Start on West Market
Walk the neighborhood's central corridor and browse its independent shops, cafés and colorful public art.
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AKRON'S ECLECTIC WEST SIDE
Highland Square
Independent, expressive and easygoing, Highland Square is the kind of neighborhood where an afternoon errand can turn into dinner, a movie and live music.
AKRON / HIGHLAND SQUARE
THE FEEL
Meet the
neighborhood.
Historic homes surround a compact stretch of West Market Street filled with local character. Murals, patios and the landmark Highland Theatre give the district its unmistakable personality.
MAKE A DAY OF IT
Three ways
to find its rhythm.
No rigid itinerary required. Use these as starting points, then leave room to wander.
Catch the marquee
The Highland Theatre has been a neighborhood landmark for generations and remains the visual heart of the square.
Stay for the soundtrack
Live music is part of the neighborhood's identity—especially when PorchRokr turns porches into stages.
NEIGHBORHOOD PICKS
Top 5 Things to Do in Highland Square
See a movie at the Highland Theatre
Catch a first-run film beneath the vintage marquee that has anchored Highland Square for generations. Arrive early enough to admire the theater's old-school character and walk the surrounding blocks before the show.
Browse the independent shops on West Market Street
Explore the compact business district on foot, stopping at record, gift and specialty shops that reflect the neighborhood's creative streak. The storefronts are close together, so it is easy to turn a quick browse into a relaxed afternoon.
Make a patio-and-dinner evening
Choose one of the locally owned restaurants or bars around the square and settle in for the neighborhood's best people-watching. Highland Square feels liveliest after work and on weekends, when its patios and sidewalks fill with regulars.
Take a mural and architecture walk
Wander away from West Market Street to find colorful public art, front-porch culture and an eclectic mix of early twentieth-century homes. A slow loop through the side streets reveals more of Highland Square's personality than a drive through the commercial strip.
Experience PorchRokr
Plan an August visit for Highland Square's signature festival, when neighborhood porches become stages for musicians from across the region. Food vendors, artists and crowds spread through the residential streets, making it one of Akron's most distinctive community events.
PEOPLE & SAFETY
Akron by
the numbers.
Neighborhood boundaries do not line up cleanly with Census geography, so these figures provide citywide context. Use the official crime map below for recent incidents around Highland Square.
CRIME CONTEXT
See what's happening near Highland Square.
Akron Police reported year-over-year declines through October 2024 in firearm offenses (25%), robberies (2%), felonious assaults (8%) and rapes (9%). Crime changes over time and can vary block by block; the city's Community Crime Map is the best source for current neighborhood-level incidents.
Demographics: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 2020–2024 estimates and July 1, 2025 population estimate. Crime trend: City of Akron, published October 17, 2024. Crime-map data is supplied by participating law-enforcement agencies and should not be interpreted as a prediction of personal safety.
GOOD FOR
- Independent shops
- Patios & people-watching
- Live music
- Historic streets
KEEP EXPLORING
Downtown Akron is only a few minutes east, while the Towpath Trail and Cascade Valley are within easy reach to the north.
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