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These two cities have some similarities. Akron is slightly larger at 198,000 people while Dayton is 143,000. Akron's metro area is slightly smaller at 705,000 while Dayton's is 802,000. Both are also in close proximity to two of Ohio's largest metro areas; Akron is 40 miles from Cleveland and Dayton is 53 miles from Cincinnati. The big difference is that Akron is part of Cleveland's media market as well as Cleveland's CSA, while Dayton is separate from Cincy in both of those.
For people who are familiar with both cities, how would you compare them overall? Specifically looking at:
-Economy
-Transportation
-Nightlife
-Restaurants
-Crime
-Attractions
-Schools
-Suburbs
This should probably be moved to the Ohio forum for a better response. Most of Dayton's strength is in its suburbs, including Oakwood, Beavercreek & Kettering...all of whom have great schools. Dayton proper has some decent nightlife for its size, but crime & schools are still a concern in most of its neighborhoods, especially if you have kids.
Never been to Dayton, but from what I've heard, it's pretty economically depressed. Akron seems to be doing pretty well economically, and many parts of the city proper are nice, or at least decent. Akron has a lot going on for a city its size. I've seen some major concerts (Paul Simon), and plays in Akron. In the summer there are many free concerts and events that the city hosts. My dad moved there from Cleveland a few years back and loves it; he says there's always stuff to do. There's the Cleveland Indians AA baseball team, the Rubber Ducks, the University of Akron, and nearby Kent State offer a wide range of lectures, plays, sports events, and concerts to the public. It's also very close to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which is a huge plus, and close to Blossom Music Center, for Cleveland Orchestra shows, and major rock concerts. For a second tier city in Ohio, Akron seems hard to beat.
These two cities have some similarities. Akron is slightly larger at 198,000 people while Dayton is 143,000. Akron's metro area is slightly smaller at 705,000 while Dayton's is 802,000. Both are also in close proximity to two of Ohio's largest metro areas; Akron is 40 miles from Cleveland and Dayton is 53 miles from Cincinnati. The big difference is that Akron is part of Cleveland's media market as well as Cleveland's CSA, while Dayton is separate from Cincy in both of those.
For people who are familiar with both cities, how would you compare them overall? Specifically looking at:
-Economy
-Transportation
-Nightlife
-Restaurants
-Crime
-Attractions
-Schools
-Suburbs
I grew up in Akron for 20 years and lived in Dayton for 10 years. I prefer Akron; Cleveland has a larger metropolitan area, Akron is part of the CSA and Akron is only 10 miles away from Canton.
Both cities were auxiliary cities for the automobile industry. Akron was built on the rubber industry. Dayton has a major Air Force Base that continues to employe tens of thousands of people.
IMHO both cities are pretty much the same. As you mentioned, Akron is the larger city while Dayton has the larger suburban area. Dayton is more "Southern", and somewhat friendlier than Akron. Dayton also has worse crime than Akron, and at one time may have been one of the most crime ridden places to live in Ohio, with the exception of Youngstown. Akron has a higher population density.
Dayton has a river, whereas Akron used to have canals. Another interesting tidbit is that Akron has Cincinnati s topography, whereas Dayton has Cleveland's topography. Both Akron and Cincinnati have a downtown that is "boxed in" through changes in elevation between downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. But yes, the Akron/Cleveland corridor has long has the distinction of being "more urban" than the Dayton/Cincinnati corridor, but the differences are too small to be perceptible to the casual observer.
As far as nightlife, depending on how you look at it Dayton is a very, very, sketchy area. Crime in Dayton does not necessarily imply that the city feels dangerous, although there are certainly areas that evoke this type of feeling, particularly on the East Side of the city, which is post-industrial. In Akron, the post-industrial South Side shares some similarities. I'm not crazy about either, even in the middle of the day. Dayton also had some rather profound urban blight when I lived there in the late 90s/early 00s, which may or may not exist now.
