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Graham Smith
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Graham Smith
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Graham Smith
When Antha Poleondakis was 12 years old, the Akron native’s family moved to Australia. She loved living “down under,” but came back to the states for college. After graduating from Auburn University in Alabama, she returned to her hometown to be closer to her large, Greek family, but also for something else. “I realized I loved Akron, but I needed all those experiences to learn that,” she says. “It makes you appreciate everything Akron has to offer.” Now an investment associate residing in a Northside Townhouse, Poleondakis says she is “obsessed” with downtown Akron.
What’s your townhouse like?
AP: The space is incredible. It’s three stories and the front walks out on to Howard Street, so it’s easy to walk my dog, Splash, in the morning. And the park’s right across the street, so I can hop straight on the towpath.
What kind of dog do you have?
AP: She’s a 90-pound black German Shephard/lab mix. She is obsessed with water so we call her Splash. She people watches during the day. I think she likes being downtown, too.
Is there anything unique about your home?
AP: I bought the model, so it came with all these extra features, like a built-in espresso machine. I have a TV in my mirror in my bathroom, so I can watch TV while I’m getting ready in the morning. There’s a movie theater in the basement. It’s incredible. I got this custom-made marquee sign that says Northside Theater and lights up; it’s really cool.
What’s your favorite feature of your home?
AP: I really love my patio because it overlooks Luigi’s, Jilly’s, dba, the Courtyard Mariott. They're lit it up with Christmas lights, and it looks so cool now. I can sit there and people-watch all night. I find it fascinating. It’s awesome on Friday and Saturday night because that’s when there’s real activity. It’s cool to chill out and observe.
What’s great about living in downtown Akron?
AP: I think Akron is underrated. It’s 30 minutes from an international airport, 30 minutes from downtown Cleveland. If you want that city feel, it’s easy to get. But day-to-day life, there’s no traffic, super-low cost of living, and there’s lots of activities downtown that help you get more ingrained in the community.
What activities do you like the best?
AP: We just started practicing for the Stay In Play recreational volleyball league at Canal Park. Our team is terrible; we come in last constantly. Sometimes we don’t even play; we just convince the other team to go out to dinner. It’s awesome. We also do a trivia night at Jilly’s. I’m a closet nerd, so any excuse to do trivia is [great].
What’s the vibe of downtown?
AP: You feel like you’re in a city, and it looks like you’re in a city, but there’s a lot of happy people around. It seems like whenever people are downtown, they’re in a good mood, trying to relax. Everybody in the big city is trying to get somewhere; people in Akron just appreciate it.
Where’s your favorite place to eat downtown?
AP: I love Lockview. Their patio in the summer is really nice. dba and the speakeasy are also pretty cool. At the speakeasy, you can watch people trying to get in the door, figure out the code.
What’s your favorite thing about being back in Akron?
AP: Everybody in Akron has this great sense of community and pride in being able to say ‘this is my town.’ I don’t think all cities have that.
