Columbus

Neighborhoods

Rent feel is a rough guide from $ (cheaper) to $$$$ (brace yourself).

Bars & clubs

Also open: Boscoe's (1224 S High St) and District West (145 N 5th St, downtown).

Health & PrEP

• Equitas Health: Short North Community Health Center 1033 N High St
  Equitas Health offers primary care, PrEP, HIV and STI testing and its own pharmacies across its Columbus sites. Call (833) 378-4827 to check what this clinic offers and to book.
• Columbus Public Health: Sexual Health and Wellness Center 240 Parsons Ave, 2nd floor
  STI testing and treatment and same-day PrEP. Appointments preferred, with a few walk-ins: Mon 8–4:15, Tue 10–6:15, Wed 8–noon, Thu–Fri 8–4:15 (the city's pages don't all agree, so call (614) 645-1850 first). Sliding-scale fees, no one turned away for not being able to pay. Bring a photo ID.

New to PrEP, DoxyPEP or testing? Read Sexual health, the practical version. Looking for a regular doctor or a therapist, or sorting out what PrEP costs? See Finding a doctor who gets it.

Community & leagues

• Stonewall Columbus: 1160 N High St, in the Short North. The community center (Mon–Fri 10–5, (614) 299-7764) runs Pride and a long list of groups, including a men's coming-out group, Trailblazers for people 55 and up, recovery groups and Adventure Pride. Its calendar has the current dates.

Leagues & clubs

• Columbus Lesbian and Gay Softball Association (fall ball started Sep 13, 2026; Columbus hosted the 2026 Gay Softball World Series)
• Columbus Kodiaks RFC (an International Gay Rugby club; practices Mon and Wed 6–8pm and Sat 10am at Rhodes Park during the August–October fall season)
• Columbus Gay Men's Chorus (Sassy Brassy Season, Dec 12–13, 2026, and The ABC's of Divas, Mar 19–20, 2027, both at the Riffe Center's Davidson Theatre)

All 3 groups in Columbus, by interest and day of the week, with times and links.

This week in Columbus

The whole week, day by day, including the quiet days.

Dates are in Columbus time. Times are as each group lists them, monthly groups show only on the day they meet, and seasonal leagues play only in season, so check the group's site before you go. Nobody pays to be listed.

Pride & big events

Stonewall Columbus Pride is in mid-to-late June (2027 dates TBA). In 2026 the festival and resource fair filled Goodale Park on Friday and Saturday, June 19–20, and the march stepped off at High and Broad at 10:30am on Saturday, heading north up High Street to the Short North.

First time going? Your first Pride covers going solo, what to bring, heat and crowds.

Moving tips

• The Short North bars are a walk apart: Union Cafe and Axis are across the street from each other. Slammers and AWOL downtown and Club Diversity in the Brewery District are a short ride south.
• COTA buses cost $2 for two hours of rides. Pay in the Transit app or with a COTA Smartcard and it stops charging at $4.50 for the day. There are ticket machines at the airport's arrivals level.
• On days when the National Weather Service puts out a heat or cold advisory, COTA's buses are free for the rest of the day.
• Several bars stay open until 2:30am on weekends (AWOL every night), so there's no rush at midnight.
• Coming for Pride? High Street closes for the march and the streets around Goodale Park close for the festival, so plan to walk.

Recently closed

Older guides still list these.

• Slammie's on High (Slammers' sister bar in the Short North, Mar 2023 to Jun 2024)