Guest post from my fabulous friend…
Hi! My name is Abbey. I’m a mother of two girls (aged 4 and 7) and a good friend of Cbusmom’s. Our oldest girls are in the same class and also on the same soccer team. It’s always great to have a fellow mom who is super cool to talk to while the kids are doing their thing. So one day I said to Kristin, “Hey, you should have some posts on German Village! Do you want me to write one?”
The reason I am such an enthusiast of German Village is that I have lived there for most of my life. When we had our second baby, we decided we needed more space so we put on our big kid pants and moved out to the burbs. (Charm ain’t cheap.) But I still miss German Village a lot, and always make sure to periodically take the girls to visit some of my favorite childhood places. There are so many things to do in German Village; but right now, I’m going to focus on one special place you should visit this summer: Schiller Park.
Located in the heart of German Village, the park was named after German poet, Friedrich von Schiller (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
This park is in a pretty diverse area so you will see all types of people: rich, poor, gay, straight, all ethnicities, young and old, you name it. It’s a real melting pot and that’s pretty cool in my opinion.
There are two paths around the park: an inner loop which is more scenic and an outer loop that is used mainly by walkers and joggers. The outer loop is about one mile around in case you want to get in a lap or two while your baby sleeps in the stroller. There are great houses to look at all around the park, each with beautiful gardens that soften the signature terracotta brick and wrought iron structures.
Huntington Gardens
When you enter the park from the City Park Street side, there is a long garden with inscribed bricks and benches on either side that is sponsored by Huntington Bank and maintained by the local gardening club. There are so many different plants and flowers to see and all for free. German Village is known for its gardens so this is a real show piece.
MOM TIP #1: The garden is a great photo op when in bloom so bring a camera.
MOM TIP #2: Have budding gardeners? This is a good place for inspiration.
The Pond
To the right of the main entrance, there is a pond that has a bog-like island in the middle with a willow tree on it. There is also a cute little bridge your kids will love. Don’t be surprised if you catch a few
people fishing (there are actually fish in there). Seasonally, you will find a huge flock of ducks hanging out. They are so fun to watch and feed.
MOM TIP: You might want to bring a little something to feed the ducks.
The Actor’s Theater Stage
Up the hill from the pond, you will find a stage. Kids have fun playing on it and you might see an occasional teen skateboarding there. In the summertime the stage is ripe with actors from The Actor’s Theater. They usually perform something Shakespearian at dusk on the weekends in summertime and it is fun to sit under the stars on a blanket with a nosh and your fellow man and enjoy a real outdoor performance.
MOM TIP: This event has gotten pretty popular so get there early. It may be a bit late and long for very young kids so use your best judgment. But hey, it’s free (save donations, if you wish) so you can always just peek in at the start and take off when the fussiness begins.
Find their schedule here: http://www.theactorstheatre.
Kid’s Playground
What a cute playground. The “Tot Lot” is fenced in with two open entrances. This kind of curbs kids who have a tendency to take off and keeps most of the little doggies out. There is great equipment there:
- little molded plywood train cars
- a slide and climbing structure appropriate for very young toddlers
- a larger slide and climbing structure for bigger kids
- a swing set with baby seats
MOM TIP: There are a couple of benches and a concrete picnic table in the Tot Lot. I have seen some moms steak this out for little birthday parties or you can just bring a snack. If you do a party, it might be good to bring a disposable tablecloth with clips or tape to hold it down.
Outside the Tot Lot gate there is more:
- yet another large slide and climbing structure for big kids
- a big kid swing set
- and then there’s THE HILL! (See below)
MOM TIP: If you park by the rec center, you will need to walk by the basketball courts to get to the kid’s playground. On an early summer evening, you might occasionally overhear a tiny bit of trash talking from the boys at the hoops. But hey, that’s life, right?
The Hill
Right behind the playground is a pretty big hill that is GREAT for kids to run up and down (and wear themselves out on). When at the peak there is a pretty view of the park. There are a couple of thin dirt trails that run down the sides of the hills for brave hikers or daredevils on bikes. It’s a great sledding hill as well. I have many fond childhood memories of rolling down this hill giggling.
The Rec Center
The recreation center has much to offer, indoor courts, a gym, etc. To learn more: http://parks.columbus.gov/
MOM (RESTROOM) TIP: You can enter the rec center from the parking lot side and use their restroom on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 12-9, Wednesdays 3-9 and Saturdays 9-6. There are no changing tables there. During the summer there is a port-o-potty posted by the outdoor stage as well. If you totally have a potty emergency and can’t get into the rec center, there is a McDonalds one block West of the park if you walk past Stewart Elementary School on Stewart Avenue.
