25 Things to Do Around OSU Without Leaving Campus
Coffee shops, late-night pizza, hidden study spots, and the rooftops you didn't know existed — all within a walk of campus.
If you're spending the next few years around The Ohio State University, the campus area becomes your whole world — and that's actually a great thing. The blocks around High Street are stacked with food, music, study spots, and small rituals that make student life feel less like school and more like a city.
Mornings start with coffee. Stauf's in Grandview is the local institution, but for a quick fix between classes try Mission Coffee on N. 4th, Impero Coffee on 5th, or Crimson Cup right on High. For a quiet study session, the Thompson Library's 11th-floor reading room is unbeatable — bring headphones and a book.
When it's time to refuel, hit Hounddog's Pizza for the late-night classic, Aab India Restaurant for cheap-and-amazing curry, Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace downtown, and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (the Short North scoop shop is a rite of passage). The Buckeye Donuts trip at 2 a.m. after a long study night is basically a graduation requirement.
For something to do, walk the Oval at golden hour, catch a free concert at the Wexner Center, browse the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library (it's free and one of the largest cartoon archives on Earth), or check out a basketball or hockey game at the Schott. The Chadwick Arboretum is a hidden gem in the spring.
Weekend looking long? The Book Loft in German Village, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Topiary Park (yes, a topiary version of a Seurat painting), and the COSI science center are all a short bus ride away. Living around campus means you're never bored — you just have to look up from your laptop.
