The hill that waited for a bridge
North Hill sat mostly empty for more than 80 years after Akron’s founding, because a horse and buggy needed over half an hour to climb the plateau, according to Karl Grismer’s history of Akron and Summit County. In 1891, Akron Traction Co. president John F. Seiberling ran the Howard Street trolley up the hill. The real boom came after the North Hill Viaduct opened in 1922, celebrated with a three-mile parade and 150,000 people.
Signal Akron writes that North Hill began to thrive once the viaduct opened. It filled with Italian immigrants, who made it Akron’s Little Italy, along with Polish and Irish families.
When the deteriorating viaduct closed, North Hill lost its direct tie to downtown. The All-American Bridge restored the link in 1981, but Wikipedia’s neighborhood article notes that few businesses returned, as shoppers moved on to the Chapel Hill mall.
Akron’s international district
North Hill is now the city’s most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood, with more than two dozen languages spoken. The International Institute of Akron has resettled many families here, including Bhutanese refugees who spent years in camps in Nepal. Nepali Kitchen and South Asian groceries anchor a cluster of immigrant-owned shops, and the old Italian Center on East Tallmadge Avenue is now the Royal Palace event venue.
People who live here describe:
- neighbors who help newcomers settle in
- a population that grew enough for the district to replace North High School
- a new amphitheater at Waters Park, used for its first performance in about 80 years
- Akron Cooperative Farms, founded in 2019, where refugee gardeners use growing methods uncommon in the U.S.
The growth shows in the numbers. City statistics cited by Wikipedia counted 16,272 residents around 2000; Signal Akron now puts the figure at about 17,500. North Hill also has five community learning centers, tied with Ellet for the most of any neighborhood.
One long-time renter had a pointed wish: “ethical landlords.” She worries about tenants who are taken advantage of and then leave.
Selling in North Hill
Three common starting points for a North Hill sale are an owner moving to the suburbs, a landlord ready to stop managing a rental, and a family settling a long-time owner’s estate. Each has a different checklist.
- Landlords: Have every lease, deposit record and the unit’s registration ready. Our Akron rental registration guide covers the city’s rules, and selling a house with tenants covers leases at sale.
- Heirs: Confirm who has authority to sign. Start with selling an inherited house.
- Owners of a two-family: Read selling a duplex or multi-family property.
A house in good shape on a quiet side street can do well listed, given the demand from families settling here. If yours needs work or you want a simple sale, tell us about the house.