Communities
Akron has 21 distinct neighborhoods including Lane-Wooster, Chapel Hill, Merriman, Downtown, Middlebury, East Akron, North Hill, Elizabeth Park, Northwest Akron, Ellet, Rolling Acres, Fairlawn Heights, South Akron, Firestone Park, Summit Lake, Goodyear, University Park, Highland Square, Wallhaven, Kenmore, and West Akron.
Chapel Hill, located in northeast Akron, is a large commercial districts bordered by Cuyahoga Falls to the north and Tallmadge to the east. Single and multi-family residential use is dominate north of Tallmadge Avenue. Its many smaller homes and numerous apartment complexes make the area an affordable option for couples. A large percentage of Chapel Hill residents are under 45 years of age. Additionally, the neighborhood has a higher proportion of elderly residents.
Ellet is physically separated from the other neighborhoods by Highway Interstate 76, a river, and an airport. Situated at the far eastern edge of Akron, it borders Mogadore to the east and Springfield Township to the south, and includes many of the City’s major attractions including the University of Akron’s Rubber Bowl. The neighborhood includes substantial single family residents with one in twelve houses being built after 1990.
The Elizabeth Park Valley was developed around the old Ohio & Erie Canal in the mid-1800s as is located within walking distance downtown. The area has retained its canal-era small town appeal with many people having old canal locks situated in their back yards.
The brainchild of Harvey S. Firestone, Firestone Park, has continued as a highly visible tribute to its creator. The community is a strong mix of educated working-class people with good incomes and home values. Firestone is easily accessible via t Interstate 77 and Interstate 277 / U.S. Highway 224.
Goodyear Heights, another community conceived and built by a rubber baron, was a model of early 20th century industrial community development. Today, it remains an overwhelmingly single-family residential community with a neighborhood-level retail development at Six Corners. The majority of the housing was constructed between 1940 and 1980. Recently, the city has begun buying up land to build new developments.
Highland Square is a pleasant residential area where famous residents such as John S. Knight, Senator Charles Dick, presidential candidate Wendell Willkie, industrialist Paul Litchfield, and AA founder Dr. Robert Smith have lived. Highland Square is more densely populated than the rest of Akron because of its numerous multi-story apartments.
The Lane – Wooster neighborhood is located just west of downtown Akron. The area has the largest black neighborhood, with 87% of residents identifying themselves as African American/Black on the Census.
Middlebury, the first settlement in what is now Akron, is located east of the University of Akron and is home to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company’s world headquarters. It is the most ethnically diversified out of the Akron neighborhoods. Additionally, it has the highest percentage of pre-1940 housing stock in comparison to any other Akron neighborhood.
North Hill, once a neighborhood dominated by Italian immigrants, is now a community in transition. While pockets of Italians are still found in North Hill, it has diversified greatly over the years.
Rolling Acres is another major commercial hub, located on the south-western side of Akron. According to the most recent Census estimates, there are only 1,120 housing units with 2,414 people living in the neighborhood.