Township land that Akron reached for
Northwest Akron was part of Portage Township until 1931, when the city annexed it to push its western boundary out. The clearest trace of that history is on West Market Street: the Judith A. Resnik Community Learning Center started as Fairlawn School, built in 1929 and named for the village of Fairlawn. Its cornerstone holds the names of the children and teachers and a history of Portage Township. Resnik, an Akron native and NASA astronaut, died in the 1986 Challenger disaster.
Wikipedia’s neighborhood article places Northwest Akron north of Wallhaven, between North Portage Path and Sand Run Road, up to Sand Run Parkway and the city limits. The line with Merriman Valley confuses people. When the city first drew its map in 2000, residents complained that they lived in Merriman Valley, not Northwest Akron.
Stan Hywet, Sand Run and West Market
Churches and small institutions knit the streets together. Christ Woodland United Methodist Church runs a food bank and supplies Case Community Learning Center students, and the sisters said a corner convenience store that has changed hands several times still anchors their block.
Two big green spaces define the neighborhood:
- Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the 70-acre estate F.A. Seiberling, Goodyear’s co-founder, named in 1910. “Stan Hywet” is Old English for stone quarry; there was never a person by that name. About 150,000 visitors a year come for tours and events, and neighbors walk the grounds in the morning.
- Sand Run Metro Park, nearly 1,000 acres split into seven areas, with trails, Chestnut Lodge and the Treaty Line area.
Shopping along West Market Street includes West Side Bakery, and Portage Country Club is here for members.
Two sisters who have lived on the same street for more than 30 years said they chose it for its diversity and that the neighborhood’s personality hasn’t changed. Stan Hywet’s director said this neighborhood “represents all parts of what you see in Akron.” She also noted that some residents depend on walking, bikes or buses, and that public transit is thinner here than elsewhere.
Deciding how to sell a Northwest Akron house
Because the neighborhood mixes so many kinds of streets, there’s no single answer. One of the sisters named what she sees missing: “safe, affordable housing.” Where affordable housing is scarce, a well-kept, fairly priced house is exactly what buyers look for, and listing it may get you more.
A direct sale is worth comparing if:
- the house needs work that a buyer’s lender would require first, covered in selling a house that needs work
- you’re relocating on a deadline; see selling when relocating
- the owner has died and the heirs want one clean sale
For a sense of how buyers price houses citywide, read how much is my house worth. When you want a number to compare, ask for an offer.