Celebrate National Bike Week at Kent Cycle

Kent Cycle: More Than Just a Bike Shop

by Brit Charek 

Kent Cycle opened their doors in March, just in time for cycling season to start. Co-owners Stefan Meyer and Mario Morelos opened the store to accommodate the needs of the ever-growing population of commuter cyclists in Kent. They are both avid cyclists and proud community members, and just all around great guys.

The store is in a charming space that used as a church at one time, and most recently as the main offices of a local concrete supplier. Evidence of the venue’s former lives remains scattered throughout the shop, making it unique. The space is used not only to display and sell bicycles, but to show off the work of local artists and host fun events with live music.

 

The city of Kent's limit on the amount of signs a business can have inspired this mural to be painted on the side of the building.

Owner Stefan poses for a photo with his morning coffee from Bent Tree Coffee Roasters down the street. The "Builders" sign above his head was left from when Horning Builders Supply moved out.

Kent Cycle sells bicycles and cycling accessories and they're excited to be the new home of the Crooked River Cycling School, which offers classes about safety and technique for riders of all ability levels. They also have a full service repair shop, but if you're more of a DIY person, the staff is more than happy to help you locate reasonably priced parts and guide you in the right direction.

This room in the store is sometimes used as a gallery space for local artists to display their work.

 Just in time for summer approaching, this week is National Bike Week. The Akron Metropolitan AreaTransportation Study (AMATS) has several events scheduled in the Greater Akron area, including “The Benefits of Bicycling”on Tuesday, May 22, Kent Free Library from 6:30-8pm. The event is hosted by TransPORTAGE, and Kent Cycle will be there too. They will present information about the health, economic and ecological benefits of embracing a bicycling lifestyle.

 

 

Also, the Kent Bike Club meets every Tuesday night at 5pm at the corner of Main and Water Streets downtown Kent. They're open to all ages and ability levels. To get more information, find them on Facebook, or just ask the nice guys at Kent Cycle.

Kent Cycle is located at 115 Lake Street in Kent. You can visit their website, “like” them on Facebook or just drop in to learn more about what they have to offer. 

Bent Tree Coffee Roasters Participate in Kent Chocolate Walk

Bent Tree Coffee Roasters

by Brit Charek

“Knowledgeable, friendly and handsome.” This is how the staff at Bent Tree Coffee Roasters describe themselves on their website. Needless to say I was a bit skeptical.

Fortunately, owners Mike Mistur and Ryan Brannon are, in fact, friendly, easy on the eyes and very serious about their coffee. They opened Bent Tree Coffee Roasters on North Water Street in Kent in last summer.

Unlike some chain coffee shops that tend to over roast their beans in an effort to keep the taste of their coffee consistent, Bent Tree tends specialize in medium roast coffees so as not to mask the flavor of the beans with the roast.

The historical building has sold Model T Fords, pizza, and now coffee.

Bent Tree sells single cups of fresh French pressed coffee as well as beans roasted in house by the pound. If the blend you want to try isn't on the menu that day, don't be afraid to ask-- the staff is happy to make you a single cup of coffee of your choice. My personal favorite is the Black Squirrel blend, a South American dark roast named after the city of Kent's unofficial furry mascot.

Bent Tree keeps their coffee beans fresh by ordering in relatively small batches from all over the world.

Instead of buying all their beans from the same supplier (which would make life easy, naturally), Bent Tree goes to special efforts to buy their beans from suppliers who work with coffee farmers to improve their techniques. This gives them a variety of high quality beans to work with to make their blends. They carry a number of organic and Fair Trade coffees, but their number one priority is quality and taste.

Bent Tree will be participating in the first ever Kent Chocolate Walk this Saturday May 12^th, from 1 to 5 pm. Participants stroll through downtown Kent collecting chocolate gift items from each of the twenty participating businesses-- sort of like a scavenger hunt or a grown up trick-or-treat. Tickets are $10 and proceeds benefit Main Street Kent, a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Kent. Tickets are available at Off the Wagon and McKay Bricker Framing & Gallery or you can call Main Street Kent directly at (330) 677-8000. 

