Two of Akron’s best battle it out for dominance of the downtown skyline.

High Street Christian Church’s Back Door, Wheeler Lane, Dowtown Akron, OH, USA.

Photos from inside Akron’s Global Business Accelerator.

Have you seen it? Looming high above Main Street is the latest addition to the name tags that grace the tall buildings of downtown Akron.

Akron is attempting to be one of the first cities in the nation to support a free wi-fi network downtown. There has been a good deal of buzz about this for two good reasons: one, there is a lot of buzz and support surrounding the effort, and two, this has never been successful on any large scale basis before.

There’s stuff on the walls, à la Applebee’s. And, yes, this is a chain restaurant with locations as far spread as Plano, Texas. But…

Akron defies convention. The city’s population growth peaked in 1919. To some that may be the sign of a has been, but to me that’s what makes Akron tick.