There's magic hidden in The 330. Transport to a whimsical world strung with umbrellas, get blown away by larger-than-life balloon sculptures and be glamorous in an eye-catching photo studio. These 300 winners, including your picks, fill your summer with special moments.
Readers’ Picks
Best Thing to Happen to Akron (Last 12 Months)
1. Reopening of Main Street in Downtown Akron
2. Cleveland Browns Playoff Win
3. Akron Civic Theatre Renovations
4. Amazon Hirings
5. Akron Bagel Babes Launch
Best Local Personality
1. LeBron James
2. Keith Kennedy
3. Betsy Kling
Best Natural Wonder
1. Brandywine and Blue Hen falls
2. The Gorge
3. Virginia Kendall Ledges
4. Signal Tree
Best Reason for Waiting in Line
1. Luigi’s Restaurant
2. COVID-19 Vaccines
3. Stricklands Frozen Custard
4. The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery
5. Vinifera Wine-to-Whiskey
Best Symbol of the Rubber City
1. Goodyear Blimp / Airdock
2. Goodyear Wingfoot Logo
3. Tire
4. Gojo Industries Hand Sanitizer
Best Museum
1. Akron Art Museum
2. Maps Air Museum
3. Akron Children’s Museum
4. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
5. National McKinley Birthplace Memorial Museum
Best Corn Maze
1. Szlalay’s Farm & Market
2. Maize Valley Winery
3. Kingsway Pumpkin Farm
4. Dussel Farm
5. Ramseyer Farms
Best Charity Event
1. Pawsabilities
2. Akron Marathon
3. Muffins for Mammograms
4. Holiday Tree Festival
5. Andrea Rose Teodosio Auction
Best Way to Improve The 330
1. Infrastructure
2. Jobs
3. More Events at Lock 3
4. COVID-19 Vaccines
Best Social Media Account
1. Akron Art Museum
2. Watercolor Woodworks
3. Akron Children’s Museum
4. Fat T’s Cookies
Best Art Gallery
1. Don Drumm Studios & Gallery
2. Gallery 143
3. Summit Artspace
4. Zeber-Martell Gallery and Studio
5. Akrona Galleries
Best Local Artist
1. Don Drumm
2. Sharon Mazgaj
3. Ron White
4. Steve Caler
5. Watercolor Woodworks
Best Local Jazz Musician
1. Theron Brown
2. Dan Wilson
3. John Markovic
4. Michael Yuhos
Best Local Band
1. Buck Naked Band
1. Take Off Charlie
2. Detention
3. Acid Cats
4. Time Cat
Best Free Event
1. Lock 3 Live
2. PorchRokr Music and Art Festival
3. Downtown@Dusk, Akron Art Museum
4. Oktoberfest, Lock 3
5. Fourth of July Fireworks, Lock 3
Best Live Music Venue
1. Blossom Music Center
2. Jilly’s Music Room
3. Lock 3
4. Akron Civic Theatre
5. Musica
Best Live Theater Company
1. Weathervane Playhouse
2. Porthouse Theatre
3. Ohio Shakespeare Festival
4. Ballet Excel Ohio
5. Magical Theatre Co.
Best Public Golf Course
1. J.E. Good Park Golf Course
2. Raintree Golf & Event Center
3. Mayfair Country Club
4. Firestone Country Club
5. Mud Run Driving Range
Best Local Radio Show Host
1. Jim Isabella, WNIR 100
2. Brad Savage, 91.3 the Summit
3. Keith Kennedy & Kat Jackson, 98.1 KDD
4. Ray Horner, 93.5 WAKR
5. Angela Bellios, Mix 91.4 / WHBC
Best Trail
1. Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
