It’s no secret The Ohio State University student body is anything but small. With over 50,000 students the campus is exploding with people from every nook and cranny. But the classes and population are not the only things that give definition to the culture of the university.

High Street draws a line through Columbus, cutting right into the center of campus. While graduations have come and passed, and the revolving door of students has never stopped, this one length of land has always been prominent. Offering everything from clothing shops to dining to nightlife, with an occasional tattoo parlor, hookah bar and record shop in between, it would appear High Street has it all. For Columbus it has become the one-stop destination for outings and adventure, throughout multiple decades.

Quintin Lindsmith, an alum from OSU’s 1981 class, closely links his college experience with the landmark street. For Lindsmith the expansion of the street is a reminder of the range of people because of it.

“No other single street cross-sects as many diverse areas -- starting with a northern tap on Delaware County, down through affluent Worthington, through the older suburbs of Beechwold/Clintonville, through the massive OSU college community, through the Short North, including Italian Village, through the Convention/Arena District, through Downtown, along the justice centers of the county and municipal courts, on through German Village, and then on through the South side,” Lindsmith said.

More than the vast length and diversity, Lindsmith is awed by the High Street of today versus during his college days. Now proclaiming many fine restaurants, this was not always the case.

“If you went to OSU in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, things were at their worst for the students who attended then. A pretty nice place had just been trashed by the ‘60s and early-’70s crowd. Brick walkways on campus were paved over with asphalt so that protestors could not tear out the bricks and throw them. Riots accelerated flight to the suburbs leaving behind hollowed neighborhoods around campus. Crime statistics rose literally every year -- every year -- and never leveled or went down.”

Beth Ervin from Experience Columbus has also noticed the timeline of High Street to be a dramatic evolution. According to Ervin the changes that have occurred can be attributed to additions emerging all along the way. Such as, “Nationwide’s decision to develop its corporate headquarters downtown; the revitalization of the Short North; the building and expansion of the Greater Columbus Convention Center; the South Campus Gateway; the North Market; the Arena District and Grange Insurance’s investment south of downtown.”

Ervin also emphasizes that the present isn’t the end of change for the street.

“Now we are looking forward to the opening of Columbus Commons, which is transforming the site of the former City Center mall,” she said. “All of this public and private investment has resulted in an environment that has attracted further investment by smaller businesses – restaurants, galleries, retail, entertainment – to create a vibrant urban corridor enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.”

Students today, like current OSU graduating senior Patrick Murphy, get to experience the college on an upswing, according to Lindsmith, who reflected that those before the late ‘60s and now have benefitted from an amazing upturn. For Murphy the location is the greatest tie to the student community, and in contrast of the early ‘80s, one of the safer streets to maneuver around.

“My favorite thing about High Street is probably all the people you run into that you know. With OSU being such a large campus (both number of people and size of the campus), people would think you would hardly run into people, but that is not true at all, and most of that occurs on High Street,” Murphy said.

The apparent and inevitable connections made by classmates in passing while on a walk to class expand on night’s out and afternoons shopping. Murphy emphasized that the only change he would like to see along the long strip would be fewer vacancies. The more options, on top of the current myriad of options, the better.

While students like Murphy have come to see High Street as common ground for locals and OSU during their college career, some others have watched it evolve for much longer.

Willie Young, senior director of off-campus student services, began working for OSU 21 years ago. In his time on and around High Street he has seen a lot. However, one thing he always associates with the bustling environment is what it once was. Now with every bar a stone’s throw away from the next it is hard to imagine there were once just 32 bars throughout, according to Young.

“The stores, apartments and Gateway have emerged. All of the old bars are gone. High Street is still alive with traffic, locals, youth and visitors, and businesses. Papa Joe’s is gone but you can still find ‘some kegs and eggs’ on before the football games,” Young said.

Young has also witnessed the camaraderie and union of students as described by Murphy. “In June on ‘Senior Crawl’ night 6-7,000 students initially walk up and down High Street to socialize, visit with friends for the last time and culminate OSU experience,” he said.

Now that the ashes of the old bars have been placed over by new complexes like the Gateway, Young doesn’t feel much has changed in regards to the sentiment of the street. It remains a “magnet for the many.”

While current students may not have the same nostalgic spectrum of Lindsmith and Young, they certainly have their own connection. Sarah Wagner, fellow senior classmate of Murphy, finds the main strip down campus to be a place of unity.

“High Street is the central station of campus and offers a place for everyone to come together. OSU would not be the same without it,” Wagner said.

Also an alumna of The Ohio State University, Ervin can offer perspective of what High Street meant to her. Not surprisingly, her experiences mirror Wagner and Murphy’s.

“Even when I was attending Ohio State in the ‘70s, High Street was the place where everything happened. And I’m sure that was true many years before that. But there is so much more for students along High Street today, not only in the University District but north and south of campus as well,” she said.

But in spite of the magnitude of OSU, its student population is not the only group navigating the array of High Street’s offerings. As Young and Lindsmith both confirmed, it has always been a means for the masses. Columbus Historical Society’s Associate Director Heather Jones offers a similar perspective about the range of the street and its visitors.

“There are a variety of ways it contributes to each different neighborhood it runs through,” she said.

The undeniable link to campus students isn’t the only focus along the path. As Jones reminded there are many other stops along the way. Veterans to Columbus may know their way around all the shops and restaurants, but sometimes we lose touch with our own history. A landmark along the way to not be forgotten is the Statehouse.

“The Ohio Statehouse is celebrating its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) throughout 2011. Completed at the beginning of the Civil War and beautifully restored in 1993, the Ohio Statehouse is one of America’s finest examples of Greek Revival architecture and is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States. Free guided tours are offered Monday through Friday,” Ervin encouraged.

Despite the array of options and history, one thing will always be impacted, according to Jones.

“Parts have fared well, parts have gone through decline and revitalization. The Union Station contributed greatly to the streetscape and vitality of the area surrounding it. Now the convention center also draws people to the area.”

In spite of the wear over the years, Young is confident in the belief that the well-grounded street will always attract.

“High Street is a ‘lifeline,’ a point of destination for the city that attracts visitors throughout the world. High Street will always have the traffic, the people and its culture, and, most importantly, the football crowds.”

For decades more it will remain a place to walk, to live, to listen, to learn and to enjoy, Young said.