The most commercially successful stadiums these days are multi purpose venues, serving the local community and attracting national interest. The Nationwide Arena Columbus Ohio hosts sporting events and concerts. It was opened in 2000 and cost $175 million. The public can go on a guided tour round the vast space. It is located in what is known as the Arena District, a lively area for bars, clubs and a movie theatre.
There are local teams that call the arena home and they receive a lot of support. The Columbus Blue Jackets from the NHL play their ice hockey there and the youth team, called the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets play there too. AFL team, the Columbus Destroyers, represent football. The Columbus Landsharks, a lacrosse team, played there until 2003. Other sports are played at the Nationwide Arena Columbus Ohio, including basketball, wrestling and figure skating. It has also presented an event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a rodeo show.
A smaller ice rink in the building, named the Dispatch IceHaus, serves as a practice rink for the Junior Blue Jackets and a competition venue for youth hockey teams. The public also use the rink for skating. Concerts are another important part of the venue, drawing international acts to perform there. The upcoming bill for 2007 includes concerts by Maroon 5, Soul2Soul and Genesis, who have recently re-formed.
Fast food vendors keep everyone fed with the usual choices of hot dogs, pizza, popcorn, ice cream, donuts and so on. The Nationwide Arena Columbus Ohio offers something different as well and there is a stand that sells barbecued and grilled meat sandwiches.
One of the most established events at the arena is the annual Arnold Classic, so called because it is presented by Arnold Schwarzenneger. It is mainly a bodybuilding competition, a sport that Arnie is a former champion in. There are contests for men and for women and the standard is very high. Other sports are also on show, including fencing, martial arts, gymnastics, wrestling and strongmen contests.
After attending a concert or a game at the Nationwide Arena Columbus Ohio, there is a good choice of restaurants in the area to have a meal. Many dining establishments open up their patios for eating outside in the warmer months. Several bars have live music and there are outside performances at the LC Pavilion. Accommodation is top class in the Arena District and includes a Hyatt hotel.
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