The Akron-Cleveland "complex"

[lance99]

I have notice that Akron wants nothing to do with Cleveland for any reason. Growing up in Akron, we considered Clevland a whole different universe than Akron. The flip side of this that Cleveland wants nothing to with Akron unless it conviences them for something(i.e. Le Bron).

Is there a possible way to split the two cities idenity. I ask this question because the two cities in question are two very different worlds. I was talking with a friend of mine who moved to Cleveland and he said reffering to Akron "Why would I go there? It's is not a real city anyway."

Nothing against Cleveland, they have used Akron to make them look better. Even worse, they consider Akron apart of Cleveland for everything.

Is there a way to get rid of the complexes that make up the two cities?

[ZachTheZip]

Is there a way to get rid of the complexes that make up the two cities?

Yeah. Our own news and TV stations, fully seperate from Cleveland.

[zipseuph]

ok I'm a small town country boy so I've never understoof the "it's not a city so forget it" mentality but thats just me. I think the big thing that connects the two are professional sports.

[Dave in Green]

Bigger cities and smaller cities each have their advantages and disadvantages. If you prefer one over the other, you can make a case that one is better -- for you and others who share your tastes. But not for everyone.

For people who appreciate both for what they are, there's no reason to pick one over the other. You take advantage of the best of each and avoid the worst of each. That's why some people consider themselves to be residents of a region as opposed to a narrower area.

Northeast Ohio has everything from a big city (Cleveland) to rural farm country, and everything in between, including the Akron area. There's good, bad and indifferent throughout the region.

[skip-zip]

Two of you point out what I believe is the only things that really link Akron and Cleveland together. We are covered on Cleveland's news stations, and Cleveland has the closest pro sports teams.

Other than that, as I've said many times, I wish we could separate ourselves from that place, and form our own identity.

[uhgrad2002]

I don't get this Akron verses Cleveland "rivalry" at all. Are you folks sitting in front of the tv on Sundays in the Fall waiting for Akron Vulcans football to come on so you can cheer for your favorite pro team?

I'm glad I live near Akron (or am I suppose to think of Akron as Copley's great rival?) but I'm also glad Cleveland and all it has to offer is so close. That is what makes this such a great area to live in. It never even occurred to me to think of a rivalry between the two until I read it here. And I am going to forget I ever read of such a thing as quickly as I can.

[Dave in Green]

I'm wondering how much of this Akron-Cleveland competition thing is based on people having lived in the same place their whole lives. I've lived for extended periods in three different countries and seven different states, and don't feel the slightest twinge of this phenomenon.

Is there anyone who's moved around a lot who thinks this is a big deal, or is this feeling of competition exclusive to people who've lived in this area their whole lives?

[ZachTheZip]

I don't get this Akron verses Cleveland "rivalry" at all. Are you folks sitting in front of the tv on Sundays in the Fall waiting for Akron Vulcans football to come on so you can cheer for your favorite pro team?

No. But I am sitting in front of the TV waiting for the Cleveland news to have a story from Akron more than once a week. I'm waiting for them to acknowledge that Akron is it's own city and not just another suburb tied to Cleveland like North Royalton or Mentor. I'm waiting for them to mention the Zips for just 5 seconds on the sports segment after their 15 minutes of high school football coverage.

[Zip Watcher]

I don't get this Akron verses Cleveland "rivalry" at all. Are you folks sitting in front of the tv on Sundays in the Fall waiting for Akron Vulcans football to come on so you can cheer for your favorite pro team?

I'm glad I live near Akron (or am I suppose to think of Akron as Copley's great rival?) but I'm also glad Cleveland and all it has to offer is so close. That is what makes this such a great area to live in. It never even occurred to me to think of a rivalry between the two until I read it here. And I am going to forget I ever read of such a thing as quickly as I can.

+1

Having lived in both cities growing up, I'm quite content to live squarely between the two now and reap the benefits and enjoy what both have to offer.

This is a non-starter for me. Not sure at all how it can be productive to fan flames of discontent that may or may not even exist.

Go Zips.

[skip-zip]

I don't get this Akron verses Cleveland "rivalry" at all. Are you folks sitting in front of the tv on Sundays in the Fall waiting for Akron Vulcans football to come on so you can cheer for your favorite pro team?

I'm glad I live near Akron (or am I suppose to think of Akron as Copley's great rival?) but I'm also glad Cleveland and all it has to offer is so close. That is what makes this such a great area to live in. It never even occurred to me to think of a rivalry between the two until I read it here. And I am going to forget I ever read of such a thing as quickly as I can.

I think right there is the root of the issue. There isn't any "rivalry" between Akron and Cleveland. It's not that at all. I think for most of us, it's just the problem of Akron being associated with Cleveland. Besides the pro sports teams, I just wonder what value Cleveland has to those of us who live in Akron.

For the record, I've probably spent an equal amount of time in both the Cleveland and Akron areas in my lifetime. So, I'm on pretty equal footing as far as my knowledge of both places. But most recently, I've lived in Akron, and I believe it hurts Akron dearly to be looked at as "a part of Cleveland".

