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LAKE FOREST

Established as a “city in a park”, with towering trees and natural ravines and bluffs dictating its identity, Lake Forest, in all its finery, is among the North Shore’s most desired communities. Exceptional parks, a thriving commercial district, superb schools, and a breathtaking land and “lakescapes” are among the countless reasons why so many of Chicago’s most distinguished families have decided to call it home.

Residential

Though many communities making up the North Shore boast homes of luxurious distinction, the impressive assemblage of estates in Lake Forest are distinguished as much for their historical significance as they are for there obvious grandeur. With some of the nations most important architects of the World War I generation designing Lake Forest estates for Chicago’s most established families, there is a richness to this community that is simply incomparable.

Commercial

How very Gatsby

Following a visit to Lake Forest, F. Scott Fitzgerald remarked in a letter to his daughter that he thought Lake Forest was the most glamorous city in the country. Quite a compliment considering he and his wife, Zelda, were known to dance on tables at New York’s Waldorf Astoria,

Laying claim to the nation’s first planned shopping center, Market Square, designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw, Lake Forest’s commercial district even reflects the historical wealth of the community. Today, the Lake Forest downtown is a bustling center of commerce, with such companies as Tenneco, Brunswick, and BFG Technologies headquartered there.

The Schools

In keeping with the high standards of this affluent community, the area schools, serviced by elementary school district 67 and high school district 115, are further indicators of why a Lake Forest address is so desirable. In addition to the exceptional public schools, private schools such as Lake Forest Academy, Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, and Lake Forest College all reside within the community’s borders.

The Parks

The Park Department operates seven community parks, a beautiful, immaculate beach with a boat launch area, an eighteen hole golf course, and a nature preserve. In addition, special programs for kids that include summer camp, a dance academy, and various educational programs are offered throughout the year, as well as different fitness, adventure, and educational programs for adults.

The Numbers

Polo, Anyone?

“Lake Forest is famous in Chicago for its history of Polo, being once the furthest-west establishment of the sport in the US. It was home to the "East-West clash of 1933" in which a team of "Westerners", today Midwesterners, challenged the best of the Eastern US polo teams, winning two of three matches.”

Population: 20,059
Caucasian- 93.8%
African-American- 1.4%
Asian- 3.5%
Hispanic- 1.9%

Median Age of Residents: 41 years
Median Household Income: $136,462
Average Sale Price for a Single Family Home in 1999: $821,316