Akron sits in the foothills of the Cuyahoga Valley about 40 miles south of Cleveland. Once the rubber capital of the world — Goodyear, Firestone, and B.F. Goodrich were all headquartered here — the city has reinvented itself around its university, a revitalised downtown, and a surprisingly good food scene. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which stretches north toward Cleveland, puts hiking trails, waterfalls, and the scenic Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad within easy reach.
The downtown core along Main and Market streets has the Akron Art Museum (free admission, housed in a striking modern expansion), the restored Akron Civic Theatre, and the canal-side Lock 3 Park. The rubber-era legacy is everywhere: Stan Hywet Hall, Goodyear founder F.A. Seiberling's Tudor Revival country house, is the city's grandest single sight; the Goodyear Airdock on the south side is one of the largest single-room buildings in the world and reportedly generates its own indoor weather. The Highland Square neighbourhood to the west has a more eclectic, independent feel.