Bent Tree Coffee Roasters is located at 313 N. Water Street in Kent. You can buy their coffee and learn more about their philosophy by visiting their website at http://www.benttreecoffee.com or by simply stopping in and talking to the staff. You can also purchase their coffee to brew at home at West Point Market in Akron or at Kent Natural Foods Co-Op.

Free Comic Book Day at JC Comics & Cards

Cuyahoga Falls Comic Shop Gives Out Free Comic Books!

by Brit Charek

This weekend is a big deal for comic book fans everywhere-- The Avengers is being released in theaters and Free Comic Book Day is on Saturday. That's right. Local comic book shops all over the country give out comic books. For free.

 

Free Comic Book Day started in Concord, California where Flying Colors Comics owner Joe Field observed a large line of people in front of his store in expectation of "Free Scoop Night" at the local Baskin Robbins next door. The comic book community took Field's idea and ran with it, and JC Comics & Cards in Cuyahoga Falls has been on board since Day One, back in 2002.

JC Comics & Cards has been servicing the Akron community with comics for almost 22 years. This year, they will offer somewhere between 35 and 40 free titles this Saturday on a first-come-first-serve basis, including titles from Marvel, DC and other big name comic publishers. Ironically, one of the most anticipated features comes from a small independent publisher called Archaia Entertainment. It's a hardcover anthology featuring Mouse Guard, which might be the cutest graphic novel series the world has ever seen: imagine knights on a journey in the Middle Ages. Now picture them as mice:

 

Besides Mouse Guard, the anthology also features five other stories from different artists. It's also the first hardcover book that has ever been offered on FCBD. If you want one, you'd better get there early. This release is limited.

"There's more out there than there ever has been before when it comes to comics," says JC Comics & Cards owner John. The comic book scene used to be tied to the old Batman television show with Adam West, says John, and limited to "Bif! Bang! Pow!" But now, with the popularity of  The Walking Dead as a hugely successful television series (especially for being on a cable channel) as well as the most recent superhero movies like Spiderman and the latest Batman films directed by Christopher Nolan, there's no denying that comic books and graphic novels are being held to new standards, and being recognized for that. 

As someone who has written graduate level papers on graphic novels, I'd have to agree wholeheartedly that the market for comic books has expanded far past just pre-teen boys.

JC Comics offers a variety of individual issue comic books, some dating back half a century.

They also carry a huge selection of graphic novels, for those who prefer to get the whole story up front and not be bothered with the maintenance involved in buying single comic books.

JC Comics has quite a few special activities lined up for FCDB. First off, they're holding a big sale, so customers can go home with cheap comics, collectables and graphic novels in addition to the free ones they pick up. The folks from The Akron Comicon will be there, educating the public about other awesome upcoming comic book events. Oh, and Batman and the Joker will be present as well.

JC Comics & Cards is located at 2609 State Road in Cuyahoga Falls. They are open from 11-7 on Saturday for Free Comic Book Day, but you might want to show up early to get in line to get exactly what you want.

Hazel Tree Interiors

Hazel Tree Interiors Hosts an Open House to Spotlight Locally-Made Home Decor
by Brit Charek

On Market Street just west of downtown there is what has become a new famous Akron landmark: a gorgeous mural of a Hazel Tree.

The mural was designed by Kelly Tighe, who is used to painting on giant canvases designing sets for theater productions in New York City. When husband and wife team Jon Haidet and Karen Starr opened a new space in the old Norka Futon building to combine their Interior Design and Custom Framing businesses plus open a retail store for locally made home decor, they decided to paint a mural instead of purchasing a sign. The mural has drawn a lot of attention to the store from art lovers and community members a like.