Courts
The park has outdoor basketball and tennis courts. I heard from a friend that they offer free tennis lessons in the summer so call the rec center for more information if you’re interested! Could your daughter be the next Serena Williams?
Umbrella Girl
Follow the path to the North of Huntington Gardens and you will find Umbrella Girl in her fountain. She is surrounded by benches and beautiful plantings (labeled in case you are interested).
MOM TIP: Bring pennies for wishing!
Picnic and Dog Area
Keep following the path from Umbrella Girl on the left (North) side of the park and you will see lots of picnic tables. It’s a great place to grab some carryout or a picnic basket and relax with family and friends. In this area (especially on weekends or right after work on weekdays) you will find a congregation of dogs and their owners. What is hilarious about this group is that the owners will kind of stand around and chat while their dogs are often let off leash and inevitably develop into what I call a “doggie tornado”. They literally all begin chasing each other in a circle. The kids will love it. It’s really heartwarming to see.
My recommended path through the park for first-timers:
- Park in the parking lot by the rec center at the corner of Jaeger and Deshler.
- Hit the playground and hill.
- Turn right off the playground and follow the path to the statue of Schiller, turn left and hang out at the pond for a while.
- You can head right back to the rec center parking lot from there if you little one is tired or you can…
- Cross to the opposite side of the park and check out the Huntington Garden on the way.
- Make a penny wish at the Umbrella Girl statue.
- Continue up the path and turn left at Mohawk Street and grab lunch at The Brown Bag or maybe just a cone at Jeni’s Spendid Ice Cream (seasonally open) window. If it’s warm, you can dine al fresco.
- Get your booties back to the car because by this time, you’ve made a day of it! Get some rest!
For more on Schiller Park: http://germanvillage.com/
Okay, okay, so you worked up an appetite or want more German Village fun. I got you covered – here are some other great places to explore with your lil’ pumpkins: 
The Book Loft
A dizzying maze of fun books (32 rooms)! Gas up with a Cup O’ Joe next door first.
http://www.bookloft.com/
Pistacia Vera
Yummy! Pretty! Fancy!
http://www.pistaciavera.com/
Frank Fetch Park
A small, charming neighborhood garden with a fountain.
http://germanvillage.com/
The Brown Bag
Mmmm… amazing sandwiches – right off Schiller Park. Don’t miss Jeni’s seasonal window service next door!
http://thebrownbaggv.com/
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus
For you Bahama Mamas: Try to hit the kid-friendly dinner buffet when the Oompah Band is there. Fun! Don’t forget to add a giant cream puff to go!
http://www.schmidthaus.com/
The Fudge Haus
Candy nostalgia! You’ll love having your kids try the candy you grew up with.
http://www.schmidtsfudgehaus.
Katzinger’s Delicatessen
You have not lived… And make sure to grab a few rugelach “for the kids”.
http://www.katzingers.com/
German Village Strolling
German Village is a really fun neighborhood to just walk around! The houses and streets are so quaint and have so much history. Many people put forth great effort to make their houses and little gardens absolutely beautiful, so enjoy! Walk around! I recommend walking around the park then going down City Park Street to the North. Turn right when you get to say Kossuth or Frankfort. Walk down a few blocks and turn right on Mohawk and walk back towards the park.
MOM TIP: The brick streets and sidewalks of German Village are a large part of its charm but if you have a stroller, you may want to go slow and expect a lot of jostling. The rough terrain used to put my oldest used to sleep when I took her on walks as a baby – but just be prepared.
Other great stuff close by:
North Bank Park
At off peak hours, you can snag a meter and pop behind the glass structure for a run through the spray fountain.
http://www.sciotomile.com/parks/north-bank-park/
The Main Library
There is a small café with snacks at entrance, the children’s area is to the right as you enter the library. They have a really good imaginative play area.
http://www.columbuslibrary.org/locations/Main
MOM TIP: You’ll park in an underground garage so don’t forget to take your ticket in and pay for your parking at the machine in the lobby.
The Topiary Park
Near the main library, it’s like a walk through a surrealist painting.
http://www.topiarygarden.org/
The Bicentennial Park
GO to the new water park there this summer! It’s super awesome.
http://www.sciotomile.com/
The Cultural Arts Center
Across from Bicentennial Park, take a quick stroll through their gallery.
http://www.culturalartscenteronline.org/
COSI
You know what I’m talking about.
http://www.cosi.org/
The Grange Audubon Center
Spanking new outdoor playground, beautifully designed building with an indoor play room that has a tot-friendly climbing structure, dress up and puppet theater area, nature library, taxidermy, a few caged critters, sparkling bathrooms, picnic tables, bike and walking trails, a view of the Scioto River, gush, gush, gush, need I say more?
http://grange.audubon.org/
