Downtown Youngstown Photo Tour (Warren, Boardman: homes, square footage, mall)

[CortlandGirl79]

Actually, NE Ohio does have a lot to look forward to. I know the haters won't believe it, but i just wrote a paper on this last semester for my Leadership class. I found some pretty interesting stuff when i was doing my research of Business in the Future. My prof. like it so much that she made a copy and told me it made her feel a lot better about our future. Here's the paper:

Living in the Mahoning Valley we all know too well that living in a global economy can be devastating if you don’t make the adjustments in order to compete. For our economy to survive, our business and industry need to be able to compete in this global marketplace. This will also pertain to business in the future.

Since we live in an area so hard hit by job loss, we need to take steps to revitalize not only the Mahoning Valley, but also the rest of Northeast Ohio, and Western Pennsylvania. In the future, many believe that the answer to this problem will be to create high tech jobs. These jobs would help us retain our college graduates instead of losing their talent to the southern and western parts of the United States.

Just this year, it was announced that our region, Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, and Pittsburgh would act together to attract medical and science-related companies to our area. It all started when a Cleveland Organization called BioEnterprise, a group made up businesses, hospitals, and universities, decided to team up with a similar organization in Pittsburgh. Together they are working to attract investment to our area, turning the “Rust Belt” into the “Tech Belt”. Many are hoping that our area will become a, “self-sustaining R&D mega-region…..an investment corridor on par with the Research Triangle near Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina” (Toland).

What kind of jobs and companies will be represented in this “Tech Belt”? Besides medical, science, research, and development, the “Tech Belt” will also include advanced manufacturing and IT related jobs. Today, many of these types of businesses already exist in our area, but the idea is to expand upon what we already have.

Most of the businesses have to do with Biotechnology; this includes, healthcare, medicine, and science. Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania are well prepared to supply this industry with scientists, engineers, and the other skilled employees that it needs. Besides top of the line healthcare systems, The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Summa Health, etc., the area also boasts great institutions of higher learning, these include, Case Western Reserve and The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Currently, there are, “Over 700 bioscience companies in the Cleveland-Akron-Youngstown-Pittsburgh corridor employing more than 25,000 people. Since 2005, over $350 million in venture capital has led to new medical device, biopharmaceutical, and healthcare startups” (PLSG :: Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse :: - Home).

Another industry included in the “Tech Belt” is polymers, or plastics. According to Polymerohio.org, “Ohio is a world leader in the field of polymers; and the polymer industry is Ohio’s largest and most important industry”. Northeast Ohio is also blessed with the University of Akron’s, “Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering program, which is ranked second in the United States, ahead of such highly regarded universities as M.I.T. and Caltech” (Welcome to the University of Akron). Companies in this industry supply technology and products to all kinds of industries, including those in the field of Biotech.


Lastly, there is the field of Computer Information Technology, or IT. Right now the Youngstown Business Incubator is a good example of how IT companies will be able to exceed in the future. The Incubator is a, “non-profit corporation, funded in part by the Ohio Department of Development. Its primary mission is to accelerate the startup and growth rates of scalable technology-based businesses in the greater Mahoning Valley” (Youngstown Business Incubator). Presently, the Incubator is growing by leaps and bounds. One of their most successful start-ups is a company called Turning Technologies, a provider of audience response technology. Late this summer, Inc. Magazine ranked Turning Technologies, “first among the fastest growing privately held software technology companies in the country and is recognized as the 18th fastest growing privately held company overall” (Audience Response Systems | Turning Technologies).

These industries are just a few examples of how business in the future will look. Hopefully, our region will expand to be a major player in all of these fields and provide our residents with, high-paying, high tech jobs.

[boardmanite]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I was surprised when I went to NE Ohio in 2006 how clean and well kept up many of the cities were. I thought Akron would look ghetto, but it was really nice. You can't say much for the economy much of the Rust Belt, though.

In my opinion, Akron is the nicest of the 4 largest cities in NE Ohio. (Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown and Canton) The downtowns of all 4 are decent enough, although the majority of the surrounding neighborhoods aren't that great. But yeah, it's not like we have rusted steel mills on every corner!

[Traveler87]

Akron really has a nice modern clean downtown. Thats in thanks to a lot of help from UOA. Akron has a growing metropolitan area, and the city actually could start growing in a few years. Its declining population has really slowed down, and pasted up Rochester, NY in the last census.

[boardmanite]

Originally Posted by Traveler87

Akron really has a nice modern clean downtown. Thats in thanks to a lot of help from UOA. Akron has a growing metropolitan area, and the city actually could start growing in a few years. Its declining population has really slowed down, and pasted up Rochester, NY in the last census.

