How to Live Like a Local in Columbus, GA

Looking for a new city to call home? Get an insider's look into living in Columbus, Georgia.

By Rebecca Treon on January 20, 2024

Pete Temesgen

People from around the country are discovering the perks of living in Columbus, GA, and Pythias “Pete” Temesgen, a judge for the State Court of Muscogee County, is one of them.

Pete and his wife moved to Columbus after graduate school with the intention of staying for a few months before moving to a bigger city. That was 12 years ago. 

What brought you to Columbus? 
I was born in East Africa, in what was Ethiopia but subsequently became the country of Eritrea. I grew up in Maryland, right outside of D.C., in a place called College Park where the University of Maryland is, and that’s where I did most of my schooling before college. 

I met my wife in college. She went to grad school, and I went to law school. Then, we got engaged, got married and had our daughter. We initially thought we’d go to L.A. or New York because she’s a screenwriter and playwright. Instead, we came to Columbus, where her parents live, and we never left.

What do you like to do for fun in the area?
We have a large man-made whitewater rafting course in Columbus, which I’ve been on many times and is a lot of fun. There are museums at Fort Moore, like the National Infantry Museum, which is incredible.

We love the arts, so we go to Georgia’s official state theater, which is the Springer Opera House, or another theater called RiverCenter. The food scene here is really cool, with a lot of restaurants built into the old mills or banks, so many of the historic buildings that represented a different era in Columbus have been repurposed into really cool spaces. 

It’s fun to go to Callaway Gardens, which is in Pine Mountain about 35 minutes north of the city and is a beautiful resort. There’s also the Little White House historic site in Warm Springs that Franklin D. Roosevelt built to receive polio treatments. There’s a lot of culture and tradition that spans hundreds of years right under the surface. 

What’s it like buying a home in Columbus?
Most starter homes here are right below $200,000, which is what we paid for our starter home about seven years ago. It’s a great place to buy a house. My mom lived in Maryland for 25 or so years and moved here last year and was able to buy a home for the first time ever.

What is your favorite restaurant, and what does dinner for two cost? 
I think my favorite restaurant here is Saltcellar. They serve seafood and American fare. I order the filet with a salad and some Brussels sprouts, and that’s about $41, so around $100 on a date night.

A family-friendly place we like to visit is called Jarfly, and it’s more of a gastro pub. You can go there and get 10 chicken wings for $8; and most entrees are under $15.