What is Canton like?

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by ksu sucks

For a city Akron's size, I just don't see another way.




I just looked up the plans for the DC WalMart. Not bad. But could you imagine if they tried that in Seattle or SF? There would be riots in the streets!

It would be nice if Akron could get something like that downtown. There probably has to be a larger critical mass before the city can entice any kind of grocer to the neighborhood. As it stands now, the closest "grocery store" is Starz market on Exchange. Which is great-- if you plan on picking up a doo rag and a pack of black and milds with your milk. Otherwise, There isn't anything within walking distance.



Of course. My point was, there's tons of baby boomers who cringe at the thought of living without their big box stores with spacious storefront parking. Lord only knows that these people would view some 26 y/o fresh out of college as crazy for living near downtown. The city should do everything that it can to try and "win" the younger professionals over, before the negativity of their co-workers or colleagues gets to them.



I'm just a poor college student. I couldn't afford that stuff either. But I try to view things from the perspective that I will have once I graduate. I'm probably your typical urban minded 20 something.



If it weren't for OSU, I'm not sure Short North, Victorian Village, or Harrison West would be quite as healthy as they are today. Poor college students can take the place of hipsters in a mid-sized Midwestern city.

I agree that the physical developments of the university/hospitals isn't exactly enhancing the surrounding neighborhoods, but the infusion of human life that they bring to the periphery neighborhoods is worth something. Increased foot traffic, increasing numbers of residents, etc. Admittedly, I would like to see some other private groups step in and do something--but I'm not entirely sure that any would. Perhaps that's why only a few organizations seem to be buying everything up.

I agree. I hate to see some of those old buildings torn down, but it really is inevitable in most cases. The three steps to succes are as follows--

1. Salvage what you can
2. Demolish
3. Turn into "temporary" park system/urban farming
4. When/if growth comes...infill, infill, infill...

Interesting stuff on NYC. I haven't made it there yet in my travels. The Bronx and Staten Island probably wouldn't make the itinerary for my first trip anyway. So I think I'm safe.

I didn't know that people were still smoking Black and Milds. Used to back in my college days, then gave it up realizing you can still get the same cancer, and I was never into smoking cigarettes so it was peer pressure. Hey that was the mid 90s.

Yeah the sheer size and magnitude of NYC is fascinating. Very urban, very vertical; tunnels, bridges above, bridges below bridges, bridges below bridges below bridges, of course high rises. Thing about it is, when you have 8 million people in a city, 2 million of those people are hungry, desperate, and will hurt someone to get what those other 6 million people have. That is the just the reality of it. Some neighborhoods have changed, be to be honest it is your usual tearing down burned out buildings, rehabbing old, decrepit buildings, raising the rent two or three times, allow Midwestern hipsters to move in, pushing out all of the poor Whites, Blacks, Puerto Ricans, etc and bringing in rich Asians, Russians, Africans, etc. NYC still has those old infamous housing projects; 20, 30, 40 floors to a building, 15 or 20 buildings, and call it a "neighborhood" when in reality that is a high rise city with absolutely nothing in it, and those people have to leave that complex for any real groceries or to buy a TV set. Just tens of thousands of people living on top of each other. You can see them on the highway when you're driving into the city. NY can be a very beautiful city, and a very cold city at the same time, what they did to make it what it is today is inhumane IMHO as far as tearing up neighborhoods with the Interstate highway system, and what they are doing now with gentrification. Most of those people end up in cheaper boroughs, or they move down South to North Carolina or Georgia. The city doesn't care because they were poor and weren't contributing that much to the bottom line anyway.

[Townes Van Zandt]

Originally Posted by goofy328

NY can be a very beautiful city, and a very cold city at the same time, what they did to make it what it is today is inhumane IMHO as far as tearing up neighborhoods with the Interstate highway system, and what they are doing now with gentrification. Most of those people end up in cheaper boroughs, or they move down South to North Carolina or Georgia. The city doesn't care because they were poor and weren't contributing that much to the bottom line anyway.

I actually recently saw a good video on this topic.

The Tragedy of Urban Renewal: The destruction and survival of a New York City neighborhood - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by ksu sucks

I actually recently saw a good video on this topic.

The Tragedy of Urban Renewal: The destruction and survival of a New York City neighborhood - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

Yes this is true, and how the housing projects got started. What happened when Blacks were actually allowed to live in the neighborhoods, as opposed to those housing projects that were developed in the 50s, was White flight. At first, White flight was simply to other parts of NYC. But as other minority groups moved in, it became to the suburbs, just like it was throughout the rest of America.

Once they tore down and rebuilt in areas like South Bronx, parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, what did lie destitute who do you think moved in those places? At the same time, we also have Black flight to suburbia to get away from the inner city. In a lot of cases, we take the worst of the inner city to suburbia with us. That is happening in Akron as we speak, and happened in Cleveland decades ago.

[braindead0]

This has really gotten sidetracked. I live in Canton now (will be moving next year) so if you have specific questions feel free to ask. Some areas are pretty crummy, the area I live in has several blocks of retired folks.. which means busybodies tending yards, sitting on porches with nothing better to do but watch what's going on. Crime is a problem all around us... but not so much right here.

Housing is definitely cheap, many of the houses are old of course... however they were also built very strong...Our house is almost 90 years old.. and solid as a rock.

We're moving out of state to get closer to our families (all out west) and more days of motorcycling, tired of the rain and humidity... if it wasn't for that we'd likely stay here..

[drtakron]

I live in the Ellet area, which is safe, close to downtown and has a mix of old and newer homes that are well kept.

[Zeletta George]

Originally Posted by MattDen

I was wondering what Canton, Ohio is like?

Is the cost of housing lower then Akron?
What neighborhoods arent safe?
Any city buses to Akron?

I lived in canton for a month & had to get out of that place. canton is not a good place to live, unless you are a gangbanger, or another bad walk of life. Canton is dirty, & I always felt unsafe. I moved back to Akron real fast! Sorry but I don't know about the bus availability, but my brother drives for the Akron metro bus system & I would be happy to find out for you if you like. Good luck on your move & finding a nice home to live in.

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by Zeletta George

I lived in canton for a month & had to get out of that place. canton is not a good place to live, unless you are a gangbanger, or another bad walk of life. Canton is dirty, & I always felt unsafe. I moved back to Akron real fast! Sorry but I don't know about the bus availability, but my brother drives for the Akron metro bus system & I would be happy to find out for you if you like. Good luck on your move & finding a nice home to live in.

Canton has it's issues but even in the city there area variety of neighborhoods. As I like to point out if you can pull of off 55th St and be in a McMansion development and still be in Canton. Ridgewood is beautiful. Harter Heights is nice. Neighborhoods north of 30th St are still pretty good for the most part. I think Akron has held up better, but as I'm sure you know there is a vast difference between Summit Lake and Fairlawn Heights. Canton is the same.