2. Goodyear Heights Metro Park
3. Sand Run Metro Park
4. O’Neil Woods Metro Park
Best Bike Shop
1. Eddy’s Bike Shop
2. Ernie’s Bike Shop
3. Marty’s Bike Shop
4. Falls Wheel & Wrench Bike Shop
5. All Around Cyclery
Best Car Dealership
1. Serra Auto Park
2. Ron Marhofer Auto Family
3. Lambert Buick GMC
4. Fred Martin Superstore
5. Lexus of Akron-Canton
Best Independent Clothing Store
1. Rubber City Clothing
2. The Grey Colt
3. Allie M Designs Boutique
4. Winds of Change
Best New Independent Store
1. Broken Arrow Tattoo Co.
2. Vinifera Wine-to-Whiskey
3. Leaf Home & Blooms
4. Homegirl
Best Dance Studio
1. All About Dance by Kristen
2. Nan Klinger Excellence in Dance
3. Dianna Durkin Dance Studio
4. Martell School of Dance
5. 8 Count Performing Arts Academy
Best Dentistry
1. Paulus Orthodontics
2. Dr. Matthew Croston, Matthew Croston DDS
3. Drs. John and Jack Gerstenmaier, Gerstenmaier Pediatric Dentistry
4. Dr. Robert Zavodny, Zavodny Dental
5. Dr. Tyler Rogus, Valley Dental
Best Eye Care
1. Visioncare Associates
2. Novus Clinic
3. Uniontown Vision Center, Dr. Matthew Allen
4. Glanville Hussing Fath Family
5. Northeast Ohio Eye Surgeons
Best Florist
1. The Greenhouse
2. Kern’s Florist and Greenhouse
3. Pink Petals Florist
4. Dietz Floral Studio
Best Homebuilder
1. DCS Cos.
2. Camden Builders
3. Testa Cos.
Best Independent Bookstore
1. The Learned Owl Book Shop
2. Logos Bookstore
3. Trust Books
4. Snowball Bookshop
Best Jeweler
1. Taylor Made Jewelry
2. Kimberly Jewelry
3. Jewelry Art
4. Sam’s Jewelry Emporium
Best Landscaping Company
1. Lewis Landscaping
2. Suncrest Gardens
2. KGK Gardening & Design Corp.
3. R.B. Stout
4. Vizmeg
Best Pet Day Care
1. Hattie’s Doggie Day Care & Boarding
2. Pay It Forward for Pets
3. Bed and Bark Daycare
4. Camp Bow Wow
5. Celebrity Pets Salon & Boutique
Best Pet Groomer
1. Groom Room at Quick Clean
2. Posh Pooch Dog Grooming
3. Salon de’ Pooch
4. Celebrity Pets Salon & Boutique
5. Doggy Go Go Kitty Ga Ga
Best Salon/Spa
1. Gavin Scott Salon & Spa
2. Tammy O’s Salon and Spa
3. Scott Talbot SalonSpa
4. MC Salon Spa & Studio
5. Nail Envy
Best Tattoo Shop
1. Red Rabbit Studio
2. Broken Arrow Tattoo Co.
3. Arkham Tattoo
4. Black Tooth Tattoo
5. The Innkeeper’s Tattoo Parlor
Best Vintage Shop
1. The Bomb Shelter
2. Modern Vintage
3. Copley Circle Antiques
4. The Vintage Vault
5. Hidden Pearl Vintage
Best Wealth Manager
1. Jentner Wealth Management
2. Wells Trecaso Financial Group
3. W3 Wealth Management
4. Pariso & Associates, Kelly Pariso
5. Charles Schwab, Fairlawn
Best Wedding Reception Venue
1. Gervasi Vineyard
2. Greystone Hall
3. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
4. Hilton Akron-Fairlawn
5. Sheraton Suites Akron Cuyahoga Falls
Best Yoga Studio
1. Li’l Yoga Shop
2. Blue Hen Yoga
3. Yoga Lounge & Barre
4. Yoga Squared
5. Yoga Bliss
Best Fitness Studio
