They forgot to mention that Akron is the cultural capitol of West Virginia. If you ever wanted to engage in incest, smoke methamphetamine and not go to college or trade school, this is the place for you. Grab a shake and a burger from Swenson's then kick back and take in the Caucasian train wreck that is our darling little city.

Wow , you've got to be kidding a positive story about
Akron??
Oh wait a minute, just start reading the comments on
here an you'll see how great Akron is..

I've always liked this area, the parks, the seasons, the closeness to the Great Lakes. Problem is; no jobs. When manufacturing left this area, I, like many others, thought it would be back mainly because of water. After 30 years, it hasn't happened. Manufacturing has moved further south and out of the country.

As a computer systems professional, my salary over the years has dropped to where I was in the late '80s. I look at other parts of the country and see others in my profession making 20 to 30 percent more than I am (granted the cost of living here is a lot lower than most other areas of the country).

Should I stick it out and stay in northeast Ohio? I'm struggling with that question now, being recently laid-off from a promising company and with very few prospects for new employment.

The article mentions Akron has a strong work ethic.That may be,but there is no work to show that ethic.

Ohio is a great place to live, but if you can't find a good paying job, so what. Right now good paying jobs don't exist for those looking for work.

They are really reaching by saying "As fresh water becomes scarcer" by calling it amenities. That's right ,in 200 years when the rest of the country runs out your great great great grandchildren will have plenty of water to drink,that is ,if they stick around Akron.

Don't forget to mention the high tax burden and cold weather for 6 mo. out of the year and the fact you have to drive out of state to find a decent snow skiing area as well.

@grnbstrd , funny stuff

Yes, please move to the area. My house is for sale! I have an offer, but I'll take your's! I want to get out of here ASAP. If you have kids, this is great...I'm newly divorced, and find it extremely difficult to be such here, as we don't even have a simple wine bar outside of Fairlawn! There are no good places for older singles to han g out that are of a upper class quality outside of Fairlawn, and I live in Uniontown. That's an hour round trip. Parks are great, but we singles need more than that! I don't agree with the big city feel either. I was just in Vegas and PHoenix to scout housing, and there is no comparison! The housing there is cheaper too. The weather is terible here too. Born in Akron, so I know what I'm talking abut. Don't worry, I'm trying to leave!!

Good article. For the first 7 to comment, please move away. Far away. Thanks.

FOLLOW THE MONEY ~!!!

SquareWest-I'm not going anywhere.I'm going to stay and complain 'til something's done.Unless,of course,I get caught in the crossfire in my non-upscale neighborhood.

You have to love the spin people try and put on this dump. LOL

I left Akron in 1982 after living there all my life and went to U of A. It has done a remarkably poor job of marketing itself. Most comments I get when people find out where I'm from are 1) no sunshine 2) unions 3)no jobs. I say it has the best weather in the US from May to October and yes unions lead to no jobs. Hmmmm maybe I don't market it well either.

Unfortunately, the state of Ohio as well as the counties of Summit, Cuyahoga, Mahoning and Stark do their very best to take as much tax dollars as they possibly can. This fact alone will drive younger people away from NE Ohio and to more tax friendly states.

All of the information in this article is the same as was presented 35-45 years ago...which brings up the old saying, "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Be sure to ask any small business owner (with less than 20 employees) how they feel about NE Ohio.

To the guy complaining about the lack of wine bars in the outlying burbs........well, do I really need to ask what did you expect? Uniontown is a nice place if you're looking for seclusion and a family haven. Other than that......

To most everyone else complaining, get an education or skilled trade in an in-demand field. It's that easy and I don't care how old you are. You can't blame your environment when you don't adapt to it.

Get out as soon as you can. Unless you have a very compelling reason to be here, you must be a lame to want to stay.

Hey Puddy17... http://www.galaxyrestaurant.com/wine_room/default.asp ... don't tell anybody

What gets me is that people would rather complain than go out and do something about it. If you don't like your lot in life get off your big fat backsides and do something about it. It's bad all over not just in Akron.

It must not be too good. The Mayor can't think of enough reasons to visit the sister city in China. Your tax dollars (no longer mine) at work.

THERE ARE VERY FEW PROFESSIONAL HIGH PAYING JOBS IN AKRON, OHIO AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

And if you don't have your Concealed carry License already, we will gladly help you attain one.

We are also offering gun turret modifications for your home, apartment or condo. We will also let you use our Magic Eightball for the local school placement of your children! Martial arts classes are optional.

Akron's not so bad...honestly there are still a number of decent areas. My biggest complaint is people don't support things that are not part of a chain store etc. Generally speaking of course.

nmaxxs - Valid questions. I am originally from that area and work in the tech/IT field. I did spend 13 years in the military, so that opened up some new opportunities for me and I have basically bounced between the Washington DC and Virginia Beach areas. DC has a lot of high paying tech jobs, but you will get killed on living expenses. Looking at $300-400 for a decent condo, although you can buy houses in the ghetto for that price, you may not like the schools. You will also spend about 12 hours on the road each week for your commute because of traffic.

My biggest problem with Akron? All the whiners. All the negative people. I have never seen people in other cities bash their hometown like Akronites do. A city is only as good as the people that live in it, so why not give appreciation for what we've got a try, Akron?

