Time Warner Cable is airing a new Local On Demand program, Play. Dine. Shop. , all about unearthing Columbus gems and showing them off. If you’re a local Time Warner subscriber, you’ll find the shows on channel 1111.

The post below was written by Amy Weirick of Weirick Communications , who shares a peek into the first episode that features her girls’ day out in the Short North Arts District.

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Girls’ day out in the Short North Arts District
by Amy Weirick, Weirick Communications

Partnering with Experience Columbus to help promote our city to visitors means I’m always on the prowl for unforgettable experiences that make Columbus special. I’ve gotten to know memorable restaurants tucked away in charming neighborhoods, funky shops jammed with goodies you won’t find anywhere else and places that put you at the center of the artistic process, letting you design something to take home.

Play. Dine. Shop. , a new show on Time Warner Cable’s Local on Demand, is all about these experiences. In the first episode, three of my most intrepid girlfriends join me to check out some cool spots in the Short North .

We kicked off the day with a fantastic breakfast of turkey and sweet potato hash, ricotta pancakes, fresh juices and amazing scones at Northstar Café . Then we had a blast shopping at Flower Child . Room after room is packed with fun retro furniture, clothes and accessories from the 1950s-80s. We tried on crazy 1970s sunglasses and hung out in what my friend swears was her mom’s living room in 1962.

Substance For Fashion Conscious People

After shopping, it was on to Betty’s Fine Food & Spirits for an awesome lunch where I enjoyed the warm mushroom and goat cheese salad. We hit some more great Short North shops, including Substance , where we designed and made our own t-shirts. That was unforgettable - and so much fun.

What better way to wrap up a day with friends than with Jeni’s ice cream ? We sampled dozens of flavors and settled on ordering our faves, including goat cheese with sour cherries. Amazing.

The show featuring our day in the Short North will be available to view on May 15, and new shows about special Columbus spots will be loaded on Time Warner channel 1111 every few weeks. Tune in and you might discover a new Columbus treasure!

Schiller Park in German Village
Photo by Larry Hamill

As extreme cold grips much of the country, I started to wonder how I might want to spend this upcoming weekend in Columbus.

So I turned to two groups who know and love this place - the Experience Columbus staff and our Twitter pals. I received no shortage of suggestions.

Here’s what some of the Experience Columbus crew had to say when asked their favorite things to do during a (really) cold weekend in Columbus:

Ben Walters : I like to head to a favorite watering hole like Tip-Top , Betty’s , or Bodega to get a nip and some good food with some good friends. It’s social and warming. Another favorite option is to find a indoor concert, preferably at small venues like Ruby Tuesday, Carabar or Rumba Cafe.

Nicole Massenelli : When it is cold I love to meet friends for a hot drink at Cup O’ Joe or grab a bite at Panera because both places have fireplaces. I love to sit by the fire in comfy clothes and enjoy great food and drinks with friends.

Scott Peacock : When it gets really cold outside I like to go to grab some good comfort food at Tasi , get a coffee to go and then head to the Wexner Center for the Arts or the Columbus Museum of Art to see the latest exhibits inside.

Claudia Plumley : Like Nicole, I head to Cup O’ Joe . We get a big latte and sit around the fire. Then we head to the movies to see an Oscar contender.

Kelly Brooks : This may seem counter intuitive, but when it’s cold outside I like to go to a Blue Jackets game. Not only does winter weather set the mood for hockey, but at tonight’s game I will be almost comforted to know that it is actually warmer inside Nationwide Arena than it is outside!

Amy Gatto Klein : Vino Vino in Grandview. The coziness of the space, a bottle of Pinot Noir (before I was pregnant, anyway) and small plates of yummy food warm me right up.

Cathe Moog : When it’s cold outside, our family likes to go to the North Market for lunch. We select entrees with a spicy kick to warm us up.

And what did the Twitter pals have to say? I was surprised to find three in particular who laugh in the face of the cold. They reminded me that being outside during this time of year has its advantages:

Betty B : Hiking at a Metro Park . It postpones the winter blues.

Jeff Johnson : Being in any city park because I have it all to myself when it’s this cold.

Andrew Miller : I’ll be the third person to say that this is the perfect time for a stroll. Plenty of alone time plus beautiful snowy scenes.

I’d say this is proof positive that there are more than enough reasons not to camp out at home during the winter.

What gets you out and about when it’s cold in Columbus?