With views of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Akron Civic Theatre and Akron RubberDucks stadium — plus walking and biking trails and a fitness center — the 15-story Canal Square Lofts offers several great amenities and a prominent downtown Akron location.
These aspects and more make the building ideal for 23-year-old resident Sarah Oschman, who works as a barista at Nervous Dog Coffee Bar. The Akron native graduated from The University of Akron in May 2024 and moved into Canal Square Lofts in September 2024 with her husband, who works for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and was already living in the unit. Living in the high-rise is enjoyable for the two as it is close to their workplaces, is part of a lively downtown scene, is affordable and offers walkability — just to name a few reasons.
“We had some friends that lived in the building too, and they loved it, so they recommended that he get an apartment here,” Oschman says.
What are your favorite Downtown Akron restaurants?
Sarah Oschman: I really like El Patrón [Tequilería & Cuisine], we’ll go there for happy hour to get their margs, salsa and guac. Also, Lockview, I’ve been going there since I was a kid. My parents have always brought us to downtown Akron, to the [Akron] Civic [Theatre], and we would always go to Lockview before going to the Civic for a show. We love going to Lockview with friends — good drinks, good food, there’s never a long wait, so that’s always a plus.
Why would you recommend living in downtown Akron?
SO: There’s tons of restaurants downtown. There’s always events going on, and it’s close to the highway. Right on the backside of Bowery you can just jump on … [Interstate] 76, and then Route 8 is like a 5-minute drive, so it’s just really accessible. I feel safe here, I have gated parking, which is definitely a plus, so I never have to worry about that. And too, because everything’s walkable, if I can just leave my car in my parking spot, I can walk to everything.
Why would you recommend Canal Square Lofts to someone within your age demographic?
SO: The rent is very affordable. Our unit is really unique, it’s two floors, and it’s lofted. We have two bedrooms upstairs and a bathroom, and then downstairs we have a massive kitchen and a living room. … Also, there’s a lot of young people in the building, so for us, a lot of our friends also live in the building. We can just go up one floor and see our friends.
Mal McCrea
Mal McCrea
Mal McCrea
