Wallhaven

I rented in Wallhaven for three years beginning in 2010. I loved the convenience: right off Market Street, blocks from the Mull Ave freeway ramp to I-76/I-77, there are two grocery stores, lots of fast food/pizza/coffee venues (we could do with some sit down restaurants), a great used and rare bookstore, the best bus service in the city, a little over a mile to the towpath (and excellent Sand Run Metropark), with some bike lanes on the roadways, and I was 3 miles from The University of Akron, without all the chaos you find right off campus. I walked and biked often. I also have a car, and my building had ample parking. I generally felt very safe. I did hear gunshots once-which I attributed to a likely domestic dispute, and once had change stolen from the ashtray of my vehicle. I hadn't locked my doors. I am a man who was in my late twenties when I moved in. I had walked the area beforehand in the interest of safety, and took it as a great sign that I saw kids out playing, riding bikes, and waiting for the bus. A lot of people walk their dogs, and I felt safe doing so at midnight. My place was quiet. The area is mixed in terms of race. There is single family owner occupied housing as well as large rental units, which are mainly kept very nice. I selected my apartment complex in part because I thought it was beautiful, in brick with tree lined streets. North of Market Street seems a bit more affluent, with comfortably middle class home owners, and south of Market Street (where I was) seems to have more working class types, younger professionals, and retirees. I was a student. There is a lot of overlap of course. Just south there is a higher end condo complex, and there is some beautiful older housing on and around Exchange in this section of the city. I had friendly neighbors. Market and Exchange traffic is a nightmare during busy times, while the residential streets stay pretty clear. Hardesty Park is small but nice. It hosts symphonies in the summer. Crossing the street to get there can take strategy and a bit of daring. There are a few panhandlers who seem to be permanent fixtures at Market and Hawkins, and at the Auto Parts/Gabriel Brothers driveway, but they're nonthreatening. On the other hand there are high end places like West Side Market and Arhaus. I loved the mix of people and, coupled with the modest cost, this made Wallhaven better than the suburbs for me.