Located a short drive from Cleveland, Akron sometimes gets overshadowed by its big brother to the north. The truth is, in a lot of ways, this sharp little city has a leg up on the competition. Building on its early successes in polymers – think Firestone, Goodyear – the city is a hotbed of cutting-edge biomedical innovation. But it isn’t all nerd glasses and slide rules: the Akron Art Museum just tripled in size, adding an ultramodern glass-and-steel wing. Minor league baseball fans adore lovely Canal Park, home of the Akron Aeros. Stan Hywet Hall, one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival architecture in the region, boasts 65 rooms, 23 fireplaces, and 70 acres of manicured estate. Food fans have their pick of great eats, from Chrissie Hynde’s vegi-minded VegiTerranean to the fabled Diamond Grille, where pros like Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh eat steak before hitting nearby Firestone Country Club.