On Saturday May 5, Hazel Tree Interiors is having their annual spring open house, right after the Akron ArtWalk. If you've never seen the building beyond the mural, it would be a great opportunity to stop by and see the inside of the building and what they have to offer. The owners are exceptionally excited to unveil and celebrate their newest offerings of reclaimed, re-purposed home decor from their ever-expanding network of local artisans. There will be refreshments as well as local artists on hand telling the stories behind their ingenuity upcycled pieces.

"Since we've opened we've been working hard to bring together the best and most unique home decor artisans in the area," says owner and Interior Designer Karen Starr, "Our goal with Hazel Tree has been to create a studio and store that connects both retail customers and my design clients with a source for locally-made, interesting home decor."
 

I absolutely covet this desk, welded together from industrial shelving.

Also made from industrial shelving, this chair seems to be comfortable for people of all sizes.

Some of the interesting new types of locally made home decor to be introduced include painted and re-purposed furniture, found object clocks and wall art, accent pillows, clay and glass accent tiles, and a variety of furniture, lighting and other items made from reclaimed steel.

Look at this giant robot designed by Patrick Gerber! There's a selection of several robots, including a Wizard of Oz set.

The other owner of Hazel Tree Interiors is Jon Haidet, who does custom framing. He believes that a frame should compliment the art it houses, not draw attention away from it. He has years of experience in his craft to benefit his customers and help them find something that suits their taste as well as compliment the artwork being framed.

An almost overwhelming selection of custom frames!

Hazel Tree Interiors is located at 143 West Market Street in the Old Norka Futon building. Parking is available on-street or in any of the St. Vincent/St. Mary parking lots. Their annual spring open house takes place on Saturday, May 5th from 5-9 pm. You can learn more about them by visiting their website or by liking them on Facebook.

Record Store Day at Square Records

Celebrate Record Store Day 2012 at Square Records

By Brit Charek

For a music enthusiast, it’s a little unnerving to discover that the average teenager has never purchased an entire album, nor do they ever plan to. In an age when you can purchase individual songs and listen to them instantly on your iPod, music stores need to find additional ways to draw customers in.

Thank heavens a handful of geniuses started Record Store Day-- a sort of holiday that was created five years ago by a group of independent record stores, which started as a way to draw attention to the fact that physical retail record stores are still here, but need the support of music buyers to keep going strong. Several special edition records were made available on this day which were only available for sale at participating record stores. This year, there are over 250 special record releases available only in stores. And just in case you haven’t physically purchased a record in a while: almost all records produced within the last few years include a digital download code!

“We've got a lot of cool free stuff to give away this year including posters, promo cds, stickers, gift certificates and a lot more,” says Square Records owner David Ignizio. There will be DJs playing records in the store all day, and local musicians Cloud Nothings and the Bizarros will play a show at Musica to top off the evening. “I’ve snuck some pretty cool rare used records out in the bins in years past and probably will again this year,” Ignizio continues, “Also we usually have donuts, which make people unreasonably happy.”

Square Records is tucked between the Highland Theater and Revival in Highland Square

Square Records opened in August of 2003. It’s pretty much strictly a record shop: they sell new and used cds and records, maybe a few books and miscellaneous merchandise and the art on the walls (by local artists, naturally). They started out generally focusing on indie rock and punk albums, but have since branched out to carry a lot of jazz, soul and classic rock as well. “I’d say our selection has gotten much weirder and more mainstream at the same time,” says Ignizio.

Show your local pride by sporting a t shirt-- it's one of the few items sold in the store besides music.

Among all the other limited releases going out on Record Store Day, Square Records will have a special release of their own: a cd called Novos Akros, a soundtrack to a mysterious movie venture from the 80s that was never finished but was to be filmed in Akron, supposedly. It will be co-released with Patternbased, and it will be the first ever release on the Square Records label.

 

 

Record Store Day will take place on Saturday, April 21 from 11 am until 9 pm at Square Records, located at 824 West Market Street in Highland Square. You can visit Square Record’s website to learn more or RSVP to the event on Facebook to see a list of all the special releases they will have stocked.