[zen]

I don't get this Akron verses Cleveland "rivalry" at all. Are you folks sitting in front of the tv on Sundays in the Fall waiting for Akron Vulcans football to come on so you can cheer for your favorite pro team?

I'm glad I live near Akron (or am I suppose to think of Akron as Copley's great rival?) but I'm also glad Cleveland and all it has to offer is so close. That is what makes this such a great area to live in. It never even occurred to me to think of a rivalry between the two until I read it here. And I am going to forget I ever read of such a thing as quickly as I can.

I think right there is the root of the issue. There isn't any "rivalry" between Akron and Cleveland. It's not that at all. I think for most of us, it's just the problem of Akron being associated with Cleveland. Besides the pro sports teams, I just wonder what value Cleveland has to those of us who live in Akron.

For the record, I've probably spent an equal amount of time in both the Cleveland and Akron areas in my lifetime. So, I'm on pretty equal footing as far as my knowledge of both places. But most recently, I've lived in Akron, and I believe it hurts Akron dearly to be looked at as "a part of Cleveland".

When does akron get associated with cleveland outside the state (with the few extraneous exceptions).

I have told people from outside the state that I was from Akron, and more often then not, been asked where (near Toledo, Columbus, in BFE?) that was. Actually, most of them have heard the mention of the name of the city of Akron often enough for it to slightly register in their subconscious that the later wasn't true, and that Akron is not some 18K intersection of two interstates, yet they can't seem to place it on a map.

I am NOT advocating the absorption of the Akron area into the Cleveland persona as if Cleveland were the Borg. We all know that Cleveland couldn't take Chicago to the prom, let alone look in the direction of New York. However, it might not hurt Akron to reverse engineer Borg's parasitic mindset and hijack Cleveland's media a little bit more sympathetically. Who knows, in 30 years, they may be building a "northcoast arena" in richfield and tearing down the Q to make space for a UA polymer conglomerate research facility

[skip-zip]

I don't get this Akron verses Cleveland "rivalry" at all. Are you folks sitting in front of the tv on Sundays in the Fall waiting for Akron Vulcans football to come on so you can cheer for your favorite pro team?

I'm glad I live near Akron (or am I suppose to think of Akron as Copley's great rival?) but I'm also glad Cleveland and all it has to offer is so close. That is what makes this such a great area to live in. It never even occurred to me to think of a rivalry between the two until I read it here. And I am going to forget I ever read of such a thing as quickly as I can.

I think right there is the root of the issue. There isn't any "rivalry" between Akron and Cleveland. It's not that at all. I think for most of us, it's just the problem of Akron being associated with Cleveland. Besides the pro sports teams, I just wonder what value Cleveland has to those of us who live in Akron.

For the record, I've probably spent an equal amount of time in both the Cleveland and Akron areas in my lifetime. So, I'm on pretty equal footing as far as my knowledge of both places. But most recently, I've lived in Akron, and I believe it hurts Akron dearly to be looked at as "a part of Cleveland".

When does akron get associated with cleveland outside the state (with the few extraneous exceptions).

I have told people from outside the state that I was from Akron, and more often then not, been asked where (near Toledo, Columbus, in BFE?) that was. Actually, most of them have heard the mention of the name of the city of Akron often enough for it to slightly register in their subconscious that the later wasn't true, and that Akron is not some 18K intersection of two interstates, yet they can't seem to place it on a map.

I am NOT advocating the absorption of the Akron area into the Cleveland persona as if Cleveland were the Borg. We all know that Cleveland couldn't take Chicago to the prom, let alone look in the direction of New York. However, it might not hurt Akron to reverse engineer Borg's parasitic mindset and hijack Cleveland's media a little bit more sympathetically. Who knows, in 30 years, they may be building a "northcoast arena" in richfield and tearing down the Q to make space for a UA polymer conglomerate research facility

Northcoast Arena? I like that idea!! And I think the property might still be available. I actually thought the Richfield Coliseum was a brilliant idea to give the entire region easy access to pro basketball. It bascially put Cleveland, Akron, Massillon, Canton, and Youngstown within an hours drive of the arena.

I still think that building that arena in downtown Cleveland was not a good idea. I know they made a big deal about the arena being accessible to public transportation. But was that worth making it less accessible to the other cities in the region? Especially when you look back now, and see the decline of Cleveland's city population.

[xu9697]

I live in a "pseudo inner ring" suburb on the west side of Cleveland. I look at it this way...

In a global economy, Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, etc. MUST work together to survive. Personally, I don't like the "Cleveland +" slogan/module...if I lived in some of the areas mentioned, that would get me miffed a bit.

I enjoy what both cities have to offer. Season ticket holder for UA football, though no official affiliation with UA. Enjoy Lock 3 Park, Aeros games, some of the restaurants in downtown Akron, 1-2 b-ball games per year. Also thoroughly enjoy the Akron Zoo (free to my family as a Cleveland Zoo member).

The better job leaders do of joining these areas together in one, unified "Northeastern Ohio" grouping, the better we all are for it.