COSI is back with a new exhibit, RACE: Are We Really So Different. Visitors will be treated to a thought-provoking look at the cultural phenomenon of race. Early on, the exhibit shows there is no scientific basis for race, but that the effect of race are pervasive. The visually arresting photographs of Wing Young Huie demonstrate individuals’ very personal experiences with race, in a world where it’s illogical to classify people into categories.

You can look at your own skin under a microscope, put yourself into the shoes of people from different background to see how everyday life may be different, see the journey our species has taken from our common ancestor in Africa less than 150,000 years ago, and learn about the pseudoscientific methods people in eras gone by gauged race in a way that persists to the present day.

COSI’s education department has localized the exhibition by bringing in area high school students to talk about how race affects them. The students used their own backgrounds, feelings and points of view on race to design a locker. The Locker Project is on view in the corridor leading to the exhibition.

RACE will be on view at COSI through May 6.

There’s a lot of new energy in the Brewery District these days, with Shadowbox Live moving in and new restaurants and nightlife spots popping up! One standout of this renaissance is T Murray’s Bar and Kitchen . Sharing a spacious, historic brick building with the High-Beck Tavern, T Murray’s entered the Columbus Food Scene last summer. The ambiance is cozy, comfortable and welcoming, with dim lighting and just a touch of swankiness. It feels like a jazz club (and fittingly, on Thursday nights, diners are treated to live jazz music.)

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been finding myself popping in for dinner pretty regularly. The menus are seasonal, and for a winter menu, I’ve found the offerings light and refreshing. Prices are reasonable and the quality of food is great. The best thing I’ve had so far was the Shrimp and Greens Stack, with sauteed napa cabbage in a sesame-based marinade topped with mesclun greens and butterflied shrimp. This is an appetizer, but was substantial enough for a main course. The seafood chowder was another standout - satisfying on a cold evening.

Another great dish is the Grouper and Chips - lightly battered and fried (can also be ordered grilled) and crispy shoestring fries. Be sure to order a side salad with this one if you’re looking for a veggie on your plate. The calamari appetizer is also outstanding. My wife has ordered the burger before, which has lots of housemade touches, and at $9 is a great value.

Have you been to T Murray’s yet? What do you like on the menu?

If you’ve had the pleasure of strolling the atmospheric streets of German Village , with their 150-year-old brick homes, decadent patisseries and delicious restaurants, you’ve probably though to yourself: I really wish I lived here! There is a way you can live out that fantasy, even while you’re just visiting: The German Village Guesthouse !

Tucked away on Jaeger Street, the guesthouse is just steps away from great restaurants like Barcelona , G Michaels and Lindey’s . There’s no big street sign, so you really do feel like you’re just walking into your very own Village pied a terre. What awaits you upon entry? A beautifully furnished living space with three guest suites, and a truly spectacular patio that ranks among the best in the Village.

Guests share the living room, kitchen (supplied with fresh baked banana bread, locally roasted coffee and basic fridge and pantry staples) and patio, and can retreat to their own private rooms, each with its own full bathroom. Each suite is an urban oasis, with ultra-plush mattresses and stylish, minimal decor that captures the German Village design sensibility.

If you’re looking more for loft-living, the Guesthouse also offers two 800-square-foot apartment s for visitors a few blocks away. The apartments are dog-friendly (a walk in Schiller Park with your pup will DEFINITELY make you feel like a local) and decorated with the same great style as the Guesthouse.

You may have heard: Columbus is turning 200 this year! With celebrations planned all year long, there are a lot of great reasons to get out and explore the city and meet the people who make Columbus the great place it is. There’s another great reason to explore Columbus right around it’s 200th birthday celebration: 200Columbus Days !

200Columbus Days is a city-wide partnership that runs Feb. 11-15, 2012, offering amazing deals and discounts for entertainment and shopping !

I t’s a great time to explore all the great things that make Columbus Columbus! So many of us have lived here for years but haven’t experienced the great activities right under our noses.  Marquee attractions around the city like COSI, Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus Museum of Art are offering great deals. If you’ve still never caught a Blue Jackets game, indulged in a tour with Columbus Food Adventures or caught a CATCO performance – they’re offering discount tickets, too!

To take advantage of these great deals, all you have to do is print out and show the 200Columbus Days flier or simply visit it on your mobile device and show the screen to the participating business’ ticket taker, cashier or restaurant server.

I hope you have a great time re-discovering the city! Make sure to share your experiences with 200Columbus: The Bicentennial on Facebook and Twitter !

This post is written by Tim Simeone, Visitor Information Specialist for Experience Columbus. You can follow Tim on Twitter @Tim_Simeone.

Columbus is lucky to have a vibrant theater community. One theater company that makes it so vibrant is the Available Light Theatre Company. Founded six years ago, Available Light has catapulted itself among the best theaters in the city. Having just moved here from Chicago, I was anxious to see one of their productions. I was delighted to attend their most recent production, 33 Variations.

The play is about Beethoven’s obsession with Diabelli Variations and a terminally ill, present-day scholar who is equally obsessed with Beethoven’s intentions in writing the variations. The scholar’s daughter relentlessly worries about her mother’s well-being.

The director, Eleni Papaleonardos, showcases raw human obsession, its timeless existence, and the gift which comes from it. She makes bold choices and organically grows wonderful moments.

The show is hilarious, touching, thoughtful, and fantastical. I left caring about every character and woke up thinking about them this morning.

This weekend if your last chance to catch 33 Variations:

Friday, Jan. 20 @ 8 p.m. + TALKBACK
Saturday, Jan. 21 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 22 @ 2 p.m.

If you don’t get a chance to catch this show, their next show, Sleeper, opens Feb. 16. They perform at the Columbus Performing Arts Center.

Make an evening out of it: Have dinner at Indian Oven, walk through Topiary Park before the show (across the street from the theater), and enjoy Available Light Theatre Company.

The Columbus Clippers Opening Day is just 77 days away! Though the Huntington Park looks ready for a pick-up game right now. Excitement is already building for that first crack of the bat (April 5, against the Louisville Bats ) as the Clippers attempt a three-peat AAA championship season! It’s not too early to get your tickets!