West Columbus, sometimes referred to as ''westside'' or the ''West Side'', is a neighborhood in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, Ohio, United States. Unlike other Columbus neighborhoods, it is a broad geographical term used by locals rather than a subdivision or suburb. West Columbus is defined as the entire southwest side of Columbus, bordered on the north by interstates 70 and

670 __NOTOC__ Year 670 (Roman numerals, DCLXX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 670th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 670th year of the 1s ...

, within Interstate 71 on the east, and on the south and west by the city limits that reach several miles to the outside of the I-270 outerbelt. It covers the ZIP Codes 43223, 43204, 43228, and 43222.

Surrounding areas

There are several large, broad neighborhoods in Columbus: West Columbus, South Columbus, East Columbus, the Near East Side,

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

, North Columbus, the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Northwest. Out of all these areas, West Columbus may be the largest, being rivaled with East Columbus and the Northwest.

Attractions

* Camp Chase Trail *

Hollywood Casino Columbus Hollywood Casino Columbus is a casino located in Columbus, Ohio. It opened on October 8, 2012 and is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn Entertainment. History Ohio voters approved a state constitutional amendment in Nove ...

, owned and operated by Penn National Gaming * Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park * Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery * Historic National Road * Columbus Rec and Parks: Big Run Park and Athletic Complex, Westgate Park, WestmoorPark, Holton Park, Glenview Park * The Hilltop Y * The Hilltop Swim Club

Politics

West Columbus is usually a heated political area because it is and has been a suffering area. Politicians often elect to center certain speeches and topics in West Columbus, especially when the topics are about the economy, poverty, and crime. These problems were highlighted when the FX television series '' 30 Days'' chose to do an episode on poverty and living on the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...

. They thought that this problem related to West Columbus and they taped the show in The Bottoms, or Franklinton, on the city's West Side.

Crime

The crime rate in West Columbus has been surging. Out of all the neighborhoods listed in the Surrounding Areas Comparison, West Columbus generally ranks in the top three in all crime categories. Franklinton, a neighborhood in West Columbus, consistently has the highest rate of crime in Columbus on a yearly basis. Homicides, drug trade, and gang violence are common issues encountered across the area. A common theory for the crime on the west side is the poverty that the residents there live in. It is policed by the

Columbus Division of Police The Columbus Division of Police (CPD) is the main policing unit for the city of Columbus, Ohio, in the United States. It is the largest police department in the state of Ohio, and among the twenty-five largest in the United States.Based upon the ...

, Precincts 10, 19, and 8. It is also policed by the Franklin Township Police Department and the Franklin County Sheriff's Department.

Neighborhoods

The following are neighborhoods in West Columbus: * The Bottoms * Briggsdale * Cherry Creek * Franklinton *

Georgian Heights Georgian Heights is a neighborhood in West Columbus, in Columbus, Ohio, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North Ame ...

* Hardesty Heights * Hilltop * Murray Hill * Riverbend *

Westgate Westgate or West Gate may refer to: Companies * Westgate Resorts, a real estate company and timeshare company * Westgate Department Stores, the department store division of Anglia Regional Co-operative Society in the United Kingdom Events * Westg ...

* Wilshire Heights * Moneyback * Lincoln Village

References

Sources

* J. Testa, The Franklin County Auditor * The Columbus Dispatch * The Westside Messenger * This Week on the West Side *
mages of America: West Columbus, Ohio

WBNS

NBC

NeighborhoodLink
{{Columbus, Ohio Neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio