Columbus, Ohio is a city of immense importance, both historically and in the present day. It is home to Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the United States, and has been largely spared from the deindustrialization that has affected many other cities. Columbus was first connected to the rest of the country by railroads in 1850 and 1851, and to commemorate this relationship, the city was gifted a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus from the people of Genoa. The city is also home to numerous restaurant chains, such as Charleys Philly Steaks, Bibibop Asian Grill, Steak Escape, White Castle, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Bob Evans Restaurants, Max & Erma's, Damon's Grill, Donatos Pizza and Wendy's.Columbus has a vibrant events calendar that rivals any other city of its size.
From its founding in 1812 until 1971, when Amtrak was established, Penn Central operated several trains through Columbus, including the Cincinnati Limited to Cincinnati to the southwest and the Ohio State Limited between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Demolition has been a common trend in Columbus for a long period of time and it continues to this day. In 1964, Geraldine Fredritz Mock became the first woman to fly solo around the world, leaving Columbus and piloting the Spirit of Columbus. The metropolitan area is home to the Battelle Memorial Institute, the world's largest private research and development foundation; Chemical Abstracts Service, the world's largest chemical information exchange center; and Ohio State University. The football game between Ohio State and Michigan (known colloquially as The Game) is the last game of the regular season and is played in November of each year, alternating between Columbus and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Alternative arts, culture or politics oriented newspapers include ALIVE (formerly the independent newspaper Columbus Alive and now owned by Columbus Dispatch), Columbus Free Press and Columbus Underground (digital only).
Private institutions in Columbus include Capital University Law School, Columbus College of Art and Design, Fortis College, DeVry University, Ohio Business College, Miami-Jacobs Career College, Ohio Health Careers Institute, Bradford School and Franklin University. The community has helped promote Christopher Columbus' influence in drawing European attention to the Americas. In addition to its educational institutions and cultural attractions such as museums and theaters, it also has a vibrant nightlife scene with numerous bars and clubs. Private religious schools include Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, Mount Carmel College of Nursing, Dominican University of Ohio, Josephinum Pontifical College and Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