Dayton also had some incredibly small suburbs, IMHO, but that is the norm for cities in Ohio anyway so it is a matter of opinion. Both cities are served by buses, and there is an extensive system. Dayton has better expressways; Akron has expressways of which construction began, but were never finished, so they tend to dead end into the city whereas the expressways in Dayton do not attempt to go into the downtown area of the city at all. Another interesting aspect of Dayton is the elevation of their expressways through several bridges, whereas most of Akron's expressways sit in the valley at a lower elevation than where most people live at, not unlike Cincinnati. Neither city is big enough to justify the cost of building rail, as there are few urban centers outside of downtown; those cities are pretty much urban throughout.
Schools suck in both cities, always have.
As far as attractions, unless you're interested in State history I'm really not sure. There are museums, parks, etc. but nothing like what you'll find in Cleveland or Cincinnati.
Dayton, as interesting and spirited as the people can be at times, is a very depressing city to live in, because of the poverty there. Akron is a just a very boring city overall. Both cities are very segregated. Dayton feels more "Black", although I'm not sure if the demographics really bear out that assertion. But everyone either felt "ghetto" or had a tough exterior, and that wasn't relegated to race either; as I mentioned earlier Dayton is really more in line with cities like Newport News in Virginia, Detroit, East St. Louis, etc. for it to be as small of a city it has that grit one associates with larger cities.
The elephant in the bedroom of both cities is that while suburban life is great they're both segregated and culturally, do not have a lot for minorities in the sense of what one might expect in the Northeast or the Mid-Atlantic. You can love or hate either city, if you do not have the economic means to take advantage of what does exist or your interests are not as sophisticated and lack the cultural "palate" that is required to truly appreciate what they have to offer. Now that I'm older I get it but I really hated Akron as a kid and wasn't that impressed by what Dayton had to offer, unless I had the money to take advantage of it or was in the mood to assimilate into what was going on in that area. Both cities have eclectic arts districts and a small, but notable, scene, Highland Square in Akron and the Oregon District in Dayton one can easily fell left out if they're looking for old DC, or old NYC type of establishments as many of those no longer exist and have been replaced by newer, gentrifying, polarizing establishments for new money. That is either a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.
Akron, despite any of it's shortcomings, is way, way better than Dayton. In my humble opinion, the Cleveland/Akron/Canton area is the best metro in the entire state. Columbus is sleepy by comparison and Cincinnati is too.....parochial???
No matter, there is stuff to do around the city. THE number one gripe, and rightfully so, is the weather. While all of Ohio endures a tough and long winter, it's especially nasty in this area due to the lake effect. You can go for weeks on end without seeing your shadow....used to call it the Moscow effect....
The difference here is that it will be cold, windy, and overcast where once you reach Ashland/Mansfield, the sun comes out and it's predominantly sunny albeit cold and windy everywhere else.
Still, despite this, it's a much more fun place to live and there is exponentially more to do and more to do it with. It's had it's share of hard times but, seems to bounce back despite the over reliance on rubber way back when. Now, it's polymers. And Akron U is one of the leading Polymer Science programs in the country. Downtown is revitalizing and there is a feeling of hope.
I feel it's much, much better than Cleveland by a longshot. Your quality of life is greatly improved here on the West and Northern side going into the Cuyahoga valley.
Dayton vs. Akron??? Not even a contest. Never was including the time when Dayton was doing well.
Akron, despite any of it's shortcomings, is way, way better than Dayton. In my humble opinion, the Cleveland/Akron/Canton area is the best metro in the entire state. Columbus is sleepy by comparison and Cincinnati is too.....parochial???
No matter, there is stuff to do around the city. THE number one gripe, and rightfully so, is the weather. While all of Ohio endures a tough and long winter, it's especially nasty in this area due to the lake effect. You can go for weeks on end without seeing your shadow....used to call it the Moscow effect....
The difference here is that it will be cold, windy, and overcast where once you reach Ashland/Mansfield, the sun comes out and it's predominantly sunny albeit cold and windy everywhere else.
Still, despite this, it's a much more fun place to live and there is exponentially more to do and more to do it with. It's had it's share of hard times but, seems to bounce back despite the over reliance on rubber way back when. Now, it's polymers. And Akron U is one of the leading Polymer Science programs in the country. Downtown is revitalizing and there is a feeling of hope.
I feel it's much, much better than Cleveland by a longshot. Your quality of life is greatly improved here on the West and Northern side going into the Cuyahoga valley.
