Cleveland or Akron? (Commute) (Canton: high school, universities, live)

[Westakron1]

Depends on what is important to you. Cleveland will obviously win out with stuff to do. However I know families that are empty nesters/childless who live in the Akron area(south of Akron) who run up to Cleveland all the time for entertainment purposes yet enjoy the slower pace and safety of suburban/exurban of suburban Akron/Canton. In reality both cities are close enough that you could live in the suburbs in between and easily enjoy what both cities have to offer.

In an odd sense I think there are some lines of demarcation that exists for folks who grew up in this area that don't exist with transplants...meaning you may not feel the differences in where one area ends and the next begins like a local.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by Westakron1

In an odd sense I think there are some lines of demarcation that exists for folks who grew up in this area that don't exist with transplants...meaning you may not feel the differences in where one area ends and the next begins like a local.

Excellent point about the "line of demarcation." I think it has something to do with Akron existing somewhat as a separate media market, especially with the Akron Beacon Journal still surviving.

Most Greater Clevelanders don't visit Akron attractions, not even Stan Hywet Hall during the holiday season, let alone the Akron Zoo or the Akron Museum of Art. This is unfortunate. Of course, there is so much to do in Greater Cleveland, there isn't much need to explore other, more distant attractions. Most Greater Clevelanders also don't visit the Cleveland Museum of Art or the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo very frequently.

When I was a kid, my parents frequently took us to downtown Akron during the holiday season for the department store windows, in addition to going to downtown Cleveland each year. We liked going to Akron because it was less crowded and it was much easier for a kid to get next to the window for the best viewing. Having both grown up in rural central Ohio, my parents were enamored of department store Christmas windows.

Some day, I need to visit Castle Noel in Medina to see the preserved window displays there. My understanding is that Castle Noel is best visited before Thanksgiving to avoid crowds, but that is before the beautiful Medina Square is decorated.

https://castlenoel.com/exhibits/

This is one of my favorite Greater Cleveland holiday videos, filmed during Medina's Annual Candlelight Walk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPjtmSzxvjY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tVfJVyujmM

This video is very good through the 7-minute mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSCiC7ImTqQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERJ5iYVjhuY

https://myohiofun.com/exploring-the-...f-medina-ohio/


Medina is closer to most Greater Akron locations than to Greater Cleveland locations, even though Medina is part of Greater Cleveland.

From Lake County, before the building of I-90 and Route 2, it might have been just as fast to get to Akron as to downtown Cleveland. My memory is that the trip to downtown Cleveland could take two hours one way during the Christmas season on a weekend using Route 20. Route 8 likely was less congested with fewer stop lights until getting close to Akron.

[bjimmy24]

I always enjoy going to Akron, I have family there so maybe I am more aware than other Clevelanders. But Stan Hywett is great and worth the trip alone. Also always enjoy the Christmas Market and baseball games (would try to see Indians prospects early in their careers growing up). Some great places to hang out in Highland Square, as wellas some really nice breweries (Akronym, Missing Falls, Hoppin Frog). Summit County metroparks are pretty solid too.

[Westakron1]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Excellent point about the "line of demarcation." I think it has something to do with Akron existing somewhat as a separate media market, especially with the Akron Beacon Journal still surviving.

Most Greater Clevelanders don't visit Akron attractions, not even Stan Hywet Hall during the holiday season, let alone the Akron Zoo or the Akron Museum of Art. This is unfortunate. Of course, there is so much to do in Greater Cleveland, there isn't much need to explore other, more distant attractions. Most Greater Clevelanders also don't visit the Cleveland Museum of Art or the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo very frequently.

When I was a kid, my parents frequently took us to downtown Akron during the holiday season for the department store windows, in addition to going to downtown Cleveland each year. We liked going to Akron because it was less crowded and it was much easier for a kid to get next to the window for the best viewing. Having both grown up in rural central Ohio, my parents were enamored of department store Christmas windows.

Some day, I need to visit Castle Noel in Medina to see the preserved window displays there. My understanding is that Castle Noel is best visited before Thanksgiving to avoid crowds, but that is before the beautiful Medina Square is decorated.

https://castlenoel.com/exhibits/

Medina is closer to most Greater Akron locations than to Greater Cleveland locations, even though Medina is part of Greater Cleveland.

From Lake County, before the building of I-90 and Route 2, it might have been just as fast to get to Akron as to downtown Cleveland. My memory is that the trip to downtown Cleveland could take two hours one way during the Christmas season on a weekend using Route 20. Route 8 likely was less congested with fewer stop lights until getting close to Akron.

