Best Mid Sized City in Ohio (Toledo, Akron: best city, crime rate, house)

[czb2004]

There is always a debate about what the best city is in Ohio and it usually ends up being narrowed down to the larger 3 C's. So if you could not choose from one of the 3 C's and could only choose from the mid sized cities (Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Dayton, or Toledo) which one is the best?

I'll start it off by voting for my hometown of Toledo . I like it because it is a Great Lakes city with access to boating, fishing, etc. It also has an excellent art museum, zoo, and minor league sports teams. Go Walleye !

[JR_C]

Although I grew up in the Canton area, I choose Youngstown. It also has great amenities, like great art museums and performance halls, but it also has Mill Creek Park.

[000000]

youngstown has no jobs, one art museum, one perfromance hall, one large park, plenty of corruption, and lots of crime. hardly the best at anything other than shrinking, and they can't even get enough money to keep up with demolition.

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by 000000

youngstown has no jobs, one art museum, one perfromance hall, one large park, plenty of corruption, and lots of crime. hardly the best at anything other than shrinking, and they can't even get enough money to keep up with demolition.

Jobs are hard to get anywhere, right now.

Maybe the The McDonough Museum of Art isn't a "great" art museum, but it does make more than one in the city. (and, for those who don't know, I assume you were thinking of The Butler Institute of American Art)

Again, I assume you're thinking of the Stambaugh Auditorium but there is also the De Yor Performing Arts Center

I'd hardly call Mill Creek MetroParks "one large park." I would call Wick Park (34 acres) "one large park," though. (and there are a number of smaller city parks throughout the city; just like any other)

There may be corruption at the county level, (and I expect the feds will be coming in soon to do more house cleaning: Youngstown News, Feds aren’t folding up their tent) but where is it, at the city level?

Crime is still an issue in Youngstown, just like all of Ohio's cities. I'm a patient man, and don't expect miracles. So, as long as the crime rate continues to fall, I'll be content.

And, to make my disagreement with you nearly complete,() I think Youngstown has done a poor job of shrinking. Generally, demolitions are still scattered throughout the city. I don't believe any neighborhoods have been prioritized for stabilization or elimination by the city. The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation has targeted neighborhoods to invest in, but they aren't connected to the city.

[Tobias C]

I haven't been to any of the other cities (besides the 3 Cs) in a long time so I have to pick Toledo by default.

We have a good strategic location which I think will further serve us in the future, with our port on the Great Lakes, as well as being at the crossroads of two of the most important highways in America ( 75 and 80/90/turnpike).

I also think Toledos redevelopment potential is outstanding. We have a pretty big stock of old historic buildings that will be prime for rehab, and not to mention Toledo is pretty huge, even bigger than Cinci in land area so our development won't be limited anytime soon.

We have all the crime problems that other rust belt cities have but I think we will see a general decrease in that as we redevelop our city and attract new jobs, especially in the solar field.

[Dytdude]

Toledo and Dayton

[5Lakes]

I would have to say Akron. Having the university next to downtown has really helped and things seem to be improving over the last decade.

[Townes Van Zandt]

Originally Posted by 5Lakes

I would have to say Akron. Having the university next to downtown has really helped and things seem to be improving over the last decade.

Yeah, I'd have to go with Akron as well.

According to city-data, Akron has consistently lower crime rates. And in my personal experience, Akron has much less "urban blight" than any of the other cities listed.

[AirbornePolecat]

Neffs is a very nice small town very little crime, great school system from Bellaire, close to large shopping malls, far enough away as not to be bothered with traffic.

[spiderpig1]

Akron or dayton.