Posted June 29, 200816 yr I've been wanting to have a day to spend in Akron, to snap shots of the City for about 2 years now. Today was the long awaited day! My Brother-In-Law will probably never hang out with me again, but I sure did have a good time. WARNING: I have a cheap digital and am a novice at photography...I did my best. Enjoy! 1: 2: Old BF Goodrich complex. Partially demolished, partially renovated. 3: Old BFG HQ, new GOJO HQ 4: This factory was HUGE at one point in time. I estimate it was probably about 1/4 mile long, 1/8 mile wide, and 6 floors! 5: More BFG, now Canal Place 6: Side of building that used to be hidden by part of the factory 7: Advanced Elastomer Systems. Another rennovated part of the BFG factory. 8: First of many Downtown Shots 9: I'll reserve pics of UofA for other posts, but I think this is a good Urban pic 10: Skyline 11: Notice the Stealth Fighter.....UofA Turbine Research Facility...don't know the link with a Stealth Fighter though. 12: Exchange and Main 13: Exchange and Main with Ballpark lights 14: Exchange and Main....I just like this building 15: Final Exchange and Main. In a future thread, you'll see the construction project, that is underway, that will completely change this corner! 16: Looking down Exchange towards Childrens Hospital 17: What started it all! Ohio Canal with YMCA bulding in background. Akron was the highest point, The Summit, on the canal with the greatest density of locks. The rest is history! 18: Childrens Hospital. I wish I had more time as more great buildings are hidden behind this one. 19: Canal #2. You can see one of the restored locks in the photo. 20: "Canal Entrance" to Canal Park, home of the Akron Aeros, AA Minor League team to the Cleveland Indians. 21: More Canal Park. I really love the atmosphere of this place, really feels like you're nestled inside the city. 22: Was able to get inside the stadium. There was a game tonight. 23: Straight Away Center. It just occurred to me that there used to be a 10-15 story, white apartment building out there....now it's gone! 24: Left Field: 25: Front Entrance...Last Canal Park photo I promise! 26: Requisite Akron Shot. Storms rolling in. 27: Better view of Cascade Plaza 28: Polskey's (Left) and the Mayflower Hotel (Right). One a UA owned building, the other is rumored to be a target for future UA dorms. 29: I like these shots.... 30: Lock 3 park. For those of you who haven't been to Akron much in the past...this vantage point used to show a bunch of empty store fronts. 31: The Civic Theater. The most amazing interior I've ever seen in a theater! 32: Lots of people out today all over town. Highland square (not shown) was hoppin! 33: Key Bank building and another 34: Keep your eye out for pedestrian bridges. Lots of them in downtown and personally, they are eyesores. 35: The East Side of the heart of Downtown. Didn't go that far as I wanted to get lots of shots of the University! 36: First Energy HQ and First National Bank Tower 37: Don't know the name of this building, but I used to look at it a lot while daydreaming in class. 38: First National Bank Tower 39: Cascade Plaza 40: A look down Bowery Street. I think there is some construction on new shops just around the bend! 41: I love this shot. 42: Who thought this was a good idea??? 43: North side of town. Too bad I couldn't make it down there....didn't have the time. John S. Night Convention center, Akron Art Museum, Cigar Building, Federal Building, Chophouse......... 44: The controversial acquiring of Quaker Square by UofA. The historic hotel has been converted to dorms. You want my 2 cents??? UofA is on a roll, get on the train or get off the tracks! 45: Home to Akron's Finest! 46: Home to National Inventors Hall of Fame. I think UofA will end up taking this over at some point in the future, it isn't really much more than a neat looking building right now. Hope you enjoyed the pics. Akron doesn't get many posts here, but I love the place. I think you'll be suprised with what is going on in the City right now. There is a reason it's been adding jobs and has the lowest downtown vacancy rates of any Major Ohio City! Look for more posts in the near future.
June 29, 200816 yr Good Job! I would love to see some Akron Pics during peak activity hours, like lunch and Friday and Saturday nights. Or when there are games or events downtown. Downtown isn't always as dead as it looks on most of the pics I've seen on this forum. Also, There are great urban shots near Akron General, City Hospital and Childrens Hospital. Also East and West Exchange Steet, Akron U and Opportunity Parkway. I'm no longer in Ohio to help out. Planning to buy a camera so you guys can see what Winston-Salem and Greensboro look like.
