Lifestyle: Finding Your Place - Bellefontaine

FINDING YOUR PLACE

Whether you prefer city, suburban or small-town settings, Central Ohio has a spot for you.

If downtown living isn’t your vibe, no worries. The Columbus Region has plenty of options, from trendy walkable neighborhoods to charming rural towns. Here’s an alphabetical snapshot of 28 notable communities around Central Ohio—one of which is apt to feel just like home to you.

Bellefontaine

FOUNDED 1819 | COUNTY Logan | POPULATION 14,076

Named after the French word for “beautiful spring,” this city located about an hour northwest of Columbus lives up to its moniker. But don’t think “French” when saying the name, which many visitors get wrong; it’s pronounced “bell-fountain.” Bellefontaine is home to more than 700 acres of community parks, including a 450-acre nature preserve, offering residents a chance to swim, fish, hike and even play disc golf close to home.

The Logan County Courthouse, originally built in 1870, is a towering centerpiece in the revitalized downtown, which features coffee shops, boutiques and loft-style living spaces among more historic offerings. Author Norman Vincent Peale once called Bellefontaine home, as did Chief Blue Jacket of the Shawnee tribe and, more recently, Olympic and X-Games snowboarder Louie Vito.

Skillfully pairing old with new, Bellefontaine is as proud of its historic 1931 Holland Theatre as it is of the Brewfontaine craft brewery, voted the No. 1 Beer Bar in Ohio four years in a row by craftbeer.com.