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To read more about Columbus features in national publications, go here.

Columbus, Ind. — glitter amid the rust
Luminaries' architecture, design set apart city of 40,000

• In the March 22, 2010  Chicago Tribune, Alfred Borcover says, "In the heart of the so-called Rust Belt lies an extraordinary example of what vision and open-mindedness did for a central Indiana industrial town set amid farm fields . . . Columbus, however, is a town that lifts your spirits. It is a community enhanced by modern architecture that dates from the 1950s to present, designed by notable names such as Eliel Saarinen and his son Eero, Harry Weese, I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, Richard Meier and Robert Venturi. Some 60 architectural gems — schools, a library, churches, banks, a post office, fire stations, a newspaper and offices — make you ooh and aah."

Columbus selected by New York Post as Indiana's destination city

• New York Post writer Jennifer Ceaser paid a visit to Columbus, Indiana in December of 2009 and wrote of her experiences: "It's all so quaint and, well...typically Midwestern. But Columbus is also, in fact, wonderfully atypical. It's a design mecca, with more than 60 important Modernist buildings - six of them designated National Historic Landmarks - by a who's-who of architectural heavies..." She goes on to describe some of the people she met here: "What made Columbus so appealing to me - important architecture notwithstanding - were the people. Like the bartender at the 4th Street Bar, who recalled my name and my drink after serving me just once. Or the owner of Zaharakos, who proudly demonstrated the restaurant's restored orchestrions (automated organs). Or the incredibly knowledgeable tour guides who volunteered their time showing off the town's architectural gems. And even the Hotel Indigo's resident dog, Miles, who greeted me with a furiously wagging tail. They were hardworking, friendly...and well, Midwestern."
  
  

Top 10 Things to See Before You Die

• Travel writer Jordan Simon listed Columbus, Indiana among his Top 10 Things to See in the U.S. Before You Die on Aol.com. Columbus (pop. 39,000) was listed alongside the likes of Charleston, S.C., the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone National Park. Simon says, “For a small city, Columbus is a major repository of modern architecture, with works by luminaries like Eero Saarinen, Cesar Pelli, and Richard Meier. This destination says design from the get go...”

Ranked #1 of all U.S. destinations

• In the Nov/Dec 2008 edition of National Geographic Traveler, Columbus is ranked 11th out of 109 historic destinations worldwide by National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, higher than any other U.S. destination. The magazine says Columbus has “a world-class collection of modern architecture by master architects . . . it is authentic, unique, and unspoiled . . . this town is truly part of America’s architectural heritage.”

Sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design

• Columbus, Indiana (population 39,000) is ranked sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design by the American Institute of Architects, right behind Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C.

National Register of Historic Places

• Most of the downtown is listed with the National Register of Historic Places. In a highly unusual move, the even more exclusive National Historic Landmarks program honored the city by accepting six locations simultaneously.

Rand McNally’s Best of the Road

• The Columbus Visitors Center Architecture Tour was selected as one of Rand McNally’s Best of the Road in 2003. The tour is part of the “Indiana: Hills and Architecture” trip of approximately 260 miles.

Top 100 Places to Live

• Columbus was selected as one of only three Indiana cities for Relocate-America’s Top 100 Places to Live in 2009, which noted the frequent accolades the city receives “...aren’t without good reason with the city’s impeccable art, lush landscaping, a first-rate park system, and of course, the outstanding architecture.“
  
• Columbus was recognized as one of America’s Top 100 best places to live and launch a business by Fortune Small Business magazine in its April 2008 issue.

A “most walkable” community

• Columbus was named one of the nation’s “most walkable” communities in April 2008 by Dan Burden, Executive Director of Walkable Communities, after a visit to the city. He has given the title to just 100 of the 2,500 cities he has visited, and noted that Columbus has the cleanest alleys of any city he has visited, noting “that shows you pay attention to detail.”

Two national awards for sports events

• The Columbus Area Visitors Center received the “Distinguished Service Award” from the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) at their 2008 national meeting. The award was presented in recognition of the Visitor Center’s “Outstanding and Continuous Support to the USSSA Program” during the past five years. Columbus was the only visitor bureau recognized by USSSA during the annual meeting.
• The National Association of Sports Commissions named the Columbus Visitors Center its 2008 “Member of the Year” in recognition of the tremendous growth of its sports tourism efforts. Since 2003, the number of major amateur sporting events in Columbus has more than doubled.

100 Best Communities for Young People

• Bartholomew County was named one of 2007’s 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise - The Alliance for Youth. The award recognizes communities that provide children with exposure to caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, an effective education, and opportunities to help others.
  

The most incredible collection of modern architecture

• According to the June 12, 2007 New York Times, Columbus “just happens to have the most incredible collection of modern architecture in the Midwest (outside of Chicago…).”

A top-rated public golf course

• Otter Creek Golf Course made Golfweek magazine’s top ten list for Indiana’s public access courses in March of 2007. The course, which features 18 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and nine holes designed by Rees Jones, ranked 5th among Indiana courses.
• In June 2006, Otter Creek Golf Course was voted the number one public course in the state by the Indiana Golf Association. Otter Creek was “head and shoulders above the rest,” said the director of the IGA-PGA.

America in Bloom winner

• Columbus won the very competitive 2006 America in Bloom national competition for the population category 25,001-50,000. Eight core categories were judged, such as heritage, urban forestry, and floral displays. The city won on its first attempt, a very uncommon achievement. It was also chosen “Best of the Best” for landscape design, citing Irwin Gardens, its national landscape design awards, and its park and trail system.
  

• In July 2009, in Raleigh, North Carolina the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) awarded the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce the 2009 Chamber of the Year. The award recognizes excellence in operations, member services, and community leadership. The Chamber has been focusing on three critical areas: building on the power of place and the region’s economic strengths, creating a sense of community, and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Last year they received the 2008 Indiana Chamber of the Year.

And many other accolades...

• The July/August 2006 issue of Dwell magazine, a national publication that promotes innovative design and architecture, said Columbus “has one of the country’s most prized collections of buildings by modern architects.”
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• The December, 2005 issue of Smithsonian magazine called Columbus a “veritable museum of modern architecture.”
• Columbus was named to the 2005 list of U.S. Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
• Columbus was the only Indiana city featured in the June 3, 2005 issue of USA Today in the article “Ten Great Places to Discover Midwest Charm.”
• Columbus is featured in the book “1,000 Places To See in the USA and Canada Before You Die,” published by Workman Publishing Company.
• Columbus was cited in the “62 Reasons to Love Your Country” in the July 2005 issue of GQ Magazine.
• Columbus was selected in 2004 as one of the Ten Most Playful Towns in America by Nick Jr. Family Magazine.
• Columbus was ranked as one of the country’s safest metropolitan areas (6th out of 339) by America’s Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities for 2005.
• Columbus was ranked 56th in The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America by John Villani, published in 1996.
• Demographics Daily, an on-line newsletter published by American City Business Journals, used 20 sets of statistics to rate the quality of life in 632 small cities. Columbus scored 98.8 out of a hundred and ranked 4th in the US in cities of 10,000-50,000. Published September, 2000.
• The New Rating Guide to Life in America’s Small Cities (Prometheus Books, 1997) ranked small cities that they labeled “micropolitans,” with populations of 15,000-50,000, on 10 qualities.