What is this place in Akron? (Cleveland, Lorain: low income, apartment complex, condo) - Akron - Canton - Ohio (OH) - City-Data Forum

BelieveInCleve · 04-30-2009, 07:07 AM

Im trying to identify a place in Akron that I heard about from a friend a while back. Im somewhat familiar with Akron, since Ive lived in NE Ohio most of my life, but Im a lot more familiar with the Cleveland/Lorain-Elyria area.

I had a friend who would tell us all these funny/weird stories about this place that they grew up in either in or around Akron. Its like a lower income area/dirty maybe trashy area. At least it had the reputation as being that. Either an apartment complex/projects/street/neighborhood/area.

I cant remember the name, but it was known as something like "the grove" or "the valley" or something similar to that. Im curious to know exactly what, and where, it is.

Maybe some of you more familiar with Akron will know what this place is, and thanks if you can help me find out what it is.

CityGrrl77 · 04-30-2009, 07:26 AM

Most of us in Akron know 'the valley' as being the area north of the neighborhood Highland Square (down the North Portage Path or Merriman Rd. hills) - bordering Sand Run MetroPark.
But, this area isnt trashy nor are there any 'projects' there that I am aware of.

There are a few areas in Akron that could have the claim to fame that you are speaking of but I clearly haven't been around the area long enough to know all of their nicknames.

htlong · 05-01-2009, 03:54 AM

the place called the grove that I know is out in Coventry,south of Akron,named after the road Cottage Grove rd it runs from Killian to Center rd.
the "Grove" was at one time was a low income area in Coventry, in the late 1960's some homes were still using outhouses. (the area referred to in the grove was between 619 and Killian.
I had 3 "grovers" (thats what they call themselves) stop by my house last week and they were reminiscing about growing up in the "grove"
today the grove has become a haven for people who want rural living at a cheap price . many of the houses are beyond repair but most have been fixed up and once the grove sheds its old Image it is a nice place to live

Robhu · 05-01-2009, 05:23 AM

It might be Cottage Grove in Coventry township. I lived there many years ago when I was just starting school. It was one of the poorer areas but I don't really remember it as being that bad.
I live in Barberton which is within about 5 miles of that area and it does seem more run down than what I remember as a kid.
But there are still some nice houses in the area and not a total dump or trashy area. It seems like most of the more neglected houses are those that I remember old families living in that have passed away and the properties were just let go for one reason or another. One of those houses is one my parents rented over 50 yrs ago that was really nice but is now fallen into disrepair. The Grove isn't that bad generally and is still a decent neighborhood except for a few properties that haven't been maintained. It isn't the ghetto or a high crime area. In fact, there are some nice well kept homes in the Grove area with nice big yards.
Maybe your friend isn't referring to the same place I am.
One thing I know for sure is that there isn't any projects or many apartments in Cottage Grove. Never has been. Mostly just single family dwellings.
There were some projects in Akron that were called Wilbeth/Arlington or Hillwood Homes projects. But those weren't in Cottage Grove.
Wilbeth/Arlington are still there but the Hillwood Homes have been torn down and is now all businesses.
Many, many years ago there were Ardella homes in Akron. My parents lived in one of those after my Dad came to Akron when he left the W.va coal mines. But your friend would have to be an old fart like me to remember those. They were pretty much just paper shacks.

BelieveInCleve · 05-01-2009, 06:36 AM

That sounds like it.

I thought the place may have been projects because the person who told me about it was trying to compare it to someplace around here (Elyria/Lorain) so I could visualize it better, and they named some random projects in the area. I think it had to do more with just the poor reputation of the place rather than it being ghetto or high crime like the projects around here.

The stories that were told were more along the lines of just being poor/dirty and childhood memories rather than ghetto things. They grew up in this area from the late 70s-early 90s I believe.

Ive been in and through Barberton many times and south of Akron, so I may have passed through this place before. What are the area boundaries for "the grove"?

htlong · 05-03-2009, 05:31 AM

west would be main st,north would be killian rd ,south would be rt 619,
east would be arlington . the basic area is 1/2 mile east and west of cottage grove rd. killian road runs south of firestone country club, so tiger woods visits the grove every year !

htlong · 05-03-2009, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cle440

That sounds like it.

I thought the place may have been projects because the person who told me about it was trying to compare it to someplace around here (Elyria/Lorain) so I could visualize it better, and they named some random projects in the area. I think it had to do more with just the poor reputation of the place rather than it being ghetto or high crime like the projects around here.

The stories that were told were more along the lines of just being poor/dirty and childhood memories rather than ghetto things. They grew up in this area from the late 70s-early 90s I believe.

Ive been in and through Barberton many times and south of Akron, so I may have passed through this place before. What are the area boundaries for "the grove"?

the 70-90 werent so bad but the grove in the sixties.....many people in the winter months had to ski from their living room to the bathroom....

BelieveInCleve · 05-03-2009, 06:46 AM

All right, thanks a lot.

I was just curious to know what the area that they were talking about was.

I havent seen this person in a while but I might pass through the grove just to see what its like next time Im around there.

chinmom · 01-14-2012, 11:33 AM

It sounds to me like like you might be talking about a place I remember called Hillwood Homes. I lived there (many) years ago when I was a small child. I lived on Bertley Dr., and they were one story apartment type buildings, if I remember correctly, they may have been cinderblock. I believe there were three or four units in each building. It wasn't "uptown, but it wasn't too bat at that time, either. It was a lower cost housing, for lack of a better word, complex though. We didn't live there very long before we moved to Firestone Park and I do remember it getting pretty seedy at that time. I visited Akron a few years back and wanted to go by there, just to see what had happened to the place, but my sister wouldn't take me because she said that it was definitely not a place you would want to go. I'm still wondering what ever happened to that place, because I've done a little research and can't even find Bertley Drive.

htlong · 01-15-2012, 06:40 AM

chinmom,
the hillwood homes were so nasty AMHA tore them down and replaced them with hillwood II homes,

today the old projects have been replaced with new condo type housing If you lived in one of these growing up you would more than likely still live there why work and own a 100 year old home and have to pay for upkeep when you can have a lovely new home for free?
but how long will it be before they are trashed?