Akron, Ohio (Springfield, Green, Hudson: renting, houses, neighborhoods)

[mlalonde]

Well, I was born in Hoboken and all it had going for it at that time was mafia-controlled docks and the Hostess Cupcake factory. Now the cupcakes are gone, and it turned into a haven for "yuppies," for want of a better term. You can't even park there, it's so crowded. New Jersey has nothing, like the Big Apple for middle-agers like me; either you're dirt poor wherein the government helps with housing, etc., or extremely rich. I honestly don't know what I would have done if I didn't discover Ohio. On another happier note; I found out yesterday I got the job in Akron! Not that I would have minded traveling to Cleveland, but Akron is where the house is! Now I'm even more excited and relaxed over not having to worry about a job!

[paintballer1708]

Well glad to hear you got the job. So you have the house and the job right? Couldnt have gone better i think. BTW, when are you moving out here? If you are moving soon i will just warn you, it has been very hot these last few days as it has been all across the country. Im sure you arent moving for awhile though. We are getting a cool down. Its bad when people look forward to the upper 80s here as a cool down, LOL. But we have been in the upper 90s and it felt like the lower 100s. Anyway glad to hear you got the job and good luck with the move. We are hear if you have anymore information.

[mlalonde]

Did you say hot? It's been over the 100s here in the big apple -- nothing I haven't seen before. I probably won't be able to move the entire house until the end of August, but that's OK. I am really looking forward to it. One thing I did notice about Ohio in general, was that there were many more smokers. Perhaps that's due to the cheap price of cigarettes. In NYC they're around $8 a pack yet people still buy/smoke them. And, at Atlong noticed, I, too prefer the Kenmore area to Silver Lake. The people seemed more "human," for want of a better term. And as a side note, if the law firm I'm going to is anyway at all representative of the people of Ohio and this bulletin board, I'm in for a real treat!

[paintballer1708]

Im not a smoker, but i do hear how the prices are raising all across the country. Im sure it is alot cheaper here than it is in NYC. When my friends from Pittsburgh come over, that are smokers, they say how much cheaper it is here in Cleveland than there. I like both the Kenmore and Silver Lake areas. Both really nice, but i would lean more towards Kenmore also. Keep us informed on the move.

[pasharon]

what kind of area is bank st. in akron? might be on the east side?

[htlong]

bank st is a very short street in a not to good area a lot of scrap yards,its at the foot of newton st hill leading up to goodyear heights the little cuyahoga river runs through there and the street runs along its bank (maybe how it got its name) why i hope you werent planning on living in that area...lots of crime

[pasharon]

thanks ht. im in western pa. i was only interested as i worked with a girl awhile back who moved to akron and i remember the street name.

ht you sound like you really know the area. i only know basic streets. heres another? wheres virginia avenue? whats that like? whats considered clinton, ohio? somewhere out by barberton??

[htlong]

virginia ave. is off lovers lane between arlington and brown st, its on the outer edge of firestone park which in my opinion is the second best neighborhood in urban akron. highland square is my favorite.

barberton...well i guess its ok but i never cared for it

clinton is south of portage lakes close to canal fulton a country area fast becoming a suburb with access to rt 21 to cleveland and akron, manchester rd is the other way out of the area which is a pretty conjested rd.
are you planning on moving or just looking for old friends? what part of w.pa are you from?

[pasharon]

i live in new castle. years ago i worked in boardman at a photography place. rt. 224 runs from boardman right into new castle. its like a 30-35 minute drive. im not moving from new castle but i am familiar with alot of NE ohio since its so close. in fairness my friend who lived on bank st. lived there like 15 years ago. maybe the neighborhood was better back then??

[htlong]

i used to work out of new castle with the b&o rr all i remember about it was everyone sold coney dogs and i stayed in the old hotel downtown with a bar next door that you had to stand at to drink with a brass foot rail...oh yeah there was one called the blue whale one would enter from an alleyway, and they had blind robbins (dried fish with eyeballs looking at you) packaged for snacks!!
i hope new castle has improved,... but ahh the good times i had at the blue whale!!!