Akron also has a collection of very nice neighborhoods still within the city limits. I believe they are along rt 18 west of downtown. Before I left for Korea, I took a trip around NE Ohio and just drove around places I had never been before. I was pleasantly surprised by Akron. Canton also has some very nice old homes north of downtown. Even Cleveland, as much as I like to trash it, has some very unique areas in its metro. I hope I'm around to see the day when NE Ohio has its comeback. And if Cortlandgirl's predictions are correct, that may be sooner than later!

[Traveler87]

Originally Posted by boardmanite

Akron also has a collection of very nice neighborhoods still within the city limits. I believe they are along rt 18 west of downtown. Before I left for Korea, I took a trip around NE Ohio and just drove around places I had never been before. I was pleasantly surprised by Akron. Canton also has some very nice old homes north of downtown. Even Cleveland, as much as I like to trash it, has some very unique areas in its metro. I hope I'm around to see the day when NE Ohio has its comeback. And if Cortlandgirl's predictions are correct, that may be sooner than later!

Lets hope so. I have to say though, I am glad to see what our cities have done in the just last year in this state. Cincinnati with its riverfront plan being approved, The Banks in Cleveland being approved, Cincinnati's new tallest getting built, The Avenue District in Cleveland being built, Toledo's Marina District being approved, Columbus is doing great, UOA is doing a good job reshaping Akron's downtown. People are realizing that downtown living is quite a nice thing. Hopefully smaller cities like Youngstown and Canton can get a move on with condo units and loft conversions in their downtowns.

[BuckeyezRule]

Awww, thanks for the props on Akron. I do love it. There are some nice neighborhoods w/in the city, w/ wonderful homes, but, most have 'not so nice' people moving in & making the neighborhoods not as nice. I guess it goes w/ the times. We, as a nation, get more rude, & violent, so do our neighborhoods. That goes for all of the US, not just Akron. Many people just don't care anymore, which is sad. I hope that made a little sense. It's almost time for dinner here, & I have food on my mind. Boardmanite, THANKS for the pics! I'd always thought of Youngstown as the 'armpit' of Ohio (sorry, that is what we called it) or 'oldstown'. I know, real original, we were kids. LOL I might have to visit next time we come back. =)

[OSUWx2]

I love taking pictures and I love Youngstown, so I thought I'd join in and add some beautiful pictures of Youngstown.

First I'll start in Mill Creek Park, the 2nd largest city park in the US, only behind Central Park in NYC.

The Mill Creek flows under the Canfield Road Bridge next to Lanterman's mill in the southwestern corner of the city.


Moving North thru the park, you cross the Cinderella Iron Link Bridge.


At the north terminal of the Park is Fellows Riverside Garden, which overlooks the Mahoning River, part of Downtown, and the northside hills are in view.


A close-up of YSU's Stambaugh Stadium (more to come also).


Also, Fellows Riverside Garden overlooks the northern most lake in a chain of 3 called Lake Glacier.



The remaining pictures are from the campus of Youngstown State University and Stambaugh Stadium.


Looking west towards the western hills and tailgating during a home football game.


Looking south towards Downtown, and the new Andrews Rec Center in the bottom center.



Night view of tailgating.


Go Penguins!!


Hope you all enjoy! I wish I had more pictures, but that just means I'll need to plan another trip back to Youngstown for more adventures.

[Traveler87]

Youngstown really does have a lot to offer. I forgot that MillCreek Park was the 2nd largest urban park after Central Park in New York. The Eastwood Mall in Niles (close to Youngstown) is the largest mall in the United States. I remember taking some visits to MillCreek a few years ago. Very nice, you forget that you are in a metro of over 600,000.

GREAT SHOTS TOO!

BTW, third shot from the bottom, what is that new building?

[CortlandGirl79]

Great pics, it's nice to see that someone else is shedding some positive light on the Yo. I love the view of the city from 680 and Mill Creek MetroParks DEFEND YOUNGSTOWN! !!!!!

[OSUWx2]

Originally Posted by Traveler87

Youngstown really does have a lot to offer. I forgot that MillCreek Park was the 2nd largest urban park after Central Park in New York. The Eastwood Mall in Niles (close to Youngstown) is the largest mall in the United States. I remember taking some visits to MillCreek a few years ago. Very nice, you forget that you are in a metro of over 600,000.

GREAT SHOTS TOO!

BTW, third shot from the bottom, what is that new building?

Eastwood Mall the largest mall in the US?? Did I read that right?? Even though thats not true, it was just remodeled and now has an "Equarium" and food court.

The new building is the new Andrews Rec Center on the campus of Youngstown State. Its about 2 or 3 years old. There used to be a blacktop parking lot there, but YSU is growing and the university is utilizing their space better.