Born in Warwickshire county, England, David Aleshire, 38, found himself wanting to live amid the action of city life. Aleshire lived in Canada before moving to the United States and graduating from The University of Akron in 2013 with art, business and cybersecurity degrees. He is now a cybersecurity engineer for the Cleveland Clinic. When looking for a new place to call home, his first thought was the Rubber City.
“I figured it’s the perfect place, because it’s the city life. I want to live near where things are happening,” he says.
Aleshire wanted to meet new people and build his social life in the city — as well as work on his nonprofit, North Star Guardians, which aims to offer volunteer cyber forensic services to law enforcement agencies in the Akron area. That’s when he came across 159 Main apartments.
“I toured 159 with Lori, who’s the admin to the building, and I immediately knew. I was like, This is the place I want to live,” says Aleshire. “It’s right there, smack dab in the middle of Akron. Yesterday ... there was the punk rock flea market right outside my front door, which is awesome.”
Also an artist, Aleshire moved into his 159 Main apartment — which includes an art studio — in May.
“The city is alive,” Aleshire says. “It’s a great place to people watch and to get experience of all kinds of different people.”
What made you sure 159 was the right fit?
David Aleshire: It was very much Lori. … I got to see how she cared for the other tenants. During the tour, another tenant approached her with a really big issue, and they resolved it in a way that I didn’t expect. … They really put the tenants first, and it feels like a community. … It doesn’t feel like a business. It feels like a home.
What’s your favorite part of your apartment?
DA: I love cooking, and I love spending time in the living room, because I have those windows that look down on Main Street. I can see the city from my apartment. Being on the top floor, it makes it really easy to see everything, and I can kind of watch what’s going on.
What’s near your apartment?
DA: I really like going to Lock 3 and Lock 4. I love Lockview. One of my favorite places is the Green Dragon [Inn]. … They’ve got specialty drinks, coffees and teas. They’ve got food there, they have games, and they also host events, like a masquerade. … I walk to the library, the art museum.
What’s your favorite part about living downtown?
DA: I love meeting people. I love hearing their stories. I love talking to people. The more people I talk to, the more people’s stories I hear, the more I learn and grow as a person. And I feel like Akron — living in downtown Akron — is a great place to grow as a person.
Mal McCrea
