Highland Park - Rochester, NY

Overview

The Highland Park neighborhood in southeast Rochester has been called an “urban village” of 19th- and 20th century homes and contains Highland Park, perhaps the most majestic of Rochester’s parks and the site of the highly popular Lilac Festival. The neighborhood is overwhelmingly residential and is often lumped in with the South Wedge neighborhood.




Who Lives Here

Long-established and younger families, many of them professionals.




Essentials

The neighborhood has several restaurants, including the authentic Highland Park Diner, and a few small bars, as well as a few retail establishments like a dollar store. The Cinema theater, at the corner of South Clinton Avenue and Goodman Street, shows second-run films at highly discounted prices and is the home of a cat that lives there.




Recreation & Entertainment

The Cinema Theater is a great place to see movies. Highland Park is a beautiful spot to visit year-round, as is the Lamberton Conservatory. The Highland Bowl has free movies in the summer and occasional concerts. Although the area is primarily residential, the Highland Park neighborhood is adjacent to the South Wedge, which has a slew of eateries, pubs and stores. The Number One attraction, though, is the annual Lilac Festival, which runs for two weeks and attracts people from all over the country.




Transportation & Traffic

Interstate 490, running east-west, is accessible from several area roads. All of the major roadways, and most of the side streets, are busy with traffic during the Lilac Festival. South Avenue especially is usually busy, but the other roads are not too bad the rest of the year.




Pros & Cons

The scenery, the houses, the park and the neighborhood are lovely. Living here, you are in the heart of the enormously popular Lilac Festival. This neighborhood, like nearby South Wedge, is very walkable. You’re also close to the town of Brighton.



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