first visit to Columbia today and tomorrow. any advice on best place to eat? things to see? hope we see a good game tomorrow night!
visiting columbia-any advice?
- Thread starter bballjones99
- Start date
What Id recommend down near the arena:
Blue Marlin (seafood)
Twisted Spur (continental and a microbewery)
Cola's (expensive continental)
Things to see:
Riverwalk park
Horseshoe on USC campus
Blue Marlin (seafood)
Twisted Spur (continental and a microbewery)
Cola's (expensive continental)
Things to see:
Riverwalk park
Horseshoe on USC campus
looks like the all new and improved 5 points vest
Wear a coat if you're walking at the Riverwalk park or at the Horseshoe at USC...
But, what to do??? It depends on your mood and what you want to do...
There are a lot of things to do in Columbia...
But, what to do??? It depends on your mood and what you want to do...
There are a lot of things to do in Columbia...
Wear a red bandana in left pocket and blue bandana in right. You should be good Also make funny signs with your fingers
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Park at one of the free parking spaces around intersection of Blanding Street and Taylor Street.
Walk past retro bus station and old Tapps Dept. store building and take a left on main street. Take a look at some of the vintage main street buildings. Walk to the State Capitol building, angling to your left, and see the African American exhibit (see how many famous, iconic black people you can identify) and historic statues. Walk towards Pendleton Street in the direction of the University. Take a left into Horseshoe and look at classic University buildings and walk towards the Russell House. Return to the State Capitol and take a left on Gervais Street down the hill to the Vista area and have lunch. Return on Assembly Street and walk past pawn shops and Richland County public library. Be sure to stop in at the Mast General Store.
Walk past retro bus station and old Tapps Dept. store building and take a left on main street. Take a look at some of the vintage main street buildings. Walk to the State Capitol building, angling to your left, and see the African American exhibit (see how many famous, iconic black people you can identify) and historic statues. Walk towards Pendleton Street in the direction of the University. Take a left into Horseshoe and look at classic University buildings and walk towards the Russell House. Return to the State Capitol and take a left on Gervais Street down the hill to the Vista area and have lunch. Return on Assembly Street and walk past pawn shops and Richland County public library. Be sure to stop in at the Mast General Store.
The question is from an out of town guest who is interested in a visit to Columbia. He gets one or two legitimate answers then the totally immature idiots takeover. Those with a lot of diarrhea of the mouth to boot. This used to be a great place when it first started, and yes I was on here then, now it is just for juveniles.
-Sheraton downtown hotel is nice and affordable. Has a rooftop bar and Starbucks
- Gervais and Vine in the vista is a great tapas restaurant
- Nonnahs has best cake so save that for dessert.
-Horseshoe of course.
-We always enjoy the SC history museum and the Riverbank zoo.
-Brazilian steakhouse on main is pretty awesome too.
-River walk
-Pawleys Front Porch in 5 points, best burgers in South Carolina
Live in Downtown for 5 years, the Vista is pretty safe, just don’t walk around 5 points or up that way at night alone.
- Gervais and Vine in the vista is a great tapas restaurant
- Nonnahs has best cake so save that for dessert.
-Horseshoe of course.
-We always enjoy the SC history museum and the Riverbank zoo.
-Brazilian steakhouse on main is pretty awesome too.
-River walk
-Pawleys Front Porch in 5 points, best burgers in South Carolina
Live in Downtown for 5 years, the Vista is pretty safe, just don’t walk around 5 points or up that way at night alone.
Hopefully you're staying in the Vista near the arena. Saki Tumi, Divino, Blue Marlin, Motor Supply Co and World of Beer are my favorite places down there. Nonnah's or Kaminsky's is good for dessert.
Charleston is a great place to visit, but I much prefer living in Columbia.
Charleston is cool. Traffic is terrible though and everything is very pricey.
Nonnah's has the best lemon cake you'll ever eat!
Herb's was fantastic. I miss that place.
Oh, so now you are trying to kick me off? What a loser you are. Blah, Blah, Blah all the time.
I am from Columbia. It is kind of sad to see jokes on a gamecock board about crime , gangs etc. Columbia really needs to get its act together. But the truth is,there is not much to do in Columbia and it has traveled downhill in my opinion.
Riverbanks zoo if you have kids and it’s not freezing cold.
It used to be on the corner of St. Andrews & Broad River (Now a CVS). Most recently the Zorbas in Chapin, had a close delivery/copy of the old recipe.
I respect your position but see it another way. I grew up in Charleston, but have lived in Columbia for many years. I actually think things are improving. The OP has been given some good advice on restaurants and things to do, despite the usual comments from one or two of the resident smartass types. I recently started enjoying the craft beer scene in Columbia, which now included a portable, movable German beer garden which is great. I also look forward to the opening of the Hunter Gatherer beer place in the old Curtiss Wright hangar at Owens Field. A really unique venue. And by the way, Twisted Spur is really a great place with good food and craft beer. Real good in fact. Crime in the city is no different than any other southern city that has our demographics. I wish it were better but some of this stuff is just random.
So it’s been a long time since I was anywhere near Owens field. Is (or has) that area made a “comeback”? I used to think there was some potential for a comeback in that area. Thanks for pointing out the positive options. I am going to try some of them out next time I am in town
I know when he closed he sold his recipe to Fat Buddies which was located nearby, but I haven't followed anything since and left Columbia shortly thereafter.
Good post. People just hear more about the crime with the non-stop barrage of information and the 24/7 news cycle, live video from cellphones, etc. 20+ years ago we knew that it was not smart to roam to the outskirts of 5 Points after dark and that you had to watch your back at all times anywhere in the city.
you should be on the welcoming committee of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce
.....you maybe saving livesPeople worried about crime in Columbia need to leave Lexington once in a while, turn off the news, and enjoy life. Any city has crime and Columbia is a very safe place to visit provided you stick to the right areas. Same as literally any other city.
Agree 100%. And I think Columbia is underrated big time. Great restaurants, tons of history, a lot to do. To the OP's Q- go eat at Al's Upstairs. You will thank me later.
True. Columbia is a city like any other.
The Rosewood/Owens Field area is doing pretty well. Lots of new people moving into the neighborhood. There's a really nice park next to Owens Field too (excellent frisbee golf course). Columbia isn't a city that's overrun with tourists like Charleston, but there's plenty to see and do.
Food-wise, Cola's, Motor Supply, Bourbon, The Whig (if you like dive bars, it's the world's best), Terra (in West Columbia; great view of the City), Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse, Al Amir, Hampton Street Vineyard, and Oak Table are all solid. Baan Sawan is amazingly great Thai food (nice atmosphere), and Blue Cactus has great Korean food. Not a fancy environment; kind of like eating at your grandma's if your grandma is Korean. But it's great, even though it's in Five Points (which some would have you believe is like Baghdad, but I've been hundreds of times and never had any problems).
Definitely visit the Horseshoe at USC.
The museum has been done up well the last couple of years. Took the grandkids there over Christmas break and was very impressed. Lots of interactive exhibits.
Take a jog at dusk along Beltline Blvd and work your way up Two Notch Rd. Indulge in the prostitutes and get some Rush's if you survive that far up.
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