If you only had 24 hours to spend in Columbus, what would you do? This was a hard question for me to answer, but I’ve come up with a list of must sees and must dos that I feel will leave any visitor with an experience uniquely Columbus.

I’m sharing these ideas in a three part series - the first post is geared to families, the next to the business traveler, and finally, a post to help a local decide what to do with visiting friends or family.

Here’s part two of three, with suggestions geared to the business traveler.

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With Columbus being the state capital and the home of 14 Fortune 1,000 companies (six of which are Fortune 500), it is a frequent stop among business travelers. The city is located within a one-day drive or one-hour flight of nearly half of the population of the U.S. and Canada, so those who do travel here may be in and out of town in a day or after a brief overnight stay.

Here are some helpful tips and recommendations to make the most of your visit.

Where to Stay
Like I mentioned in the family travel post , there are several great hotel options at varying price points around downtown - click here to check them out. One property great for business travelers is The Columbus, A Renaissance Hotel , located on N. 3rd St. in the heart of downtown and near the capital, Nationwide Arena and the Greater Columbus Convention Center . The Columbus has the city’s only seasonal rooftop pool with great views of downtown; it’s often the site of an impromptu happy hour and always a great place to relax or swim a few laps. The hotel also has Wi-Fi access throughout, a large lounge and bar in the lobby.

Where to Eat

Photo: Latitude 41

If you’re staying at The Columbus, I recommend dining at Latitude 41 .  It’s located in the lobby of the hotel and it’s known for unique American cuisine. Also, a quick walk down Gay Street (across from the hotel) offers several unique Columbus restaurant options including fine Italian at Due Amici , great comfort food at Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails and Cuban cuisine at Plantain Cafe.

Once you’re done with business, a few great places to get dinner and a drink with locals downtown include the Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus , M restaurant, Mitchell’s Steakhouse and The River Club at Confluence Park .

Another uniquely Columbus eatery is our public market, the North Market . This is one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite and people-watch, as it is home to dozens of unique, independent merchants and farmers. Merchants offer ethnic food specialties, gourmet groceries, flowers and gifts. (more…)

This time of year, distances to walk at lunchtime seem shorter than they did during the frigid temperatures of the previous months. I like to take advantage of the warmer weather by strolling to some of the lunchtime programs in the area. They’re great escapes in the middle of the day.

Below are a few options to consider:

• Every Friday between May 29 and September 4, The Ohio Statehouse offers free lunch time performances from 12:00- 1:00 p.m. on the Statehouse lawn (except for Friday, July 3). You can check the performance schedule here .

• The last Friday of each month this summer, stop in the Experience Columbus Visitor Center to see and touch exotic animals from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The first visit this season is this week! Additional dates and details are here .

• On varying days, the OSU Urban Arts Space offers a variety of exhibits and lectures at their space located in the historic Lazarus building. Check the schedule for upcoming "Brown Bag" dates here .

Pearl Market

• Daily, the Arena Grand Movie Theatre shows nonstop movie trailers during lunch for free. You can also grab food from their Bistro & Bar , which offers lunch specials Monday through Friday.

• If you’re a sports fan or just want to check out the new ballpark , the Columbus Clippers offer afternoon games on the following dates:

Thursday May 28 at 11:35 a.m.
Thursday June 18 at 12:05 p.m.
Thursday July 9 at 12:05 p.m.
Tuesday August 4 at 12:05 p.m.

(The full Clippers schedule is here )

• Every Tuesday and Friday, the Pearl Market offers special events, fresh local produce and gift items from local vendors. More information can be found here .

Do you have any lunchtime escapes to add?