What's Columbia?

8/9/2008 Allan M. says:

Just to give you a heads-up, you probably should instead ask this question on either the Atlanta or Charlotte yelp talk board, which are way more active than this one. Not to mention, you might get a quicker response from any Atlanta or Charlotte residents that may've spent some past time in Columbia. I don't even know if there are any regular yelpers in Columbia yet, since yelp tends to often take a while to catch on in smaller cities.

Anyway, here's a direct link to the talk boards for both cities:
http://www.yelp.com/ta...
http://www.yelp.com/ta...

Good luck getting an answer to your question.

8/9/2008 Eliot L. says:

So I've noticed! Thanks for the ideas.

9/24/2008 Scott M. says:

Hello Elliot, I grew up in Columbia but I've since moved away.  There are some nice things to do, but I would suggest spreading them out over a couple weeks or months, as Columbia is a considerably smaller city than Dallas.

There's very little in the way of "city living" that you cannot find in Dallas.  Mostly you'll find a lot of outdoor activities that might be a little more difficult in Texas.  

Mountains - If you venture outside the city about an hour or so you will start hitting the Blue Ridge Mountains (called Upstate here in SC).  There are a lot of nice hiking trails and sweeping views at the tops of some peaks

Congaree Swamp - I haven't been there in maybe 10 years, but the swamp is a National Park and is very large.  You can spend all day in there exploring trails, taking photos or viewing wildflife, etc.  I think they also have guided tours of some parts of the swamp.

Lake Murray - this is the biggest lake in the metro area.  There's really nothing special about it, except it's a nice place to take a rented boat out and relax for the day.  

Waffle House - local diner is a staple in the Southern states, though I don't know if they have them in Texas.  Known for waffles and chili (not together).

Day trip to Charleston - Charleston South Carolina is on the Atlantic Ocean and is an amazing small city with a lot of neat historical things to do as well as a lot more bars and clubs than Columbia.  It is about 2 hour drive, easily doable as a day trip.

As for eating and drinking, the Congaree Vista and also Five Points (5P more of a college scene) are the nightlife areas.  Some great restaurants around there, such as Motor Supply Company, Blue Marlin, etc.  Probably nothing that can't be duplicated in Dallas though.  Good luck and have fun!

10/5/2008 Therese "Fingertoes" F. says:

Hi, Eliot. Even though it's 3 months after the fact and even though your questions remind me of those boring field trip evaluation forms we used to have to do in grade school, I have nonetheless decided to answer them, because I'm generous like that.

-What is essential in Columbia to see
Walking around downtown Columbia yields a few art pieces which are singularly interesting, albeit sudden and almost wholly without context. Our resident artist-slash-whatever Blue Sky has adorned the area with, in no particular order, a mural that looks like a tunnel,  an extremely large silver fire hydrant, and a slightly less large but equally silver chain connecting two buildings. I have heard rumors of a levitating Dumpster but it seems this installation was, as are most things in this part of the world, ruint by a hurricane.

/do
There is something eerie (but nice) about roaming the grounds of the State House after dark. If you're into hiking and crap there is Sesquicentennial State Park here in town and a number of parks and beaches all over the state. I just realized I'm kind of useless on this question because my idea of a good time is pushing shopping carts around the Kroger parking lot at 2 a.m. with the bumper of my car, then driving aimlessly through the suburbs until I run out of gas. If you're into that, then my friend, you have come to the right place.

/eat/drink?
Being that you're from Texas, I figure I can skip the paean to Waffle House, which I'm pretty sure is where 90% of the city goes for fancy sit-down dinners. The Flying Saucer (931 Senate Street) is a good place to start if you're fond of beer, overpriced but delicious garnish for your beer (i.e. food), and young nubile girls in schoolgirl outfits. If you're looking for someplace a little more sophisticated you might look into the Hunter-Gatherer (900 Main Street) which focuses less on the nubile girls and more on legroom. If you're still hungry after that I recommend either Tio's (928 Main Street) or Miyo's (922 Main Street). Dr. Seuss punning aside, Tio's is a fairly cheap Mexican place which makes up for in portion size what it lacks in quality (a more comforting chimichanga than Tio's I have never found), and Miyo's is a somewhat more pricey, ambiguously "Asian" gem with lychee martinis that will make you think you have achieved some sort of martini nirvana.

-What makes Columbia, South Carolina unique?
I'm torn between "our quaint accents and sense of southern hospitality" and "our collective delusions of grandeur."

-Where should I spend a weekend?
Indoors with the AC cranked up, the lights on, and the windows closed. In my opinion.

-Oh, and what's up with "Smiling Faces. Beautiful Places."?
I have no idea. I've lived here 12 long years and have never once seen either a smiling face or beautiful place. It's really outrageous what they can get away with in advertising these days.

1/8/2009 sarah "avid license plate collecter" m. says:

I moved to Columbia about a year and a half ago, and seeing as I'm a teenager, I may not be helpful, but I do what I can to interest myself in Columbia on a daily basis.  Some of my favorite things are the Columbia art museum photography exibits, especially on free days (Saturdays, i think?) I go bowling with friends (although I'm not very good) on Monday nights to play for twelve dollars unlimited until twelve. It's worth it. and its ghetto! but fun. Also, Five Points in down town Columbia has really unique and neat shops, my favorite being Sid and Nancies for a trendier goodwill kind of store.  Also, every now and then in the spring and summer, Columbia has concerts in Finley Park and downtown.  I find them to be neat even if they are music I dont like because all the different people that come together to hang out even if they dont know eachother. Also in downtown Columbia is the Nickelodeon theatre, which I havent yet been to, but about which I have heard great things. Other than that, there are parks in a local neighborhood that I tend to walk to with friends, but that might be a bit strange for you to visit. And whoever said Waffle House wasn't lying! It is actually part of the experience.

1/8/2009 sarah "avid license plate collecter" m. says:

AND HOW COULD I FORGET! the "Village at Sandhill," commonly referred to as "Sandhills" (named after a region of South Carolina) is where most people go on weekends. It's basically an outlet with restaurants and a movie theatre, and there are two icecream places. (one italian ice. Rita's!) They are kind of rule obsessed there, which is why it's not as busy as it used to be, but it's super safe. which is okay, i guess.

1/23/2009 Greg W. says:

Not to pick at nits, but "Sandhills" is not limited solely to South Carolina.  - http://en.wikipedia.or...

2/5/2009 Douga "I haven't figured myself out yet" S. says:

Take a walk around Five Points, eat at Yesterdays, Andy's Deli, Devine Foods in Shandon and Motor Supply Bistro.
Check out a basketball, baseball or football game at USC.
Go camping at Dreher Island State Park.
Visit Riverbanks Zoo and hike down to the river.
Ride a bike downtown.
Take in a game and eat some wings at D's Wings in Cayce.
Tour the Horseshoe.
Meet some college chicks.
It's all good...