On Treat Street in Terrace Heights, by Lonisha

When I asked students to write about their neighborhoods, Lonisha chose to write about how her perspective of her West Haven neighborhood changed when she was witness to some violent activity.

"No matter where you go you'll never be safe," I thought to myself when I heard a gunshot coming from the apartment complex next to mine. I jumped up frantically in my bed after the loud boom. Afer being reassured that nothing was happening to my family, I slowly dosed off.

The next day, I woke up forgetting all about the night before. As I walked past my mother's room, heading to the bathroom, I heard my mother say, "The couple who lived in the apartment complex next to ours had a fight. Then the guy shot his girlfriend. You know how those drug addicts are."

I couldn't believe my ears. I thought West Haven was quiet and all the people were friendly. But I live in the other part of West Haven, the part called Treat Street. This is where everybody argues all the time and blasts their music loud, day 'til night. It's just like New Haven, so I don't know why we even moved to West Haven.