The homeowners association for the city is named the Columbia Association. This organization is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents by providing an extensive range of recreational, cultural, and community services. It operates, maintains, etc all the parks and facilities through out the city. The recreational facilities at the disposal of Columbia’s residents include:
- 23 outdoor swimming pools
- 5 indoor pools
- 2 water slides
- Ice and roller skating rinks
- Equestrian Center
- Sports park with miniature golf
- Skateboard park
- Batting cages
- Picnic pavilions
- Dog park
- Indoor and outdoor tennis
- Basketball, volleyball, racquetball, squash, and pickleball courts
- And much more!
Athletic Clubs
Columbia has 3 athletic clubs (i.e., gyms) for the use of its residents. They are not only state-of-the-art fitness centers but also include basketball courts, swimming pools, personal trainers, group classes, and more. Over the years, I’ve frequented all 3 clubs and can attest they are all great!
Fun Fact: These gyms also provide a program called KidSpace. While parents exercise and work out, their children play in kid sized arenas which include rock walls, rope climbing, and much more all in a safe, secure, and supervised environment.
Open Space
One of the goals Rouse had in building Columbia was “To respect the land”. He believed strongly that “there should be a strong infusion of nature throughout a network of towns; that people should be able to … feel the spaces of nature all as part of his everyday life.” Throughout the city, you will find lush green acreage with nearly a quarter of the region protected as community land. The Columbia Association owns and maintains more than 3,600 acres of open space to provide opportunities for residents to enjoy the outdoors, live a healthier and more active lifestyle, and gather with friends and family. Here are some examples of what is included in the open space throughout Columbia:
- 114 miles of pathways
- 171 parks and tot lots
- 3 man-made lakes
- 41 ponds
- 34 miles of stream valleys
- 40-acre Symphony Woods
Fun Fact: Lake Kittamaqundi, located in downtown Columbia, is a 27 acre man made lake. It takes its name from the first recorded Native American settlement in Howard County which translates to “meeting place.”
