A Fans First Game! Suggestions?

Welcome, and congrats on getting to come in for the first time! :)

There are several hotels around the Greater Columbus Convention Center that would put you in easy walking distance of Nationwide Arena, but they can get expensive – not sure what your budget is, but if you can afford one of them, that’s probably the simplest solution.

R-Bar, right down the street in the Arena District, is THE big hockey fan bar / hangout. Food isn’t bad there, either.

If you’re looking for other Columbus destinations for a short trip, I strongly suggest checking out Jeni’s Ice Creams, Skillet Rustic Urban Food, The North Market, and COSI.

Hope these suggestions help!

some of the best damn hot dogs you well ever eat

I agree with Matt on the recommendations. R-bar is the place to go for hockey. There are a few hotels within a block or so of Nationwide.
At the game, recommend yelling LEO when Leo’s name is announced for the National Anthem and also if there is a dumb house band, dont listen to them. Cannon is pretty cool too.
Hope your time in Columbus is fun and hope for a big win!

Shopping at Easton Is a fave for my wife, and it’s got a nice atmosphere too. The doors open an hour before game time. I’d suggest getting there early and strolling around the arena. Whenever I take someone there for the first time they are normally taken aback by everything.

The Arean District is a fun area. Besides the R-Bar, I’d also recommend Bucca di Beppo, a great Italian (not Olive Garden style) restaurant, and BD Mongolian BBQ. These are literally a minute or two from Nationwide.

Are you a Jackets Fan or Devils Fan? Perhaps just a hockey fan in general?

Sorry, I meant to have a paragraph break after my first sentence…

Great to hear the responses guys, it certainly gives me a solid starting point to my planning. Thanks very much.

The R-bar sounds like a hell of a time so Ill be sure to hit that and hang with some fellow fans. Ive also looked into the hotel situation and although Matt you are right about being a bit more pricy, my complete lack of will to drive in the cities will probably get me to pony up :) I havnt yet looked into the options that were thrown out for short trips but Im bringing the girlfriend so shopping sounds right up her alley!

Also Pomeroy Im a big time Jackets fan! Long story short I began getting into hockey about 4 years ago when a buddy of mine had me over to watch a couple games. I was a football fan and had never really sat down and watched much hockey before, but it didnt take long for me to get hooked on the speed and skill of the game. Anyways on a whim one day I bought a pack of hockey cards (kinda nerdy but I used to collect a ton when I was a kid) and in my first pack I scored a Rick Nash jersey card. The fandom was born. Its continued to grow since then (buying center ice to check out games, stocking up on merch) and lead me to the desire to drive out and see a game in person. Its a 14 hour drice but I cant wait to make it!

And here I thought you were going to make a trip to Springfield! LOL

Seriously though…I hope you have a great time!

so I didn’t get to come down to see the Red Wings game…tho Detroit Man WAS in the house…(for the first back-to-back series) so I think right now I’m aiming for the March 11th game against the Kings because frankly, I like them too…AK-11. So, before I say that it is a for sure thing I just wanted to throw out a little thing now so maybe we can work out what we had planned before with the Detroit game. I’ll keep you guys informed more as the date draws closer and I know if I am capable of coming down to the game.