Staycations: How to get down in Dublin

You may overlook Dublin, Ohio as a destination to explore if you’re not a golfer or a country club socialite, but we promise there is much more to Ohio’s Emerald City than golf polos, soccer moms, and roundabouts (be careful, they’re everywhere up there). Take our advice, Dublin is becoming one of Central Ohio’s best destinations for food, entertainment, and late night shenanigans. In addition, countless parks, outdoor events, and sightseeing opportunities give this enormous Columbus suburb its own personality worthy of your time this summer.

Head into Old Dublin on a sunny day to walk beneath the trees as you head towards the  waterfalls at Indian Run Falls. You’ll find these peaceful and secluded walking paths provide more than enough separation from the busyness and noise of campus. After enjoying your stroll, stop by Dublin’s Jeni’s ice cream location which is just a quick walk from the falls, or grab a table at Mr. Sushi for fresh seafood and a great happy hour. Sushi not your style? Not a problem. Old Dublin has other favorites all within walking distance like Harvest Pizzeria.

If you’re in the mood for something more upscale, head across the river to Dublin’s newest dining, retail, and residential location known as the Bridge Street District. This “urbanburb” has transformed a former driving range into a haven for our generation. Growing every week with new stores and places to eat, Bridge Street has already become the perfect place to spend an evening in Dublin.

Head over to Cap City Diner, a brand new location for one the best of Cameron Mitchell’s dining experiences. Keep the classy vibe going with cocktails at the AC Lounge, the swanky new hotel bar located on the ground floor, or head on up to VASO, a rooftop bar that sits eight stories up and overlooks the entire district. Of course it’ll be hard to ignore all of the noise and fun you hear from the new PiNS Mechanical Bar and it’s just a short walk away.

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If this all sounds a tad too expensive, have no fear, food trucks regularly rotate through the district every weekend. If you’re lucky you may be graced with the Cousins Maine Lobster truck for lobster rolls that may put you in a food coma on the spot. We can assure you that all food served from a truck after 1AM tastes like pure bliss.

If you decide to venture deeper into the city, Napa Kitchen + Bar is a quiet and authentic Italian restaurant that might cost you your whole budget but promises to serve you a meal you won’t forget. Just off of the highway, Flannagan’s remains one of Dublin’s favorite places to drink and listen to live music.

As with any city, there’s much more than the food that makes it worth visiting. We’ll assume that if you’re into golf you already know your way around the country clubs and won’t waste our time recommending places to play. While it may not come to mind as top place to visit, the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium has been an excellent place to spend the day with family and friends. Winning countless awards over the years, Columbus’ zoo is an easy thing for us to take for granted if we have grown up going as kids, but if you haven’t been recently or have never been then we advise you bump this up to the top of your to-do list this summer.

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