Cleveland Heights has a distinctly Floridian feel, down to palm trees lining its eponymous boulevard. A tranquil suburb of Lakeland, Cleveland Heights is named after the hometown of H. A. Stahl, an Ohio real estate magnate who came to Polk County in the 1920s to develop the community. Today, the neighborhood offers modest starter homes beside a 27-hole golf course.
Common Ground Park, directly north of Cleveland Heights, opened in 2009 as the first inclusive playground in Polk County. Open to all children but catering to those with physical and developmental disabilities, the park incorporates non-traditional play zones with classics like swings and slides. Peterson Park, farther south, offers an optimal space for little league games with four baseball diamonds. Cleveland Heights Golf Course, an expansive feature of the neighborhood’s landscape, is the brainchild of H.A. Stahl. A 27-hole public facility, the clubhouse spans 20,000 square feet and offers a full-service pro shop, golf instruction and a restaurant. Locals enjoy walking and biking along Three Parks Trail, a 4-mile path along the neighborhood’s outskirts and a section of Cleveland Heights Boulevard. However, according to David Fridovich, area local and broker associate with RE/MAX experts, outdoor enthusiasts usually flock 1 1/2 miles north to “the matriarch of the city: Lake Hollingsworth.” He shares, “Every time I drive past the lake, I see half my friends and family walking it. I remember right before they shut down the city at the start of the pandemic, I swear the entire city was walking that lake because they knew they couldn’t tomorrow.”
Florida Avenue South, one of Lakeland’s primary thoroughfares and the western boundary of Cleveland Heights, is the shopping and dining epicenter of the region. To the west of the avenue is Merchant’s Walk, a retail corridor featuring a Walmart Supercenter, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls and Burlington. Chain restaurants like Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Texas Roadhouse and Keke’s Breakfast Cafe are nearby. For dining with a more local flair, Cleveland Heights features a few distinct establishments. Fat Jack’s Deli & Pub has been serving intentionally overstuffed sandwiches since 1963, and Antojitos Navideños Restaurant serves Puerto Rican favorites, including flan and mofongo.
While the first plat in Cleveland Heights was filed in 1925, the neighborhood's oldest homes were built in 1901. The area experienced development surges in the 1950s and 1980s, creating a landscape with various styles, from ranches to midcentury modern homes. Many properties feature prominent carports that face residential streets. Home prices typically range between $190,000 and $380,000, lower than surrounding communities. The community is making efforts to preserve the history of the area despite renovating many properties. “They just tore up a lot of asphalt on some of the streets to expose the original brick roads,” Fridovich says. “It’s an effort to bring back some of the nostalgia.”
Young students can attend Cleveland Court Elementary, which has been in the community for nearly 100 years and has landed a place on the National Register of Historic Places, or Carlton Palmore Elementary. Cleveland Court earns a B-plus on Niche, while Carlton Palmore has a score of B-minus. Middle schoolers can attend Southwest Middle School, which has a C grade and is also home to the only deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) program in the district. The program is led by two teachers, three interpreters and two paraprofessionals. Lakeland Senior High School has a B-plus on Niche and has three specialized academies in Multimedia Communication, Fashion Design and Veterinary Science.
Florida Avenue South and Cleveland Heights Boulevard are two major thoroughfares for the area, and bus stops run along Florida Avenue for commuters who use public transit. Florida State Route 570 is also in the neighborhood along the southern border. Also known as Polk Parkway, this toll road leads to Lakeland Linder International Airport 6 miles west and connects to U.S. State Route 98 4 1/2 miles east.
Cyleste Goodson
FLORIDA REAL ESTATE COMPANY
(863) 250-3606
166 Total Sales
2 in Cleveland Heights
$244K - $342K Price Range
Matthew Griffin
OPTIMA ONE REALTY
(689) 220-6796
111 Total Sales
1 in Cleveland Heights
$350,000 Price
Raymond Mihara
MIHARA & ASSOCIATES INC.
(813) 940-4704
686 Total Sales
4 in Cleveland Heights
$250K - $287K Price Range
Stephen Novak
LIVE FLORIDA REALTY
(863) 267-9310
86 Total Sales
2 in Cleveland Heights
$175K - $265K Price Range
Anthony Granato
BLUE MARLIN REAL ESTATE
(321) 587-3965
273 Total Sales
1 in Cleveland Heights
$371,600 Price
Paula Davis Meyers
CHARLES RUTENBERG REALTY INC
(813) 659-5435
181 Total Sales
1 in Cleveland Heights
$204,000 Price
On average, homes in Cleveland Heights, Lakeland sell after 47 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Cleveland Heights, Lakeland over the last 12 months is $277,000, down 4% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
$1,034 - $1,829 per month
$1,447 - $1,971 per month
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Small Lakeland suburb beside Lake Somerset with lots of public parks
Established, close-knit community with early- to mid-20th century homes
Quiet suburban living close to downtown Lakeland
Living on the shoreline of the water in Lakeland
Lively downtown shopping and dining district with historic 1920s-era bungalows
A lakeside suburb 2 miles from Downtown Lakeland with variety of outdoor rec
