Lake Forest offers the best of all worlds. Located about 45 minutes north of Chicago, the beautiful little city on the banks of Lake Michigan has a peaceful, small-town feel that its residents treasure. A perpetual Tree City USA award-winner, Lake Forest lives up to its name with its lushly landscaped and tree-lined streets further enhanced by resident recreational access to nearly a thousand acres of Open Lands nature preserves, a gorgeous community beach, myriad parks and playfields. A wonderful public golf course, several country clubs, and two bath-and-tennis clubs add to the recreational options.

The family-focused town also offers several private and parochial schools at both elementary and secondary levels, including (please link to websites found below) Lake Forest Country Day School, Woodlands Academy, Lake Forest Academy and St. Mary's, among others. Lake Forest College, within walking distance from town, stands as one of the premier small liberal arts colleges in the country. The nearby Lake Forest Graduate School of Management offers a top MBA program as well.

With over 20,000 residents per the last census, Lake Forest offers a wide and rich diversity of cultural, education and recreational offerings for the community's enjoyment. In addition, the beauty and character of the local architecture is regularly chronicled in media and books. Founded in 1861, the town's early residents included legendary Chicago movers-and-shakers, like the Armours, Swifts and McCormicks. Today, Lake Forest's diverse real estate offerings include many dozens of stunning historic homes credited to major legendary architects, such as David Adler and Howard Van Doren Shaw (the latter having also designed the town's charming and much-lauded Market Square downtown shopping district). It's not surprising that such a rich historic pedigree gave way to modern-day building efforts focused on tree preservation and newer construction designs of beauty and architectural sensitivity, with typical lots between a half acre to 1 acre, or more. The net result is a family-friendly town that is widely regarded in media and books as one of the most beautiful towns in America - as well as the one of the most pleasant places to live in the entire Chicago metropolitan area.

Links:

• City of Lake Forest
  220 E.Deerpath, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-2600
• Gorton Community Center
  400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-6060
• Lake Forest & Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce
  695 Western Ave, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-4282
• Lake Forest Public Library
  360 E. Deerpath, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-0636
• Lake Forest Recreation Center & Park District
  400 Hasting Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-6700

Public Schools:

• Lake Forest High School - District 115
  1285 N. McKinley Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-3600
• Rondout Elementary (K-8) - District 72
  28593 N. Bradley Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 362-2021
• Cherokee Elementary (K-4) - District 67
  475 Cherokee Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-3805
• Everett Elementary (K-4)
  1111 Everett School Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-5713
• Sheridan Elementary (K-4)
  1360 N. Sheridan Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-1160
• Deer Path Middle School (5-8) - District 67
  155 W. Deerpath, Lake Forest, 60045 | (847) 604-7400

Private Schools:

• East Lake Academy (Age 3 - Grade 8)
  13911 W. Laurel Drive, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 247-0035
• Forest Bluff Montessori School (18 mo - 14 yrs)
  8 W. Scranton Avenue, Lake Bluff, IL 60044 | (847) 295-8338
• Lake Forest Academy (9-12)
  1500 W. Kennedy Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-3210
• Lake Forest Country Day School (Age 2 - Grade 8)
  145 S. Green Bay Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-2350
• School of St. Mary (Age 3 - Grade 8)
  185 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | (847) 234-0371
• Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart (9-12)
  760 Westleigh Rd, Lake Forest, 60045 | (847) 234-4300