Axios Columbus

April 21, 2025
Happy Monday! Get inspired by World Creativity and Innovation Day.
⛈️ Today's weather: Warm and stormy, with a high in the mid-70s.
🎧 Sounds like: "Take a Walk" by Passion Pit.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Columbus member Liz Webb!
Today's newsletter is 939 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: 🥾 Your Hocking Hills guide
👋🏾 Troy from Axios Cleveland here, coming to you live from one of the most prominent tourist destinations in Ohio — Hocking Hills.
Why it matters: The region draws as many as 5 million visitors a year, according to the Hocking Hills Tourism Association, making it a go-to getaway for residents across Ohio and beyond.
The intrigue: The centerpiece of Hocking Hills region, an hour's drive from Columbus, is Hocking Hills State Park.
- The park has racked up several honors in recent years, including Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 list of "The 50 Most Beautiful Places in America."
- Several popular destinations are located within the park, including Old Man's Cave, the 200-foot-long Rock House cave and Cedar Falls, a breathtaking 40-foot waterfall.
Dig in: For couples, the restaurant at the Glenlaurel in Rockbridge has a romantic setting and seven-course dinner capped by a rack of lamb.
- Those looking for a quicker bite should try Shamrock Irish Pub in Logan, which has one of the best Reuben sandwiches I've ever tasted.
- In terms of drinks, Brewery33's "Tenacious DIPA" is as good as Ohio IPAs get. There's also Hocking Hills Moonshine, which sells products at various places in Central Ohio.
Where to stay: There are plenty of hotels, lodges and campgrounds to stay at in Hocking Hills, but the area's luxurious Airbnb rentals have become all the rage.
- I've personally stayed at "The Dreamer," a custom container in nearby Laurelville with all the amenities you can imagine, and the "Grain Bin Home," which was converted from a silo into a tiny house.
- There's also the "Dunlap Hollow A-Frame" in Rockbridge, the most wish-listed Airbnb in Ohio that accommodates up to 10 people.
Cost: Depending on where and when you stay, a Hocking Hills Airbnb can run you anywhere from $400 to $1,800 a night.
The bottom line: There are so many things to check out in the region (I haven't even gotten to the mom-and-pop shops). Fortunately, you'll soon have a few months of nice Ohio weather to explore all of them.
2. 🥩 Columbites: The last York Steak House
👋 Alissa here. York Steak House on Broad Street has drawn a cult following for almost 60 years. I finally crossed it off my local bucket list.
Catch up quick: The no-frills restaurant is a relic of a bygone chain once abundant in '70s shopping malls.
- Columbus' location was the first to open in 1966 and is now the last one standing, with a recent change in ownership.
- It leans into nostalgia, striving to maintain the "same quality and atmosphere" of its heyday with dark, castle-like decor.
How it works: Pick a meal off the picture-menu on the wall, then enter a cafeteria-style line with a salad bar, desserts and drinks.
- A waitress brings your meat and potatoes later.
Yes, but: That took almost 40 minutes on a busy Saturday, which seemed to defeat the purpose of the otherwise quick-service setup.
The bottom line: A sign on the building boasts "family priced dining" — and it definitely delivers, with a meal of two 4-ounce filets, a salad bar, roll and baked potato costing just $20.
- The food was good — I didn't go in expecting a Jeff Ruby-caliber cut, after all — but the long wait was unfortunately most memorable. I'll try again on a weekday.
Stop by: 11am-8:30pm daily, except Sunday, closes 8pm. 4220 W. Broad St. Menu.

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3. ⛈️ Storms are getting more intense

Rainstorms are getting more intense in Columbus and many U.S. cities amid human-driven climate change, new analysis finds.
Why it matters: More intense precipitation events stress local infrastructure and can cause flash-flooding, dangerous driving conditions and other hazards.
How it works: Researchers divided each location's total annual rainfall by its total hours of annual rainfall, using NOAA weather station data.
- Hourly rainfall intensity increased between 1970 and 2024 in nearly 90% of 144 locations analyzed.
Zoom in: Columbus has seen a significant uptick in rainfall intensity since 1970, and it's been a rainy April this year.
- Our area's 3.36 inches of precipitation from April 1-17 was well above normal (2.16) for that stretch.
- April 3 (1.88 inches) came within .07 inches of breaking its daily record set in 2018.
Threat level: More water from heavier rain requires infrastructure that can handle it.
- Last year, we reported that Columbus is improving stormwater infrastructure and taking other steps to mitigate the meteorological effects of climate change.
4. ⚽️ ICYMI: Crew lose in Cleveland
The Crew visited Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland Saturday to host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
Between the lines: Miami won 1-0 despite Columbus dominating for most of the game, and many fans weren't pleased about the trip.
- The Crew outshot Miami 16-7, but repeatedly failed to capitalize on opportunities.
Stunning stat: The teams entered the match as the final two undefeated sides in MLS.
The big picture: Despite playing in Cleveland, the team is calling the announced crowd of 60,614 the highest "home" game attendance in Crew history.
📆 Programming note: No Crew Review this week — it's an Earth Day deep dive tomorrow!

5. 😴 Quote du jour: Sleepy students
"It might sound odd to say that kids in high school have to learn the skills to sleep. But you'd be shocked how many just don't know how to sleep."— Tony Davis, a Mansfield Senior High School health teacher, to AP.
Threat level: The CDC says nearly 80% of teens get less than the needed eight to 10 hours of sleep each night.
The intrigue: Davis has incorporated a new sleep curriculum into his health class that asks students to keep a daily sleep log and rate their mood and energy levels.
Go deeper: Sleep training is no longer just for babies. Some schools are teaching teens how to sleep
Thanks to Tyler Buchanan for editing today's newsletter.
Our picks:
😅 Alissa is a perpetual night owl and could probably benefit from that sleep curriculum, too.
🥾 Andrew has taken Hocking Hills for granted and needs to go explore more.
🥩 Tyler wants to take a trip to York Steak House now.
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