The Nationwide Arena district is one of the best sports landmarks in the entire US
August 7, 2025
Article originally published in Union and Blue by Curtis Dean >
While the on-ice results have rarely been up to par, one thing is not debatable when we’re talking about 25 years of NHL hockey in Central Ohio: the Nationwide Arena district is one of the best places to experience a game in the entire league. In fact, it’s one of the best entertainment districts in the entire country, regardless the sport.
Nationwide Arena may be aging, but it’s still very much near the top of the list of best buildings in the entire NHL. It has great sightlines, and there truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. It’s loud. We get one of the best concourses I’ve ever seen. And, a fantastic club level. The building itself is nothing short of remarkable. What it’s done for the surrounding area has been incredible to see.
This wasn’t always a nice part of Columbus. As a kid, I grew up not too far from here, in the Italian Village and Short North districts. The elementary school I went to sits a little less than a mile from Nationwide. Believe me when I tell you that this area was not the same trendy place it is now, 30 years ago.
Before the Blue Jackets were ever dreamt up, what is now the Arena District was one of the biggest eye sores in Columbus. The site was home to the Ohio Penitentiary, a crumbling relic of a bygone past. It was a dangerous area, fenced off to keep anyone from entering and getting hurt. More than anything, it was wasted space that desperately needed to be overhauled to help the city turn a new direction towards the future.
A quarter of a century after building the arena, this entire area looks nothing like it did in the mid-late 90s. The neighborhood surrounding the arena has become the top entertainment destination in Central Ohio. It’s now home to two other professional sports venues: Lower.com Field, home of the Crew; and Huntington Park, the new home of the Clippers. There is now a concert venue, a park, several restaurants and of course, the R Bar.
You can head to the Arena District any night of the week and find something to do, even if there aren’t any games to be seen. However, if you get down there when there is a game going on; the area really comes alive. When the Blue Jackets are at home, the buzz around Nationwide Arena is something you have to see to appreciate.
