Forest Glen

Forest Glen is an area that doesn't receive a whole lot of attention in Chicago press or from Chicagoans themselves, and most of the residents like this just fine. The area is quite, affluent, and has its far share of golf courses. The population is about 18,000, and while the communities that make up Forest Glen are only a few miles from downtown Chicago and the fast paced life one would associate with the city, the community has a feel that is reminiscent of the suburbs.

Edgebrook, which is home to well known golf courses, is one of the neighborhoods within Forest Glenn. Another neighborhood is Sauganash, a relatively quite area known for having numerous churches as well as the Forest Glen neighborhood itself. Few areas help outline just how uniquely diverse of a city Chicago is better than a trip to Forest Glen. This quiet area is a stark contrast to much of the rest of the Chicagoland area.

The Forest Glen area is largely white with growing numbers of Hispanic and Asian families as well. Overall, the area stands out as one of Chicago's more affluent neighborhoods.

Forest Glen is certainly one of the nicest and richest parts of the city. The area is extremely residential, and while many of the homes are older, they are extremely well preserved. Home prices in the area are quite high, so it isn't for everyone, but if you have the means, it is certainly a great area.

For any area with so much wealth, it is important to have safety and stability, and Forest Glen does not disappoint. Many of the residents are government officials, and since some are higher up in the police, there is no doubt they will have the safest neighborhood in the city. This is definitely a neighborhood where you can walk around at night with essentially no worries.

The biggest drawbacks to Forest Glen are the distance to down town, as the area is a good drive from the Loop, and the lack of real attractions. There are some good restaurants, but it isn't a tourist attraction, so you won't find a lot of people visiting. It's really a place to live, not travel to.

Overall, without question Forest Glen is one of the nicest places to live in the city. I do not personally have the means at present, but if I ever do, I would certainly consider raising a family there. Highly recommended if you can afford it.

This is where many of Chicago's "Who's Who" Live--among the tranquil forest preserves and golf courses in the peaceful and well-kept surroundings of "Chicago's Finest Community." But not too many, because only about 500 people reside here.

There are several Chicago communities that could pass for suburbs, but it's really difficult to believe that this area is part of the City of Big Shoulders. It is just too, well, too perfect.

It has beeen attracting the well-to-do since the 1940's and not much has changed. Many of the same homes are still standing and in good repair. The area if very community minded as evidenced by their active community organizations and clubs.

Housing styles are certainly not stamped out by a long shot. There are quaint cottages, brick bugalows, ranch houses, English Tudors, Georgians and even some rwo houses. All appear to keep landscaping services busy maintaining perfection. Side drives and attached garages are also common. Side streets often dead-end right into the forest preserves, giving residents even more land space that their large yards.

The average sales price for a three-bedroom single-family home in Forest Glen neighborhood is around $430,000, and the price for a four- or five-bedroom house ranges between $350,000 and $700,000.

Now here's a yard sale I would like to make: The Forest Glen Community Garage Sale (sponsored by the Forest Glen Community Club, 312-409-8618), usually held in June, It's a thrifty-minded person's ascent to Neimann Marcus for nickles and dimes. There are more than 50 simultaneous garage sales in one neighborhood, offering a dizzingly variety of treasures and must-haves. Put it on my calendar because I need a used diamond bracelet.

Whether you need to get downtown, to other parts of the city, O'Hare International Airport, or the northern suburbs, Forest Glen has a commuting option for you.

You know you're still in Chicago though because there is good public transportation, unlike many suburbs. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) offers regular bus service on Foster and Cicero avenues to other parts of the city. To get to O'Hare, just take the #92 Foster bus to the Jefferson Park terminal and catch the CTA's Blue Line train, which stops right inside the airport. Drivers can jump on the Edens Expressway.

Naturally there are many terrific public and private schools, emphasis on the private.

And, of course, there is culture for the well-bred. Here are some:

Symphony Center
5318 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
(312) 294-3000

Morgan Art Gallery
5350 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 631-0680

The Gift Theatre Company
4802 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 283-7071


Ukrainian National Museum
2249 W Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 421-8020

Have your chauffeur take you out there and have a look around for yourself.

This area is nicknamed “Chicago’s Finest Community,” and if that little phrase makes you picture a stereotypically-suburban area, then it has done its job well. Because the Forest Glen community is brimming with moneyed types, its upkeep and tree-lined streets are something to be marveled at. Forest Glen houses many important Chicago political figures (high ranking members of the police, judges, politicians), and has as one of its many charms a certain amount of seclusion from the rest of the city. There is a lot of park action here, as well as a certain amount of forest near the Chicago river, which serves as one of the neighborhood borders.

Compared to the rest of the city, Forest Glen is on the up-and-up – it’s a VERY stable place, where residents are generally either as comfortable as or more comfortable than the rest of Chicago. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t expand much during a recession – so it’s a safe bet that Forest Glen will continue to be a neighborhood in which the wealthy stay situated.

If Forest Glen is home to a smattering of brick oven pizza places, none are much of a tourist draw. Like I said before, Forest Glen is something of a secluded place, and it seems as if it plans to stay that way.