I've personally made a commitment to view the area as one big area in terms of attractions. We now buy memberships to both Zoos and it's only 35 minutes to Downtown Cleveland and only 30-45 minutes to most neighborhoods/attractions from where we live in Akron. This would be an average to short trip when I lived in Chicago.

We had a Christmas outing at Castle Noel right before Covid. I enjoyed it and would encourage folks who "Christmas" fans to experience it at least once. Growing up I thought Medina to be more connected to Akron but I think that's changed in the last 30 years. If the Beacon Journal covered their High School for sports I considered them connected to Akron in some way.

[Westakron1]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

I always enjoy going to Akron, I have family there so maybe I am more aware than other Clevelanders. But Stan Hywett is great and worth the trip alone. Also always enjoy the Christmas Market and baseball games (would try to see Indians prospects early in their careers growing up). Some great places to hang out in Highland Square, as wellas some really nice breweries (Akronym, Missing Falls, Hoppin Frog). Summit County metroparks are pretty solid too.

I grew up in a family of shoppers so I feel as if we spent time at every mall or TJ Maxx in NEO . My wife is from Lorain County so it's been interesting spending more time there and on the west side of town than I did growing up. It would be nice if they ever got a train from Akron to Cleveland going, I could see that being utilized if done properly.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Westakron1

I've personally made a commitment to view the area as one big area in terms of attractions.

Indeed. The Akron area is no further than some West Side locations for us coming from Shaker.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by ferraris

Indeed. The Akron area is no further than some West Side locations for us coming from Shaker.

I think this is the best way to think of the area, regardless of where you live, in either Cleveland or Akron. It's really not that far. I can get to downtown Akron in 40 minutes. I don't see why we shouldn't think of these two as our own "Twin Cities" personally.

[SlideRules99]

The Kent Stage is also a gem in the Akron vicinity. It is a historic venue in Kent that attracts well known folk, Americana, indie, bluegrass, etc. musical acts…in a theater type atmosphere. From their web site:

“The Kent Stage was constructed in 1927 as a silent movie and vaudevillian theater and is the sole surviving downtown theater in the county. In 2002, the Western Reserve Folk Arts Association took over management of the venue and the rest is history. The Kent Stage was named the Best Acoustic Venue in Northeast Ohio by The Plain Dealer when Nickel Creek stepped out in front of the mics and sang an encore.

The Kent Stage is the host of approximately 150 concerts a year, the Kent Folk Festival, the Kent Blues Fest, Kent Reggae Fest, the Kent State Around Town Music Festival, film festivals and numerous plays.”

https://kentstage.org/

[WRnative]

Can't give you more cred, but thanks for the Kent Stage info. it's new to me.

Beckwith Orchards in Brady Lake is half an hour from Akron. It's a favorite of mine. While there, check out Lake Rockwell, the main reservoir for Akron and Brady Lake itself, once the site of a popular amusement park.

Beckwith Orchards - Home

It's illegal to check out Lake Rockwell, but I did so once in the past for a few minutes. It's a beautiful area in the autumn. I don't know if a view of the lake is available by hiking from the Lake Rockwell Road trailhead.

https://birding-in-ohio.com/portage-...oad-trailhead/

https://www.akronohio.gov/cms/Water/...ell/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankl...e_County,_Ohio

https://www.akronohio.gov/cms/RiverTrail/index.html

Brady Lake is somewhat unique in Ohio as a natural kettle lake. Natural lakes are pretty unique in Ohio outside of northeast Ohio. It appears that Brady Lake's shoreline now is heavily developed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brady_Lake_(Ohio)

Brady Lake didn't make this list, but I'm not surprised that most of the largest natural lakes in Ohio are located in Summit (Akron) and Portage counties.

https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/o...ral-lakes-ohio

Portage County is extremely beautiful. It's sad, but very good, that a metroparks levy was passed only in 2014.

https://www.aroundkent.net/aroundkent-magazine-vol-17

[Westakron1]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Excellent point about the "line of demarcation." I think it has something to do with Akron existing somewhat as a separate media market, especially with the Akron Beacon Journal still surviving.

This is something that's been difficult for me to explain to people from outside the area. Folks who are born and raised in Akron don't view themselves as a part of Cleveland. This is not becuase of nefarious reasons or competition. It's due to the Akron area having it's own small, but existing media market, high school conferences and other amentites that suburs or satellite cities dont' have. These include Hospital systems, Zoo, Museums, Large Universities, large corportate headquarters...etc.