New Michael Kusalaba Branch Library Opens in the West Side:
The Michael Kusalaba Branch finally opened yesterday. It is located on Mahoning Avenue between Glenellen and Schenley Avenues in the Rocky Ridge neighborhood. The library replaced the old West Side Library which was located in the same location. The library features several modern amenities that will benefit the West Side's residents. In addition to books and computers, there is a sound studio, maker space complete with 3D printers, classrooms, a conference room, a children's area, and more. It also houses the garage for the city's mobile library program.
The exterior of the library from the back side:
This is a pretty important development for the West Side - the West Side is already considered to be the city's nicest "side" but it still needs a ton of work. This will hopefully spur some development in a neighborhood other than Downtown. The Rocky Ridge neighborhood, which the library is located in, has a great
neighborhood association that is both marketing and beautifying the neighborhood. Mahoning Avenue in particular has been seeing some storefront improvements and landscaping. The block the library is located on even has a small business district - this could be a great walkable neighborhood in the future.
The interior of the library:
Click here for street view of the library.
Also, if you want to get more updates on the Youngstown area, checkout the /r/Youngstown Sub-Reddit - we are trying to make it more active, so please check it out if you wish!