When you want special entertainment or decorations for a birthday party, bridal shower or anniversary, check out BaLLOONiacs for far-out, handcrafted sculptures. Book a party at this shop for the Cub Scout or Brownie troop, and let them participate in hands-on specialty programs.

Stop by Quilt Beginnings, and drool over its fabulous collection of fabrics, pick up a block kit, or enroll in one of the 50, 10-week classes offered in the summer for beginners and veterans. Temptation exists not only in the fabric selection but the extensive line of sewing machines, furniture cabinets, craft tables, storage centers and cutting tables.

Kroger and Walmart proffer food shopping options, while Bexley Natural Market, a co-op, sells local and organic produce, bulk foods, organic herbs and spices as well as vitamins and supplements. The Bexley Farmers' Market not only showcases local produce, meats and cheeses but entertains with live music performances, children's events and food demonstrations.