Riverview - Columbus, OH Area Guide

The roots of Clintonville date back to the early days of Ohio. Settlers purchased 600 acres of land and came from Vermont in 1812 to establish a farm. Once here and set up, isolation became a problem, as there were very few tradesmen around with whom the settlers could exchange goods. To fix this problem, the original settlers began building houses and shops to give to anyone who would move to the area and perform a trade. This area would eventually become High Street, one of the most lively and built-up in the area and the main artery through the Ohio State campus.

The Clintonville Arts Guild has been in operation since 1972 and promotes the arts in the Clintonville area. The Guild holds open meetings on the fourth Monday of each month at the Whetstone Community Center and hosts events and classes throughout the year.

The nearest centralization of restaurants and bars takes about 5 minutes to drive to from the Riverview center. This area houses a varied selection of restaurants that mirrors the diverse population of the city of Columbus as a whole. Lavash Cafe on North High Street in Clintonville serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Lavash opens daily at 11 a.m. through dinnertime and serves healthy portions for a reasonable price. With plenty of vegetarian options to go with kabobs, gyros and other traditional items, Lavash has something for everybody.

Just a few blocks down the street, Whole World Natural Restaurant and Bakery caters to the vegetarian and vegan population with many unique options. The menu consists of both vegetarian and carnivorous fare, much of which can be special ordered to fit a vegan diet. The eggplant meatball sub looks and tastes like real meatballs, and the 100-percent vegan pancakes present a tasty breakfast option.

For a unique night time experience, look no further than Studio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse. Studio 35 combines a movie theater with a full service, 360-degree bar serving an array of local beers, liquors and wines. This theater proves not only rare in doubling as a bar, but also in that it only offers one screen. Studio 35 opens daily from 4 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. For a club scene, try both the Ohio State campus and Park Street area of downtown Columbus.

Riverview makes it easy to get around via bike or car by providing roads with bike lanes all over town, but walking should be avoided in most cases. In addition to bike paths on the roads, a labyrinth of trails exist around the scenic Olentangy River that runs north to south and can take you anywhere along its path. Parking in Riverview is free at some places, but if you venture too close to campus, paid garages start to pop up that cost anywhere from $1 to $10 depending on length of stay.

Public transportation from Riverview is also easy due to its proximity to the Ohio State campus. COTA buses run frequently throughout the area. The Red Express 30, 60 and 61 buses service the area as well as the Blue 18 and the Blue 7. Each bus takes a different route around the Columbus area, so be sure to check the routes and schedules to determine which bus to take based on where you need to go. The Red Express buses cost $2.75 per trip, while the Blue Local bus costs $2.

Hailing a cab is not out of the question from certain areas in the neighborhood, particularly from the popular bars to which students travel from campus, but calling ahead acts as the best bet. Uber estimates the trip downtown to be between $9 and $12 depending on exact location.

Riverview sits mere minutes from Route 315, which runs north to south through Columbus, and about 12 minutes from the I71/I670 interchange.

Whetstone Park of Roses in Clintonville has been a staple and a point of pride in the area since the late 1940s and remains a destination park today. Whetstone houses a 13-acre rose garden that USA Today pegged as "one of the largest and most celebrated" in the United States. Featuring 12,000 roses in over 400 varieties, the park offers a sight and smell to experience.

The Park of Roses, while impressive, only accounts for 13 of 136 acres of land at Whetstone Park. The other 123 acres serve varied purposes for the community. Athletic field and courts for most outdoor sports can be found at Whetstone as well as playgrounds, pavilions and ponds for fishing. Finally, the Whetstone Community Recreation Center features programs and amenities ranging from workout regiments to art classes. The Rec Center remains essentially free to community members, just purchase a $1 leisure card to enjoy everything the center has to offer.

The city of Columbus also maintains a number of parks along the Olentangy Greenway Trail that runs along the river. The nearest of these, Antrim Park, proves exercise- and trail-centric with a scenic backdrop for hiking, running, biking and more. Dogs remain welcome at these parks with a leash.

The cost of living in Riverview lies slightly higher than the average in Columbus, by about 9 percent, and 1.5 percent below the national average. A one-bedroom rental for the month costs $702, just above the average in Columbus but below that of many area suburbs.

The COTA bus routes takes riders downtown for $2 per ride or $2.75 on the express route. Columbus does not have a rail system, leaving the bus as the only viable public option to get to the downtown area. The price of a domestic beer averages around $3, but virtually every bar in the area runs specials that provide cheap beer options. Check out Nyoh's on Olentangy River Road during the week for $1 beers from 4 to 8pm. Gas prices in Columbus and the majority of Ohio generally fall about 20 percent below the national average.

Columbus as a whole acts as a haven for shoppers of all kinds. If you don't mind traveling a bit, both Easton Town Square and Polaris Fashion Place house hundreds of stores between the two of them, but each requires a 20- to 30-minute drive, depending on traffic. While these two areas dominate the big box shopping scene, Clintonville has its share of stores and shops to get you what you need.

Small, locally owned shops that specialize in a few areas characterize the Clintonville shopping experience. If one-stop shopping remains your goal, this area proves disappointing, but within this neighborhood hide a number of gems and specialty shops serving the area. The Laughing Ogre on N. High Street offers an outstanding collection of comic books for the pop culture enthusiast, while the Boomerang Room, also on High Street, sells an eclectic array of antiques and home decor. Stop by Sew to Speak for all your sewing needs. For clothes shopping, head to the fashionable Short North neighborhood to check out the Second Chance Consignment Boutique. Second Chance sells brand name and designer apparel for men, women and children at a fraction of the original cost.

A Giant Eagle Market District and a Kroger act as the major grocery stores in the Riverview area, and each can be reached in 10 minutes or less from the center of the neighborhood. For a more local feel, Lucky's Grocery Store provides a clean, friendly environment with a number of unique and locally produced goods. Free sample stations make shopping here fun and give it a feel that the chain stores cannot match. Getting even more local, the Clintonville Farmers Market opens from May through October from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. The market sits on North High Street, less than 10 minutes from Riverview and only allows open-air, local producers of goods.