INSIDE AKRON: Akron Documenters are fanning out across the city’s 24 neighborhoods to elevate places, faces, voices and vibes — as shared by the people who live there. Expect a new profile every day through October.
Correction: A previous version of this story reported that Tim Klein is the owner of Klein’s seafood. He is the assistant manager. Tim’s dad, Curt, is still the owner.
Nestled just east of Summit Lake and south of downtown, South Akron is a gem of a neighborhood anchored by small businesses and homes. Just ask Kenneth Freeman II, a door-to-door salesman who knows the area like the back of his hand.
The neighborhood, which is home to about 8,700 Akronites, needs to continue to grow, Kenneth said. He’d like to see another park, maybe a grocery store or other community-focused business.
For the most part, it’s steady as she goes in South Akron. Many neighborhood fixtures have remained steadfast over the past several decades. Even the local fish market, Klein’s Seafood, has been selling your favorite deep sea delicacies at the same location for 40 years.
Akron Documenter ShaKeela Gary is the primary contributor for this story. She is a Goodyear Heights resident and has been a Documenter since December 2024. Learn more about Documenters, including how to join.
Akron Documenter ShaKeela Gary talked with Kenneth and others about what they love about South Akron and what challenges the neighborhood has.
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE: Kenneth Freeman II
Kenneth is a door-to-door salesman who now lives in South Akron and has lived in the area “pretty much the past 20 years. I mean, on and off.”
What is the most interesting thing about South Akron?
Kenneth said South Akron is a neighborhood with lots of variety and different people. As a door-to-door salesperson, he talks to a lot of different people every day. “You get the average stuff that happens, but overall it’s a good community.”
What is missing from your neighborhood?
He said the neighborhood is missing more big parks such as Morgan Park and things to do for recreation. A Goodwill, rehab center or other amenity that adds more resources to the community would be a good addition, he suggested.
“We are a bit of a ways down from downtown and other things. We don’t have a lot. The west side has a lot of things.”
Kenneth also said a lot of people lack their own transportation, so they use METRO RTA or rideshare services such as Uber.
How has South Akron changed over the time you’ve lived here?
Kenneth said nothing much has changed but that different generations have different perspectives of the neighborhood. Now in his 40s, he is able to see things from his parents’ perspective.
“I feel like it’s all the same,” he said. “It’s just a different perspective, because we’re looking at it now through our parents’ and ancestors’ eyes.”
Where is the South Akron neighborhood in Akron?
South Akron is located directly east of Summit Lake. The primarily residential neighborhood offers diverse market and bakery options including longtime meat and fish markets.
What’s the biggest challenge facing your neighborhood and how do you think it can be solved?
There is no singular challenge in South Akron for Kenneth, just everyday challenges that residents have to face.
“I think it’s day-to-day obstacles that we all face that are different, you know, from one another. You know, if we just look at the process of what we’re doing, these obstacles will be nothing to us,” he said. “So really, what it boils down to is just being in the now time and understanding the process and everything is going to come together.”
What else do you want people to know about South Akron?
“Over this way there is definitely a good vibe, good heart. You know, great people,” Kenneth said. “For me, it feels like family.” His older siblings grew up in South Akron, and his brother’s first barbershop was on Andrus Street and Cole Avenue.
“It’s really a great place to be. Don’t count us out, you know. Don’t overlook the underdog.”
Small Business Perspective
Klein’s Seafood, 1072 Grant St.
Tim Klein, assistant manager
Tell me about the purpose of your business or nonprofit? What do you do every day?
Tim said he and his family have been selling seafood for decades. They’ve been in their South Akron location on Grant Street for close to 40 years.
“My grandfather and his father were down the street in South Akron for 30 years before that, and my grandpa’s uncle actually had another one on Main Street. We’ve had a long history of fish mongering in the family.”
How does your organization fit into or support South Akron?
“We’re just always here,” he said. “We’re not super involved in any community events, but I think we’re kind of a staple of the neighborhood because of the fact that we’ve been here for so long.
“There’s a lot of people that appreciate the fact we’re right across the street from DiFeo’s (DiFeo & Sons Poultry) because it’s a nice one-stop shop to get your seafood and chicken at the same time.”
What’s the most important or interesting thing about your neighborhood?
Tim said he loves Firestone Park (just south of his South Akron location in the Firestone Park neighborhood.) He likes to go down there on lunch breaks sometimes to just hang out. He said it’s just a nice area that the community can spend time in.
“I also like being so close to downtown,” Tim said. “We like to go to the festivals downtown on weekends, and since we’re open on the weekends, it’s hard to get down there, but we’re close enough we can go down.”
What’s missing in South Akron, or what’s the biggest need in the neighborhood?
“A lot of people would love more businesses in the area,” he said. “It would be nice to have a grocery store with vegetables, or a bakery, something to have more variety, because we can only handle so much at a small location.”
“It’s just nice to have a place that the community can go to that’s all in their area, rather than having to go outside the neighborhood to get stuff, kind of like the old days,” Tim said. “My grandfather and my grandmother used to talk about how every corner had some sort of grocery store on it, and that’s your local place, and you knew all the people in your area.”
What else do you want to say about your organization or the neighborhood?
“I love the community because our customers are so kind and I enjoy seeing all of our regulars,” Tim said.
And while he can’t remember all their names, he knows their faces and said, “I know they’ve been coming here since before I was born. It’s fun seeing customers, especially the older generations that say, ‘I knew your grandfather. I saw your dad when he was your age.’ It’s really a delight to see that we’ve been able to stay here and support the community as much as we have.”
Public Space Shoutout
Nestled between a truck dealership and other small industrial properties, Morgan Park is located at 419 Morgan Ave. It has several basketball courts, a playground, picnic tables and a gazebo. The park won the Akron Parks Challenge in 2022 with updates installed last year. Through a partnership with KaBOOM!, officials built a community-designed playground, according to a City of Akron press release. The redesign also included resurfacing three basketball courts, new backboards and posts, an asphalt trail, a pavilion and new park furnishings and landscaping.
