Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes restaurant raises money after a tragedy
One restaurant with plenty of dock parking and a large patio conducive to waterfront dining is Upper Deck Bar & Grill. In November 2024, a few weeks after a Portage Lakes family lost two high school students in a house fire, the restaurant held a benefit dinner for three hours on a Sunday afternoon, with all the proceeds going to the family. “We raised $5,700 in that time frame,” says Jack Primack, who works at Upper Deck. There’s an indoor and outdoor stage for live music, and it’s a gathering place for Ohio State football games on Saturdays and Cleveland Browns games on Sundays during football season. Lala’s In The Lakes is a more upscale restaurant that still emphasizes casual dining. Steak, seafood and pasta are some of the favorites. There’s live music on the first Thursday of every month. Grocery store options include Save A Lot, Buehler’s Fresh Foods and Acme Fresh Market.Speakeasy origins in Portage Lakes
The original houses in the Portage Lakes neighborhoods were small cottages by the lakes. While some of those original houses are still around, many people have either torn down the old house and rebuilt it or added to the original. “When I bought my house, it was 600 square feet, and I added 3,000 square feet,” Scaglione says. “I bought it for $170,000 in 1997 - today, the lot without the house would be worth $700,000.” Many of the cottages date back to the 1920s, around Prohibition. “This was a big speakeasy area,” he adds. “Every once in a while, I’ll notice a still in a basement.” Homes with a view of the lake range from $440,000 to over $1 million. The lakes in the neighborhood are part of a dam system, so severe flooding is rare. The exception is the homes near Long Lake Channel in the north of the neighborhood, which are not on the dam system and are susceptible to severe flooding during heavy rains. Homes away from the water are priced between $100,000 and $360,000. Popular styles are multiple-story contemporary lake houses on the water, modest bungalows and ranch-style designs elsewhere. Most people are full-time residents, though some spend winter in a warmer climate.Portage Lakes State Park
It’s a short drive south to reach Portage Lakes State Park, which has a public beach on the shore of Turkeyfoot Lake. It’s the site for the July Dragon Boat race and the winter Polar Bear event. The park also has a disc golf course, a dog park and plenty of boating and fishing opportunities. It’s been a few years, but ice fishing and snowmobiling occur on the lake when the ice is thick enough. With the neighborhood surrounded by lakes, there are several opportunities for fishing and sites for boat launching. For those who prefer the occasional water hazard on an 18-hole course rather than frolicking in or near the water, there are a couple of opportunities to do that. Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links has been around for almost 100 years and is a public course. Firestone Country Club is a private members-only facility with three 18-hole courses. Until 2018, the PGA held the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at this course, which Tiger Woods won eight times. It’s the current host course for the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, a stop on the PGA Champions circuit, a men’s senior golf tour.Coventry school chain
The Coventry Local School District is where public school students who live in Portage Lakes attend. Coventry Elementary School is rated a B and teaches kids through fourth grade. Fifth graders advance to Coventry Middle School, rated a B-minus. Coventry High School is rated a C-plus and has a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio. The school has been in its current location for 10 years, and the old location was at the present Coventry Elementary School building. St. Francis de Sales is a private Catholic school that teaches prekindergarten through eighth grade. It does not have a rating on Niche or GreatSchools.org.Akron METRO Bus
Many of the streets in the neighborhood are narrow, and there are no sidewalks. The public bus option is the Akron METRO system, which has stops on Manchester Road in the northern part of the neighborhood. Interstate 77 is about 5 miles to the east, and it’s a 9-mile trip to the Goodyear Tire Headquarters, one of the largest employers in Akron. The Akron-Canton Airport is 13 miles to the south, and four airlines serve it. Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport is a little more than 40 miles north.
Written By
Jeff Stapleton
Video By
Myles Manuel
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Agents Specializing in this Area
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Shirley Ryan
Shirley Ryan
Tarter Realty
(234) 271-3944
446 Total Sales
1 in Portage Lakes
$78,700 Price
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Amy Floran
Amy Floran
EXP Realty, LLC.
(234) 271-2937
68 Total Sales
2 in Portage Lakes
$218K - $255K Price Range
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GARY DEREMER
GARY DEREMER
Carriage Group Realty
(234) 231-8044
43 Total Sales
2 in Portage Lakes
$25K - $155K Price Range
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Lenny Herbert
Lenny Herbert
RE/MAX Edge Realty
(234) 271-4267
160 Total Sales
10 in Portage Lakes
$73K - $710K Price Range
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Mark Vittardi
Mark Vittardi
Responds QuicklyCENTURY 21 DePiero & Associates, Inc.
(216) 284-4558
587 Total Sales
1 in Portage Lakes
$220,000 Price
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Kendra Carter
Kendra Carter
Keller Williams Consultants
(330) 913-1923
42 Total Sales
1 in Portage Lakes
$212,500 Price
Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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Parks in this Area
Boettler Park
- Basketball
- Disc Golf
- Fishing
Lake Nesmith Park
- Lake
- Picnic Area
Firestone Metro Park
- Fishing
- Lake
- Trails
Portage Lakes Fishing Pond
- Fishing
- Lake
- Nature Center
Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trailhead at Manchester Road.
- Bike Trails
- Fishing
- Picnic Area
Firestone Metro Park Confluence Area
- Fishing
- Lake
- Picnic Area
Transit
Crime and Safety
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Portage Lakes | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 3 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 3 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 3 | 4 |
| Robbery | 3 | 4 |
| Burglary | 4 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 3 | 4 |
| Larceny | 4 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 3 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Portage Lakes Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Portage Lakes, Akron sell after 59 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Portage Lakes, Akron over the last 12 months is $422,495, up 7% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$470,762
Median Sale Price
$422,495
Median Single Family Sale Price
$475,000
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$357,500
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$479,900
Median Change From 1st List Price
6%
Last 12 months Home Sales
57
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
7%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$290
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
2,659
Number of Homes for Sale
23
Median Year Built
1949
Months of Supply
4.80
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,367
Significantly below the national average
1,924
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,011
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
1,434
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
8,276
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
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$1,245 - $1,870 per month
- Newport Landing
- 1-3 Beds
- 1-2 Baths
- 736+ Sq Ft
- 234 Mallard Point Dr
- Akron, OH
-
$5,670 per month
- Condo for Rent
- 3 Beds
- 1 Bath
- 1,367 Sq Ft
- 829 Portage Lakes Dr
- Unit ID1061191P
- Akron, OH
-
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Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
6,719
Median Age
49
Population Density
1 person/acre
Population under 18
15.7%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
27.5%
Above the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$64,228
Below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$86,494
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
96.1%
Above the national average
89.1%
College Graduates
33.8%
Advanced Degrees
12.8%
% Population in Labor Force
70.4%
Above the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
37''
Average Winter Low Temperature
20°F
Average Summer High Temperature
82°F
Annual Snowfall
12''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
21
/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
26
/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
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