Dayton vs. Akron??? Not even a contest. Never was including the time when Dayton was doing well.
Cleveland and Akron have an interesting relationship. Akron reminds me of the small cities in Northern Virginia. Cleveland offers a bigger urban core than Akron, and a much bigger downtown area, and is sort of like Washington DC in that respect, minus the government/federal thing. For many years quality of life was better in Akron because of lower crime, more elbow room, less traffic congestion and the fact that you can get anywhere in the city in 15 minutes. Exurban Akron is great if you have the money and you can afford it.
If you need the city life and want the grit, hustle, and the smell of the concrete jungle just stay in Cleveland. If you're aren't an urban snob and are open to other interpretations of city life that aren't dictated by density and skyscrapers stay in Akron. It is that simple; Akron is urban enough you won't think you're in the country somewhere but it can slow down to a nice pace where you're not caught in some rat race trying to keep up.
Now Cleveland has changed and the Downtown area is a destination I can't afford to live in. It wasn't like that growing up. At the same time, Akron has more options for urban living now than it did when I was a kid, for those desiring to live in a former warehouse, or a former factory, or looking for high rise living. So each city resembles the other more, for those who can afford it, and for those in search of something different. Even still, given the poverty in Cleveland, quality of life is generally better for the working class in Akron. If you're rich or upper class each city has something to offer you won't find anywhere else.
Here's one area Dayton blows Akron out of the water: it actually has a serviceable hotel downtown. Yeah, downtown Dayton is griettier than downtown Akron, but Akron's one hotel downtown (the "City Center Hotel") is a piece of garbage. Like, comically bad, the worst place I've stayed in ages in a first world country. Dayton has that convention center hotel downtown that is meh but at least it's a short walk to that nightlife area (Oregon?) southeast of downtown.
Akron's downtown itself definitely has significantly better restaurants, although neither is anything to write home about.
I'm just shocked a city of Akron's size has nothing downtown in terms of accommodation. 700,000 people is a significantly sized metro--bigger than Chattanooga. Chattanooga and most other metros of this size have a couple decent options downtown at least.
edit: if you want a laugh, scroll through some reviews about this hotel. It's really just beyond belief that it's still open.
Cleveland and Akron have an interesting relationship. Akron reminds me of the small cities in Northern Virginia. Cleveland offers a bigger urban core than Akron, and a much bigger downtown area, and is sort of like Washington DC in that respect, minus the government/federal thing. For many years quality of life was better in Akron because of lower crime, more elbow room, less traffic congestion and the fact that you can get anywhere in the city in 15 minutes. Exurban Akron is great if you have the money and you can afford it.
If you need the city life and want the grit, hustle, and the smell of the concrete jungle just stay in Cleveland. If you're aren't an urban snob and are open to other interpretations of city life that aren't dictated by density and skyscrapers stay in Akron. It is that simple; Akron is urban enough you won't think you're in the country somewhere but it can slow down to a nice pace where you're not caught in some rat race trying to keep up.
Now Cleveland has changed and the Downtown area is a destination I can't afford to live in. It wasn't like that growing up. At the same time, Akron has more options for urban living now than it did when I was a kid, for those desiring to live in a former warehouse, or a former factory, or looking for high rise living. So each city resembles the other more, for those who can afford it, and for those in search of something different. Even still, given the poverty in Cleveland, quality of life is generally better for the working class in Akron. If you're rich or upper class each city has something to offer you won't find anywhere else.
Agreed. Akron just has much less bs to deal with. As you say, it's a "15 minute town". Odd you mentioned that as that particular phrase was something from my parents generation. You can get just about anywhere in 15-20 minutes and THAT makes it livable. Contrast that to most major metros where commutes easily eclipse an hour, each way, each day. Who has energy to do much after that?
Akron is a place where if you have the money, you can live a urban existence in some of the older row houses and even a loft or two. And yet, you can still get in and around.
Cleveland's downtown is not all that much and really never was as it relates to cities similar in size (Detroit). It's a loose collection of buildings scattered East and West with 70% of it consumed in 8 square blocks. Not a slight, just a fact. It's pretty sprawled out due to the lake. It has more diverse neighborhoods throughout the city but, the population decline is showing.
