Greetings Columbus —
Remember a few months ago when Business Insider labeled us the most boring metropolitan area among the 15 in Indiana?
Those were fighting words to those of us who love Columbus. We were not having any of it then. We’re not having it now.
Besides how could you possibly say a city with the most exquisite and interesting architecture, with the fiery, larger than life and never dull Tony Stewart and with the hippest kicks in the land — Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars — is humdrum. Come on.
Now, a story posted on Forbes.com says Columbus is one of the 10 coolest cities to visit in 2018.
Take that Business Insider.
Forbes contributor Ann Abel didn’t crunch any Census numbers like Business Insider did to reach the Columbus conclusion.
She went to people in the know.
Abel wrote this in explaining how she picked the 10 coolest cities:
I asked high-end travel designers about their favorite domestic destinations. These are people who deal in the exotic, who send their clients to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences in far-flung locales. But when I asked about what’s in our own backyard, they were full of enthusiasm.
In fact, she talked to Melissa Biggs Bradley, the founder of Indagare, a company that believes in the transformative nature of travel. “It’s not just where you go, but also how the journey shapes you. At Indagare we believe that today’s most impactful travel is built around personal experiences,” according to her company’s website.
Business Insider are you listening — personal experience vs. cold hard numbers?
Abel wrote this about Columbus:
“The unlikely city of Columbus has become a hot spot for architecture buffs,” says Biggs Bradley. The town’s design mastership is credited to an engine industry mogul who sponsored several notable projects in the 1950s with the aim of revitalizing the city. Today Columbus is home to some 80 modernist buildings designed by some of the 20th century’s best-known architects, including I.M. Pei and Richard Meier.”
She also mentioned Exhibit Columbus, which was last year.
The other nine cities on the list? Louisville; Philadelphia; Detroit; Savannah; Georgia; Portland, Maine; Richmond, Virginia; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Baltimore; and San Antonio.
We are in pretty good company. Link to the Forbes story here.
Here’s what else you need to know —
What parents are thinking about: BCSC student safety.
Members of a parents group is asking the Bartholomew Consolidated School Board to consider more security for areas schools. Suggestions include: metal detectors and declaring a stay-home e-learning day if there is a threat. Wednesday’s Republic.
Scammers getting bolder, more elaborate. Advice: Hang up.
Johnson and Bartholomew County authorities are reporting that fraudulent telephone callers are using the names of actual sheriff’s deputies (and in one case a county judge) to get residents to part with their money. Wednesday’s Republic.
Decades in the making: Sisters, both in their 60s, meet for the first time.
Baby girl born in an orphanage in Germany and adopted by a couple from the United States. Baby girl grows up, graduates from Columbus North and learns she has a sister she’s never met. Click here to find out the twists and turns this story took and take a look at the photos — the family resemblance is undeniable.
Let’s hear it for the girls, and the people who support them.
Girls Inc. helps girls in 400 cities develop skills to be strong, smart and bold. Next month, in New York City, the nonprofit gives its corporate vision award to Cummins Inc.
Food for thought.
Topics at this year’s Columbus Area Local Food Summit: Food insecurity and locally grown food. All the details here.
Flood stage: Today’s Columbus-centric Instapic from mlmcdougall.
Have a good day. Send your story ideas to [email protected].