June 29, 200816 yr Good shots! You may be new to urban photography, but you have an eye for it. I agree with your comment about the interior of the Civic; I saw a movie there once with friends. I can't remember what film I saw, but I'll never forget the elaborate Italianate lobby and atmospheric ceiling. Even though it was sloppy winter weather outside, the appearance of clouds drifting across a starry night sky made me feel like I was outdoors on a balmy summer night.
June 29, 200816 yr fantastic tour. you did great. we don't get enough akron/canton, so please do keep'm coming!
June 29, 200816 yr Great pics! UA was one of my first college visits back in high school........the urban setting is nice!
June 29, 200816 yr Thanks! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 30, 200816 yr Loved seeing Quaker SqUAre!!!! p.s. I want to strangle whoever decided it was a good idea to tear down most of the O'neills building....in pic 22 you can see it's new, much smaller version now. But it used to span the entire outfield, neatly boxing in the stadium. And is why it used to have the nickname "Little Camden Yards" because of its likeness to Baltimore. Anyway, thanks again for posting and GO ZIPS.
July 1, 200816 yr Excellent Job! I drove downtown Saturday night and it was downright crowded with the concert and game.
July 1, 200816 yr Loved seeing Quaker SqUAre!!!! p.s. I want to strangle whoever decided it was a good idea to tear down most of the O'neills building....in pic 22 you can see it's new, much smaller version now. But it used to span the entire outfield, neatly boxing in the stadium. And is why it used to have the nickname "Little Camden Yards" because of its likeness to Baltimore. Anyway, thanks again for posting and GO ZIPS. The only reason why I can understand that half of O'Neils was torn down is because the building was too big to redevelop in it's proper form. Not only that, when it was redeveloped, the canal was opened up again as that section was covered over by said building.
July 2, 200816 yr Hi there UrbanPreppie!! I remember the reasons they gave, but I still couldn't disagree more with them. That hack job they did was completely short sighted. They can never replace what they tore down....for a parking garage. :? It should be illegal in this state to tear down a beloved building for a parking garage, no matter how vacant it is AT THE PRESENT TIME. And I think the beauty of the building would've justified leaving that part of the canal covered. Or even better, they could've uncovered just enough to make the canal a feature of INTERIOR of the building. Oh well, nothing we can do now... before the demo: http://www.clarkcompanies.com/Site%20Revision/images/Large%20Project%20Photos/Canal%20Park%20Akron%20Aeros.jpg the crime in progress: http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e36/tlastoria/akron2.jpg
July 2, 200816 yr The developers tried to convert the rear half of the building into a garage, but because of cost, it ended up being more cost effective to build new.
July 2, 200816 yr WA1... Downtown is usually crowded on fri/sat/sun night.. especially if there is a game or some sort of concert at lock3.. I was there 2 weekends ago and there must have been atleast 1000 people outside the rstaurants at the corner of main and exchange..
July 2, 200816 yr Does anyone know what happened to that white apt. building in center field? That was a great atmosphere around the stadium and now it's all being torn down. You would think the developers are kicking themselves as the vacancy rate downtown is so low right now.
July 3, 200816 yr Does anyone know what happened to that white apt. building in center field? That was a great atmosphere around the stadium and now it's all being torn down. You would think the developers are kicking themselves as the vacancy rate downtown is so low right now. THAT building? The former Motor lodge turned ratty senior citizens center? I think that was demolished because the foundation was in dilapidated beyond repair.
July 5, 200816 yr The fireworks downtown were pretty good.. I had my chair set up on the interbelt and had a marvelous view...
July 9, 200816 yr Does anyone know what happened to that white apt. building in center field? That was a great atmosphere around the stadium and now it's all being torn down. You would think the developers are kicking themselves as the vacancy rate downtown is so low right now. THAT building? The former Motor lodge turned ratty senior citizens center? I think that was demolished because the foundation was in dilapidated beyond repair. Yeah I believe it was torn down last year. The parking deck underneath the building hadn't been used in years because it was literally crumbling, pretty scary to think that the building was still being used with the deck below in such disrepair. Love the pics of Canal Place (former BFG complex). I grew up around the corner from there and me and my brother used to go exploring through the complex before many of the buildings were converted for re-use. It was amazing see how many of the buildings were left as if the workers were going to be back later for another shift. Tires were still on some of the conveyer belts, much of the machinery was still there. Kind of an eery feeling. I remember peering in through the windows of the AES building before it was renovated; hard to believe it's the same building now. Great tour and great pics!
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