The thing that was good about Akron is that it was right in between Canton and Cleveland. You can get ANYWHERE from there if necessary although Canton wasn't much then and even less now with the factories that have closed up. The suburbs blossomed but, the town has been taking some serious hits lately. One of their main "downtown" buildings was up for sale for less than 800K. And that was asking. Problem is, it's one of the few "nice" buildings downtown with no businesses available to rent it....ergo the cost....investor (loooooong term) opp at best.
In the end, the best secrets might be some of the smaller towns that are just barely outside of Summit County to the SW. They are cheap, very close, and in that area, 20 minutes puts you in the "country". If I had anything going in that area, that's where I would live. You can commute to Cleveland and/or Akron in 20-30 minutes based on those locales. Why live in Akron when you can live just outside of it, for less when traffic is not really your problem? Just the way I see it.
Wadsworth, Rittman, Peninsula, Richfield, Sharon, Monroe Falls?, Northhampton, Clinton, Canal Fulton, Marshallville, pick one......not so much for schools although some are good, but rather, the ease of which to get in and out of the area and perhaps the ability to snag a bit of land while doing it. Those commutes would have been daunting when I was a kid simply due to my lack of experience.
Now? They would be just another neighborhood down the road....no longer miles. Measured in time.
Agreed. Akron just has much less bs to deal with. As you say, it's a "15 minute town". Odd you mentioned that as that particular phrase was something from my parents generation. You can get just about anywhere in 15-20 minutes and THAT makes it livable. Contrast that to most major metros where commutes easily eclipse an hour, each way, each day. Who has energy to do much after that?
Akron is a place where if you have the money, you can live a urban existence in some of the older row houses and even a loft or two. And yet, you can still get in and around.
Cleveland's downtown is not all that much and really never was as it relates to cities similar in size (Detroit). It's a loose collection of buildings scattered East and West with 70% of it consumed in 8 square blocks. Not a slight, just a fact. It's pretty sprawled out due to the lake. It has more diverse neighborhoods throughout the city but, the population decline is showing.
The thing that was good about Akron is that it was right in between Canton and Cleveland. You can get ANYWHERE from there if necessary although Canton wasn't much then and even less now with the factories that have closed up. The suburbs blossomed but, the town has been taking some serious hits lately. One of their main "downtown" buildings was up for sale for less than 800K. And that was asking. Problem is, it's one of the few "nice" buildings downtown with no businesses available to rent it....ergo the cost....investor (loooooong term) opp at best.
In the end, the best secrets might be some of the smaller towns that are just barely outside of Summit County to the SW. They are cheap, very close, and in that area, 20 minutes puts you in the "country". If I had anything going in that area, that's where I would live. You can commute to Cleveland and/or Akron in 20-30 minutes based on those locales. Why live in Akron when you can live just outside of it, for less when traffic is not really your problem? Just the way I see it.
Wadsworth, Rittman, Peninsula, Richfield, Sharon, Monroe Falls?, Northhampton, Clinton, Canal Fulton, Marshallville, pick one......not so much for schools although some are good, but rather, the ease of which to get in and out of the area and perhaps the ability to snag a bit of land while doing it. Those commutes would have been daunting when I was a kid simply due to my lack of experience.
Now? They would be just another neighborhood down the road....no longer miles. Measured in time.
The infill was going to happen eventually. I think that is a phenomenon happening across the state. You're not the first to speak of the non-contingous aspect of Cleveland's downtown. I really didn't feel that, perhaps because of all of the mid-rises, but it is not the same as say Chicago or Detroit, and I think that it was on its way to becoming that but failed miserably along the way, so now they are rebuilding much of what has been lost there.
Akron will always be a great town because it is just enough without being too urban. As long as that is maintained and does not fall victim to decay, as has happened in so many interesting towns across the Rust Belt, it will be okay.
Is it really that bad in Canton these days? I always liked North Canton, but I remember going into the city and it was an entiretly different place, and that was 25 years ago hard to tell what it looks like now. There are condominiums going for 800k where I'm at, I think there are some condominiums going for that much in Akron and Cleveland I know the Northside Lofts were like $1,300 to $1,700 a month the last time I looked.
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