Highland Terrace

Highland Terrace encompasses East 21st Street to the south, 14th Avenue to the west, East 27th Street to the north and 23rd Avenue to the east. Between its borders though, is a lack of neighborly spirit. It is most notable for its highly dense (around 5,000 residents), lower-class status, crippled from a myriad of crime related afflictions. Residents are a mixed batch of ethnicities, but Asian families are among the majority of the population. The neighborhood offers a large chunk of unappealing apartment buildings mixed with gritty, affordable homes. Rents are cheap, but let’s just say you’re not paying for your safety. House fronts are typically suffering from a lack of maintenance with chipped off paint being the main culprit. Along the streets, you’ll see grungy sidewalks and rusty old cars. And worse yet, there seems to be no renovation plans in the near future.

The district is completely residential. Commercial activity is a bit of a drive from the community. Shoppers either venture to Crocker Highlands or drive into Cleveland Heights for all their dining needs. Public transportation is inconvenient, so most residents take their cars into work. However, street parking comes a bit easier, especially along the side streets.

The one perk about the community is the Manzanita Recreation Center. The community playground lies on the northeastern corner of Highland Terrace, offering plenty of open space for children to run around. Morgan Plaza is also a stretch of small grassy terrain, but the swings look like they haven’t been played on for a long time.