1. LifeStyles at Akron General Health & Wellness Center
2. Kohl Family YMCA
3. Summa Health Wellness Center
Best Patio Dining
1. Gervasi Vineyard
2. The Jetty at Sheraton Suites
3. The Twisted Olive
4. Burntwood Tavern
5. Jerzee’s Sports Grille
Best Drive-In Restaurant
1. Swensons Drive-In
2. Skyway Drive-In
3. B & K Drive-In
4. Dilly’s Drive-In
Best Chinese Takeout
1. Bill Hwang Restaurant
2. Lucky Star Chinese Carry Out
3. A-Wok Restaurant
4. House of Hunan
5. Imperial Wok
Best Food Truck
1. D&M Grille
2. Swensons Drive-In
3. Zydeco Bistro
4. The Funky Truckeria
Best Taco
1. Bomba Taco & Bar
2. El Fogon Mexican Grill
3. Taqueria La Loma
4. Casa del Mar Mexican Restaurant
5. The Funky Truckeria
Best Pizza
1. Luigi’s Restaurant
1. Guiseppe’s Pizza
2. Gionino’s Pizzeria
3. 91 Wood Fired Oven
Best Barbecue
1. City Barbeque and Catering
2. Big Eu’es BBQ
3. Oak & Embers Tavern
4. Old Carolina Barbecue Co.
Best Cocktail Bar
1. Beau’s Grille
2. Vinifera Wine-to-Whiskey
3. Table Six Kitchen & Bar
4. Jilly’s Music Room
4. Delanie’s Gastro Bar
Best Breakfast
1. Fred’s Diner
2. The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery
3. Farmer Boy Restaurant
4. Wally Waffle
5. The Eye Opener
Best Burger
1. Swensons Drive-In
2. Bob’s Hamburg
3. FlipSide
4. The Rail
Best Sushi
1. Kasai Japanese Restaurant
2. Cilantro
3. Big Eye Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar
4. Sakura
4. Sushi Katsu
Best Asian Restaurant
1. Lemongrass Grill
2. Kasai Japanese Restaurant
3. Rice Paper Thai Cuisine
4. House of Hunan
Best Brewery
1. Hoppin’ Frog Brewery
2. Fat Head’s Brewery
3. Lock 15 Brewing Co.
4. R. Shea Brewing
5. Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
5. Missing Falls Brewery
Best Deli
1. Diamond Deli
2. Primo’s Deli
3. DeVitis Italian Market
Best Diner
1. Fred’s Diner
2. Magic City’s Remarkable Diner
3. Bob’s Hamburg
4. Meet Me at Irene’s
Best Seafood
1. Kingfish
2. Beau’s Grille
3. Chowder House Cafe
4. Russo’s
Best Bakery
1. The West Side Bakery
2. Stacked Akron Cakes
3. The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery
4. Pallotta’s Pastries
Best Chocolatier
1. Malley’s Chocolates
2. Hartville Chocolate Factory
3. Honadle’s Fine Chocolates
4. Ben Heggy’s Candy Co.
Best Ice Cream
1. Pav’s Creamery
2. Stricklands Frozen Custard
3. Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt
4. Trescaso’s Mary Coyle
Best Independent Coffeehouse
1. Artisan Coffee
2. Nervous Dog Coffee Bar
3. Angel Falls Coffee Co.
4. Heartwood Coffee Roasters
Best Italian Restaurant
1. Dontino’s Fine Italian Cuisine
2. Papa Joe’s Iacomini’s
3. Luigi’s Restaurant
4. D’Agnese’s at White Pond Akron
Best Winery
1. Gervasi Vineyard
2. The Winery at Wolf Creek
3. Sarah’s Vineyard
4. High & Low Winery
Best Steakhouse
1. Diamond Grille
2. Ken Stewart’s Grille
3. Beau’s Grille
Best Vegetarian Menu
1. Mustard Seed Market & Cafe
2. Aladdin’s Eatery
3. Ms. Julie’s Kitchen
