Tucked Next To Columbus Is An Ohio Day Trip City With Antique Shops, Tasty Eats, And A Bustling Downtown

Separating Columbus, Ohio, from the wealth of suburbs orbiting it presents a challenge. Each appendage, in its own right, stands on its own yet also enhances the city's biggest draws: beer, German culture, a lively downtown, and an excellent foodie scene. Powell, a day-trip city tucked next to Columbus in Delaware County, adds to that wealth with its own antique shops, tasty eats, and bustling downtown.

The city of 18,000 grew from its early 19th-century incarnation as a settlement for Connecticut transplants as Columbus outgrew its borders. City residents sought housing in the cozy Goldilocks Zone — not too rural, not too urban — on the city's periphery, boosting Powell's population in the process. Yet it still tries to maintain some semblance of a small-town feel, or so it claims.

The area's bustling downtown includes nearly three dozen establishments, from eateries to retailers, worth exploring. It's the sort of place where a well-regarded new American restaurant and Tiki-style bar can sit within a short stroll of a splash pad and highly-rated antique mall. The dense concentration of shops and eats nixes any need for a car (so long as you stay near its historic core). The resulting locale is a welcome addition to a trip to Columbus, mixing a diverse array of eateries with exotic animals and several points in between. Taken as a whole, Powell bolsters arguments that Delaware County is one of Ohio's hands-down best places to live.

If you're having a stroll through town, you're best off stopping at the highly-rated Powell Liberty Antique Mall first. This massive destination offers the best one-stop shop, with an array of retro goods and antiques from several dealers. The ever-evolving inventory means travelers won't encounter the same goods twice, no matter how often they visit. They will, however, find antique music players such as nickelodeons. The pre-jukebox-era mechanical noise machines have been the antique mall's specialty for nearly six decades.

Armed with the requisite figurines, jewelry, and other eclectic treasures, you'll likely feel a rumble in your stomach. You won't have to travel far to quiet it — and Powell's diverse food scene may catch you by surprise. One of the area's highest-rated eateries, at least according to Google, is a Middle Eastern joint, Zaytoon Mediterranean Grill, which specializes in shawarma and falafel. For a cool nightcap, head over to the highly rated Ill Mannered Brewing Company, where you'll discover some of the best Dad Joke-level puns ever seen on a brewery menu. "38 Minute ABs"? Hilarious! Oh, and the beer's good, too. Reviews on Google give high marks to both its selection of brews and the attentive staff.

If you can't sit and drink in just one place, some of the town's establishments participate in the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area. Essentially an oasis from open container laws, the program lets guests buy and drink freely within the area's boundaries, including BYOB-ing to participating businesses that otherwise don't sell booze.

Powell itself isn't a big enough destination to justify a single trip. Think of it more like the icing on the rich cake that is Columbus. To reach it, you'll have to drive 17 miles north from the big city's downtown, facing occasionally congested traffic. Every trip to Powell, especially if you have kids in tow, must include a stop at its one truly must-see destination: the family-friendly, world-renowned Columbus Zoo. Because who doesn't want to see a common warthog and capybara while in Ohio? It lies 2 miles west of the city's downtown.

There isn't technically a wrong time to visit Columbus and its suburbs. Though, if you're not a fan of the cold, skip the winters, when temperatures bob above and below freezing. Once you've had your fill of Powell, you can continue day-tripping around Columbus' periphery. The nearby suburb of Worthington, a walkable gem with shady trails and local shops, offers a cool chaser to a day spent antique shopping and eating in Powell.