Meet the Everyday Akron Team

How long have you lived in Akron?

After growing up in a small Ohio farm town, I went to The University of Akron for a few years and lived on campus. After that, I officially moved to Akron and have been here about 10 years.

What does “community” mean to you?

I’ve noticed that when you ask Akronites for help, 9 times out of 10 they respond with “Done. What else do you need?” And that support is what community means to me. Whether they’re donating money to a local cause or just offering a virtual shoulder to cry on in the Instagram DMs, they’re there for me and everyone else. I hope to give that back to them as much as I can while living here.

What do you hope Akron looks like in 20 years?

In 20 years, I hope Akron is even more affordable based on things like better paying jobs and affordable houses, apartments, etc. I hope the arts community continues to thrive, families feel a sense of safety and peace in raising their families here, and more and more younger folks get involved in local politics and nonprofits. (The latter part being because they genuinely want to help, not because their ego is driving them.) I feel we have a good chance of achieving this, so long as we keep pushing toward it.

What is your most favorite thing about Akron?

The amount of amazing coffee shops, breweries, libraries, and parks — and the magical ability to always run into a friendly face while you’re at one.

What does a perfect 24 hours in Akron look like for you?

First off, this would definitely happen on a warm, sunny Ohio day. I would wake up, make some coffee (with beans from Akron Coffee Roasters), and read and hang out with my dog. Then I would go to a park to look at wildflowers and bugs before the sun reaches its high point.

A little after noon, I would swing by the Goodyear Branch library to see if there are any books I want to grab, then pick up lunch from Evelyn’s in Downtown Akron. The afternoon would probably be filled with either more reading, some crafting, working on Everyday Akron or Heronry things, or perhaps prepping for an upcoming meeting for one of the nonprofit boards I’m on.

In the evening, I would go to Eighty-Three Brewery or High Street Hop House with a friend or two. Later on, I’d get late night ice cream or a milkshake (the location would be a game time decision), then land back at home to watch Drag Race or SNL clips with my dog.

How long have you lived in Akron?

2 years in Akron. Just shy of 10 years in Ohio total! Louisiana raised.

What is your most favorite thing about Akron?

Summit Metro Parks hands down!

What does “community” mean to you?

The word community brings to mind a quote from one of my favorite books, The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, who puts my feelings on community into words better than I could: “We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness but if we did, I’d say it’s what I want out of life. This feeling that there are an abundance of people who are in this together. Who are on your team.”

What does a perfect 24 hours in Akron look like for you?

Wake up, grab coffee at Nervous Dog in Wallhaven. Go for a morning hike or bike somewhere in the metro parks with the family then stopping for a picnic lunch. The afternoon we could hop on the towpath and do some urban biking or scootering downtown. End the day with some thrifting around town and end with dinner at Square Scullery. That’s my perfect Akron day!

What do you hope Akron looks like in 20 years?

More public greenspace with expanded parks and downtown programs. Affordable housing. Progressive leadership.

How long have you lived in Akron?

All 26 years of my life! Ellet neighborhood for the first 22, Middlebury now!

What is your most favorite thing about Akron?

Is it cliché to say the people? Because it wouldn’t be the Akron I love without the people doing the work, the art, the help, and the kindness that they do every single day – that doesn’t happen like this in other places

What do you hope Akron looks like in 20 years?

My hope is that we see a trend towards making all Akron neighborhoods more walkable, having more amenities, and third spaces (cafes, libraries, community centers, barber shops, etc). I want to see public art in every neighborhood in Akron. I want to see housing first initiatives, transparency from city government, education for public safety forces, and collaborative efforts among non-profits, community development agencies, and universities/ schools.

What does “community” mean to you?

An open door. Mutual aid. A listening ear. A support network. A group of friends that care about each other and the space they share.

What does a perfect 24 hours in Akron look like for you?

Waking up with my partner Sam and cat Scully, drinking an iced chai on my porch, and cooking up some breakfast for the first part of the day. Walking around my neighborhood, seeing the cherry blossoms, checking in on Jewett Park, and hanging out in our backyard with some lemonade and maybe starting on a painting.

Sam and I going to dinner at Azteca, our favorite Mexican restaurant in Goodyear Heights, or maybe the Lockview, where we had our first date. Finally, inviting our friends over to our house for a get together for good conversation, some snacks, and a bonfire would be the perfect day for me.

How long have you lived in Akron?

I’m originally from Barberton and have lived in Akron since 2020. I also briefly lived in Washington, D.C. and Spain!

What does “community” mean to you?

Community is working together with the people around you to solve common problems, celebrate the joys of life, and learn from one another.

What do you hope Akron looks like in 20 years?

In 20 years, I hope that Akron is a place that people are truly proud to call home. For me that means safe and affordable housing, jobs that pay livable wages, historic buildings being preserved and repurposed in creative ways, walkable neighborhoods, and services and programs that support and benefit ALL Akronites.

On a lighter note, I would also hope we get a Trader Joe’s 😉

What is your most favorite thing about Akron?

The people! I love being able to go to an event and run into at least one person that I know, whether it’s a friend I’ve known for years, someone I met at a previous event, or someone from Instagram.

Every Akronite has some fun side project or interesting take on life.

What does a perfect 24 hours in Akron look like for you?

Grab coffee and a lil treat from a coffee shop, hit up an estate sale or go thrifting/antiquing, take a walk in Glendale Cemetery, poke around Special Collections at the Main Library for some interesting local history tidbits, attend a fun event or listen to some live music, and later get drinks with friends.