Forest Park Illinois Real Estate

Forest Park, Illinois
By Julie Farby

Located about 10 miles west of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, the Village of Forest Park is a quaint, charming community, with a friendly small-town atmosphere that is desirable to both residents and businesses alike. Geographically, Forest Park extends from Harlem Avenue to the Des Plaines River and First Avenue on the west, and from Madison Street and the North Western Railway tracks on the north to Cermak Road on the south. As of the 2000 census, the population of Forest Park was estimated at 15,688, and the Village is conveniently served by the CTA’s Congress and Lake Street El lines, MetraTrain and Pace suburban buses.

The Village of Forest Park traces its origins to John Henry Quick from Harlem, New York, who in 1856, purchased a farm on the site of what is now River Forest and built a two-story boarding house. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, “the town of Harlem was incorporated in 1884, and renamed the Village of Forest Park in 1907, as another post office named Harlem existed near Rockford.” Historically composed of mainly Germans and Italians, the town's ethnic composition has diversified in recent decades. Today, Forest Park enjoys a strong tax base—industrial and commercial—which includes a major shopping mall at Roosevelt and Des Plaines and bustling commercial life on historic Madison Street. As a result, “low property taxes are fueling real-estate sales—luring empty nesters to Forest Park's condominiums as well as young people looking for affordable housing.”

According to Villageprofile.com, the “Forest Park Chamber of Commerce, Forest Park's oldest business organization, first called the Forest Park Businessman’s Association was organized in 1912 by local businessman and remains active today with a 21-member Board of Directors making the decisions.” Each year, the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce sponsors a downtown holiday lighting program and holds several community and promotional events including: “a St. Patrick's Day Parade, Summerfest, the All School Picnic, a Christmas Walk with free photos with Santa. Social events include the Annual Dinner Dance and the William R. McKenzie Memorial Golf Outing.” Additionally, the Howard Mohr Community Center, named in honor of the late state senator and Forest Park mayor, serves as an entertainment and social service center with programs serving children and the elderly.

The main attraction of the Park District of Forest Park is the Forest Park Aquatic Center which opened June 1, 1996 and “features two flume slides, two drop slides, a diving board, an interactive play structure, lap lanes and a zero-depth shallow end.” The park includes 15 acres with eight lighted tennis courts, three baseball diamonds, a lighted football soccer field, a tot lot, and a disabled-accessible adventure playground. Forest Park is also the home of the Ferrara Pan Candy Company, makers of the famous Lemonheads, and is a “prime example of the businesses and industries that have made Forest Park their base for decades.” Roosevelt Road’s commercial district features real estate offices, auto sales and automotive services and restaurants, and downtown Madison Street offers a “healthy mix of newcomers and longtime business owners in retail, restaurants and services.”

According to the Village of Forest Park, “the quaint downtown, while continually modernizing, still features varied architecture that gives shoppers a glimpse into the early part of the century.”

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