Once again these posters find a way to defeat themselves before they leave the gate. They always take the easy way out, therefore it's all bad.
Yet many find these facts true----- it's what you make it!!
Ohio is a fertile valley with temperate weather, many resources human and natural sporting a grand history!!
So don't expect these posters to find work anytime soon because they know they won't!!!!!!

Maybe a one way ticket would expedite these liabilities.

Mare,

There are?

http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_10420.htm#b00-0000

May '08 - Akron, OH (Portage & Summit Counties)

Total jobs & Mean Annual Sal/Wages:

Total Employment.....333,300...40,010

Management...........12,850....97,680
Bus & Fin Ops........13,840....57,610
Comp & Math Sci......7,190.....65,110
Arch & Engineer......6,330.....63,490
Life, Phy & Soc Sci..2,400.....60,520
Comm & Soc Serv......4,200.....41,020
Legal................1,960.....70,760
Educ, Train & Libr...20,830....51,110
Arts, Des, Ent, Med..3,360.....39,240
Health & Tech Pract..19,440....70,110
Health Supp..........10,670....25,370
Protective Services..6,220.....38,140

(more occupations not listed.... most paying less, some paying more)

Oh by the way did i tell you we are the meth capital of ohio.People can work for days with no sleep. We invited the hamburger, so you have to go to swensons. Just bring your smith and wesson when you roll your windows down. They usullay just want change to go across the sreet and get a pint of mad dog. Plus Cleveland stadium is very easy to find. Just follow the orange cones and you get to sit with ninety thousand people that started tail gating Friday when they got off work. And for education the profanity they will learn will really expand there vocabulary. The will learn what pop and devil strip means.

@ Hooch

Did you know negative thinking decreases your life expectency?

yea i know, thats why I moved to south west Florida. No cold, gray sky winters, rainy spring, and can actully swim in the summer consistently. Plus there not a fast food restaraunt, and strip club every thirty feet.

OMG wrote
Ohio is a great place to live, but if you can't find a good paying job, so what. Right now good paying jobs don't exist for those looking for work.

That goes for almost every place in the US/World right now. There aren't a lot of new job openings, and many people searching for work who recently lost jobs.

nmaxxs
If your pay has dropped to a level similar to what you were making 20 years ago I'd like to hear more details. What kind of company were you with then, what kind of work were you doing. And what's your situation now. I started out in IT (doing programming) for a small company back in 88. I'm doing pretty well now with the same small company. We've hit some rough spots like others, and have had cuts recently. But my pay is way ahead of what it was 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago. Or are you talking about your pay adjusted for inflation?

hooch,

Florida, yep but its populated by mostly retired people who don't know how to drive. Really, there's no fast food in Naples? That sounds unlikely. A search shows many Burger King and McDonalds there. Maybe you just mean there's more upscale places to eat.

Florida is too crowded, too hot & muggy, and populated primarily by people who think they're better than anybody else (including the dumb people back home in their city of origin in the northeast).

I love Akron!!! Mostly because I moved out when I was 20 yrs old and haven't really gone back except when I have to. I am a proud UA Grad! Thanks Akron for the person you made me into today!

Hey there is places that are still doing well. Cities like Naples,San Antonio, Austin, Dalls, Charlotte, are so robust. I was in the car business which is dying up there. It was hard moving away from family. but fours years later its turns out to be the best move of my life. And remember people are always going to move south to warmer climate. And now housing is affordable hear again, people have the best opputunity to relocate and make great change in there lives. Wish i would of moved hear a long time ago.The cities named is just a few of many that are doing very well.

The water issue is a legitimate argument. If you don't believe me, hang out in Denver & it's suburbs. You will find out quickly that water is becoming a major issue out West.

I have lived here for the majority of my life & would choose Akron over most cities any day. I lived in Philly & South Louisiana & I'm glad I came back.

As far as Florida goes, no thanks! God's Waiting Room doesn't have that much to offer-unless you are into shuffleboard. LOL!

hooch,

I don't blame anyone who likes the sun and warmth of the south, but don't misrepresent the economic strength of cities like Charlotte. Charlotte has a worse unemployment rate than cities like Akron and Cleveland (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/metro.pdf) with comparable average wages. After reviewing the figures, even Naples has a higher unemployment rate than Akron. Ouch! Don't get me wrong, I like Florida. But put away the stones while sitting in the solarium.

Also, no irony in citing strip clubs. Florida is known for a few things.... Disney, sun, beaches, retirees and..... strip clubs. Don't diminish the hillbilly nature of Florida. Florida is very much part of the southern culture.

HOW?!
How is Akron a good place to find a job?!!!

I'VE been looking for a job for over 6 weeks now! I graduated from KENT. I'VE applied for over 500 jobs. I'm an English major being rejected for SECRETARIAL jobs! With 7.5 years of experience!! Do you think that I've gotten ANYWHERE finding a job in Akron? HECK NO.

Akron a great place for job opportunities?
Someone's got their information INCREDIBLY WRONG.

No offense, GoldenDucky, but your major might have something to do with it. Have you though about a law degree? It would complement you degree nicely. I can assure you you will make considerably more in that line of work.

@Yankeescot: I realize my degree is an issue. However, I am older than the average grad; I have more experience than the average grad and a solid work history. That should put me head and shoulders above a LOT of new hires.

I'm also not just looking in "English grad-friendly" industries - I'm looking, literally, EVERYWHERE.

Going back to school is not an option for me for financial reasons. So, for right now, I languish with thousands of other unemployed people out there. :(