RubberBuzz || Akron Unleashed: City Living

6.30.2005

City Living

With general sales to begin on the Northside Testa Lofts on July Fourth, the updated info from the Census Bureau shows that people are fleeing the city for the simple life.

In the five-county area, the townships generally labeled tony or rural -- Montville, Spencer, Harrisville, Homer and Chatham in fast-growing Medina County -- all experienced double-digit growth since 2000, according to population revisions released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

During the same time frame, all of Ohio's largest cities -- with the exception of Columbus -- saw populations decline.

Within the state, Youngstown dropped the most -- a 5.3 percent decline from the 2000 Census data. Cincinnati was not far behind, losing 5.2 percent of its population. Cleveland dropped 4.1 percent, and Akron also declined -- falling 2.3 percent from 217,074 residents in 2000 to 212,179, according to the latest estimate.

I think big cities across the nation are being plagued by suburbia. What's left of The American has been contorted to the point where some people look down on city living. Maybe the new lofts will help bring come class (and a lot of cash) to Akron, but it could also be seen as a last ditch effort.

These lofts are being marketed as "Manhattan style warehouse lofts and flats." As Mia pointed out "Akron = L.A. = Never Gonna Happen. Also, L.A. = Cool = Never Gonna Happen." What make Manhattan so much better? Testa is trying to sell these lofts as something they are not. That approach might backfire. The only thing Manhattan-y about these lofts is the prices ($135,000 up to $695,000).

The BJ :: Cities lose population while townships grow

(joe :: City Living)

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