I am very interested in the overlooked mid-size cities in my region. I wouldn't mind living in a mid-size city either, (lots of amentities of big cities without the hassle and cost of living). Both Akron and Toledo are very alike in many ways. There metro areas are nearly the same size (700,000) and they both have about the same amount of amentities like restaurants, museums, shopping,etc. Both metro areas also have similar economies and are growing, population-wise, at a slow, but steady rate. I have been to both cities but I am not sure which is more urban. I need to explore them more. I think Toledo is more of a commanding and independent city with a bigger skyline because it is the hub of northwest Ohio, whereas Akron's autonomy is taken away somewhat because it is too close to Cleveland (30 miles). I think if Akron was an hour or more from Cleveland it would definately hold as much command as Toledo does. Both cities are in good locations near major cities and other attractions. I am planning on a trip to tour both cities so I can once and for all figure out which one I like best or if it is a tie. A few questions I have:

Which city do you prefer?
Which city is more urban?
Which has the most historic and ethnic neighborhoods?
Which has the best skyline?
Which city has the best economic future?
Which city has the best location?

To be honest, neither :) But if I had to choose, Id take T town. It has nicer shopping in town and IMO better restaurants with a downtown that is making a comeback, not to mention u wont get a Lake effect blizzard every week here. Plus, I know ppl hate Detroit, but Id rather be close to there than to Cleveland.

Which city do you prefer?
Which city is more urban?
Which has the most historic and ethnic neighborhoods?
Which has the best skyline?
Which city has the best economic future?
Which city has the best location?

I prefer Toledo (bias)
Akron is more urban because of the megalopolis of Cleveland/Lorain/Akron/Canton/Youngstown
Historic and Ethnic neighborhoods--about the same between Akron & Toledo
Toledo has better skyline
Better economic future--I think Toledo stands-alone from other major cities unlike Akron is so close to Canton and Cleveland
Best location--definetly Toledo (I-75 goes to Detroit/Cincinnati and I-80/90 goes to Cleveland/Chicago)--great way to get away for a weekend with such accessible freeways.

^^ Is this another CvC thread? :?

i think toledo is underrated on this thread. better skyline and location and more developments. akron is more a surburb

I am not trying to start a fight with a city vs city thread. I am just trying to get opinions about both cities. I love both cities. I am just trying to get info. about them in order to try to figure out which one, if any, that I like best.

am not trying to start a fight with a city vs city thread. I am just trying to get opinions about both cities. I love both cities. I am just trying to get info. about them in order to try to figure out which one, if any, that I like best.

Your thread header invites a city vs city logic as you are requesting "better or worse type" answers rather than a "compare and contrast" type of dialogue. You also said you visited both cities before, so should you not be able to already state a preference, based on your visit?

I guess I could run a "Wheeling vs Huntington/Ashland" thread with the same questions?

As for the two cities in question...I've been to both cities as well and can't honestly choose. Toledo or Akron...Coke or Pepsi.

Toledo is the more ethnically diverse, historically, of the two, as it has a large Polish, Hungarian, and Mexican communities..including Polish and Mexican neighborhods neighborhoods. Akron had an Italian area on the North Side, but the city was not as "ethnic" as Toledo or nearby Cleveland.

Toledo is pretty flat, while Akron is built on hills and ravines and valleys (and small lakes!), so the place is more interesting from a topographical perspective. Yet Toledo has a watefront, while Akron does not, though it "sort of" had one along that canal.

I'm not sure how much really old or historic is left in these towns as both had agressive urban renewal efforts. I think Toledo has that West End historic district (which isn't that old)..don't know of any in Akron...but then Akron is a fairly "new" city, product mostly of the 20th century, while Toledo had a lot of growth in the 19th, too...yet how much is left?


Akron seems to have more going on in town, though...they have an in-town gentrified area in Highland Square. Just more of a hip vibe going on in Akron it seems. And it is closer to Cleveland, so a fairly big city is close at hand, which means better economic opportunities. Akron is probably better off in terms of economics as I think Toledo hasn't bottomed-out yet...too tied still to the auto industry.

If you are going to visit Akron try to stay in Quaker Square..that big grain elevator complex turned into a hotel. Nothing else like it. And its right downtown too.

For a bit more on Akron, check out this blog Rubber Buzz (http://www.rubberbuzz.com/) as it has linkes to other Rubbery things Akron....

I think Bonjour Toledo could probably provide a similar link for Toledo....

i think toledo is underrated on this thread. better skyline and location and more developments. akron is more a surburb

I agree... 100%.

Is Arkon orginally a suburb or just became a suburb by sprawl?

Is Arkon orginally a suburb or just became a suburb by sprawl?

Where is this misconception of Akron as a suburb coming from? Looking at these historical images clearly this is not a suburban community by any stretch of imagination...

http://ci.akron.oh.us/history/brochures/BrochurePg1_x800.jpg

http://ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/toweb/OldDowntown_x400.jpg

http://ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/toweb/CbdEarly1960s_x600.jpg

http://ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/toweb/FlatIronBldg_x600.jpg

The northern parts of Summit County, which Akron is in the county seat of, is becoming suburban to Cleveland but Akron and its adjacent industrial towns of Barberton and Cuyhoga Falls are not Cleveland suburbs, at least not historically.

Akron is an indepenent city with its own history. It happens to be near to Cleveland due to an accident of geography which made it a good waterpower industrial site...later the rubber industry concentrated there....

http://ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/toweb/GoodyearZepplin_x600.jpg

Interesting one thing Akron and Toledo share is a history of militant industrial unionism.

Read Industrial Valley by Ruth McKenney for a good well-written history about the unionization of the rubber industry and associated general strikes that gripped Akron during the New Deal era...there are similar stories from Toledo, too.

Thanks for all the information on Akron Jeff. I just wonder why Akron never had a larger skyline like Toledo and Dayton do. Is it because Akron is so close to Cleveland?

It is a good question why some cities have taller skylines than others. Perhaps a function of the demand for office space and density or confinement of downtown?

The older Akron skyline in those pix is not that different from Daytons during that same period...I think that art deco skyscraper (The Central Trust?) was taller than anything Dayton had.. Dayton only received taller skyscrapers in the postwar period.

I am curious about Toledo though in terms of the city as it was a fairly large city in the 19th century, larger than Dayton and almost as big as Columbus. So there must be some vintage 19th century neighborhoods left. A city I myself would like to explore more.

Akron has also got to be the largest city in Ohio without its own sports arena. Are there any plans to get an arena to get a hockey team or indoor football etc? Even little old Wheeling, WV has an arena with indoor football and a hockey team. I think having more sports would benefit the city greatly.

I am curious about Toledo though in terms of the city as it was a fairly large city in the 19th century, larger than Dayton and almost as big as Columbus. So there must be some vintage 19th century neighborhoods left. A city I myself would like to explore more.

Like Dayton, Toledo lost an incredible amount of architectural treasures as well. In terms of historical size, both Dayton and Toledo are about equal (Dayton arguably has a more impressive historical area; though Toledo has a more intact Second-Empire area).

Akron is highly underrated and (in my opinion) is Ohio's fifth best city.