The Bookseller

Local Bookstore Home to Antique and Everyday Books

by Brit Charek

The Bookseller, Inc may not be most noticeable storefront in all of West Akron, but it's worth going the extra mile to experience.

You can see this sign approaching the Westgate plaza from West Market Street westbound

The locally-owned, family operated shop specialize in Ohio, and specifically Akron and Summit county history, including much about the rubber industry, which seemed to put our fine city on the map. They also highlight aviation and "lighter than air" books. Don't let that discourage you if you're just looking for something to read-- They also carry a wide variety of other works, from gently used fiction novels to kitschy vintage cookbooks. I especially enjoyed their selection of classic children's books.

The store has an intimate feeling about it. It feels more like a home collection than a stuffy library. It may not seem the most organized upon first walking in, but the always friendly staff (which is usually a single person manning the shop) has no problems navigating through the books to find a particular work.

The shop was originally established in a basement in Cuyahoga Falls by Clarence Klein in 1948. Since then, it has been passed down from generation to generation. Although they've had to change the location several times in the sixty plus years of operation, it still remains in the Klein family to this day. It is currently operated by father and daughter team Frank and Andrea Klein and since 1997 has been located behind the Westgate Shopping Plaza on West Market Street just west of the intersection of Market, Hawkins and Exchange.

Chairs and tables encourage customers to sit and enjoy their findings.

Being that they specialize in rare and antiquarian books, you'd think that the prices would be somewhat inflated, but this isn't the case. When I stopped by over the weekend there was even a 20% off sale that I didn't even know about until I got to the cash register.

The Bookseller does a good amount of their business on their website, which you can visit by clicking here. There you can browse books by category, or search for a specific work by title or author.

Although online shopping is convenient, there's still something satisfying about physically picking out a book with your hands, or letting your two year old do it for you. Next time you're in the area, stop in to the Bookseller. You might be surprised at what you find.

The view from the front entrance, next to the Eye Opener

The Bookseller, Inc. is located at 96 Westgate Circle in West Akron.

What are your favorite places in Akron that you'd like to see featured? Send your suggestions to: AkronEmpire [at] gmail dot com.

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

Local Brewery Offers Tours Every Saturday
By Brit Charek

This St. Patrick's Day, I chose to do something educational. Naturally, there was beer involved.

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company, located on Grant Street between the University of Akron and I-77, offers tours of their facility every Saturday afternoon at three o'clock, free of charge.

The tour starts in a small room in the very back of the warehouse filled with bags of malt and barley stacked high to the ceiling. Our tour guide, Adam, a pleasant gentleman who looked a bit too young to know as much about beer as he did (although as the daughter of an avid homebrewer who was capping bottles at the tender age of nine I have no room to talk), narrated the various adventures that magically change the malt into delicious beer.

The brewery, established in 1997, recently underwent an expansion a year ago, and plans to expand again this year. Thirsty Dog beer is now available in 13 states, and the company hopes to continue to grow.

 

Bourbon barrels from Kentucky used to add flavor to darker ales and stouts

The tour ends in the tasting room, which is basically a bar with a dozen beers brewed in-house on tap, as well as two hand pumps for serving cask ales. There they serve samples for $1 or pints for $4. My personal favorites (why yes, I tried them all) were the Siberian Night, a Russian Imperial Stout, and the Old Druid Saison, a Belgian "farmhouse" style blonde ale.

The tasting room is open to the public on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-8pm, Fridays from 12-8pm and Saturdays from 2-6pm. They also rent out the tasting room for private events. I'd recommend going on Thirsty Thursdays, where you can fill up your growler with draft beer for $2 off and stay to enjoy a discounted pint as well. Don't have a growler? You can get one with the Thirsty Dog logo on it for $5.

You can learn more about Thirsty Dog by visiting their website or by touring the brewery yourself for free any Saturday afternoon this summer. They also offer private tours for groups.

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

529 Grant St.

Akron, OH 44311

(330) 252-2739

http://www.thirstydog.com