Lake Forest, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Lake Forest is an affluent city located in Lake County
, Illinois
, United States
. The city is south of Waukegan
along the shore of Lake Michigan
, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore
. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College
and was laid out as a town in 1857 as a stop for travelers making their way south to Chicago
. The Lake Forest City Hall was designed by an architect named Frost. The City Hall was completed in 1898 and originally housed the fire department, Lake Forest Library
, and city offices.
and Lake Forest High School
. Lake Forest High School serves Lake Forest as well as neighboring Lake Bluff
and Knollwood
.
The Montessori School of Lake Forest and Forest Bluff School (in Lake Bluff) both serve ages two through 14, and are both accredited by AMI (Association Montessori Internationale); the latter is nationally known from the writings of founder and former head Paula Polk Lillard, and is often cited as one of the leading Montessori schools in America.
Lake Forest Academy
, a boarding and day school on the west side of Lake Forest, is considered to be one of the best college preparatory and boarding schools in the Midwest, and attracts students from across the country and around the world. There are two private Catholic schools located in Lake Forest: East Lake Academy is an elementary school serving preschool through 8th grade, and the School of St. Mary
has campuses serving preschool through 3rd grade (the Primary Grade Center) and 4th through 8th grade (the Upper Grade Center).
area, at 42°14′5"N 87°51′3"W (42.234788, -87.851042).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²), of which, 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.30%) is water.
As Lake Forest was first developed, the planners laid roads that would provide very limited access to the city in an effort to prevent outside traffic and further isolate the tranquil settlement from neighboring areas. Though considerably more accessible today, due in part to the extensive new construction taking place further West, the much smaller neighborhood of eastern Lake Forest, near the coast of Lake Michigan
, remains relatively secluded and is one of the most scenic, historical, and architecturally significant suburbs of Chicago. These neighborhoods include estates and homes designed by distinguished architects like Howard Van Doren Shaw
, David Adler
, Frank Lloyd Wright
, Arthur Heun, Henry Ives Cobb
, and modernist George Fred Keck
among others. Landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted
and Jens Jensen
also designed projects in Lake Forest. Market Square
, designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw
, was completed in 1916 as a commercial center for Lake Forest.
On of Lake Forest's most notable features is its virgin prairies and other nature preserves. In 1967, a group of 12 long-time residents of Lake Forest formed a land conservation
organization, Lake Forest Open Lands Association. Its express purpose was to purchase or otherwise set aside the rapidly disappearing open spaces
in the city, in the interests of preserving animal
habitat
, restoring ecosystem
s, and providing environmental education
for the city's children. In the next 38 years, the group managed to acquire over 700 acres (2.8 km²) within the city limits, which now form six nature preserves with 12 miles (19.3 km) of walking trails open to the public. Preserved in perpetuity are wetland
s, original pre-1830 prairie
, woodland
and savanna
, all within the city.
The Ragdale Foundation
, an artists' community and residence, is located in Lake Forest. Formerly Howard Van Doren Shaw
's summer retreat and built in 1897, the estate has accommodated notable artists including Sylvia Shaw Judson
and President Barack Obama
's inaugural poet, Elizabeth Alexander
.
Lake Forest has been named a Tree City USA
by the National Arbor Day Foundation
in recognition of its commitment to community forest. As of 2006, Lake Forest had received this national honor for 26 years. Mr. T
notably angered the town by cutting down more than 100 oak trees on his estate, in what is now referred to as the "Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre."
and extends beyond Market Square, providing a mixture of retail, banking, and professional services, as well as restaurants. Market Square is composed of a wide variety of shops and restaurants, including Talbots
, Williams-Sonoma
, J. Crew, and Einstein Bros. Bagels
. The business district to the west includes a Metra commuter railroad station on the Milwaukee District/North Line
and extends beyond Settlers' Square to provide a mixture of retail, banking and professional services, as well as restaurants. A third area of business development, consisting mostly of corporate and office space, extends along the city's northwestern border with the Tri-State Tollway
.
Lake Forest is known for its strong stance against commercial development. High property taxes have driven out many businesses, especially car dealerships, to neighboring Lake Bluff
. Most notably, Lake Forest Sportscars, one of the only Ferrari
dealerships in Illinois, moved from downtown to its current location on Waukegan Road
in Lake Bluff, just across the street from Lake Forest. The McDonald's
, located near the Metra
station in West Lake Forest, was approved only after significant appearance changes, giving it a "barn-like" appearance. There were plans for a Costco
to be built on Illinois Route 60
, near the Tri-State Tollway
in 2005. However, these plans were canceled due to opposition from the city government, local citizens, and the Chicago Bears
.
The headquarters of Fortune 500
companies Tenneco
, Brunswick
, and Hospira
are located in Lake Forest; Covered Logistics also has its headquarters in Lake Forest, while W.W. Grainger, Inc. and BFG Technologies
are located in unincorporated
Lake County, near Lake Forest. The Chicago Bears
training facility and headquarters, Halas Hall
, opened in 1997 in west Lake Forest, and the Chicago Fire now train at the Bears' previous facility located on the campus of Lake Forest College. Robert Redford
filmed Ordinary People
, the story of a Lake Forest family, on location in 1980, and the movie went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture
. Silver medal Olympian Matt Grevers
, Actor Vince Vaughn
, author Dave Eggers
, and musician Andrew Bird
graduated from Lake Forest High School
.
(I-94
). In addition, the Skokie Highway (U.S. Highway 41) runs through Lake Forest, roughly bisecting the city. Lake Forest is connected with suburbs west of it through Illinois Route 60
. Additionally, Lake Forest has two Metra commuter railroad stations, both of which share the same name. The Union Pacific/North Line
has a station in East Lake Forest, while the Milwaukee District/North Line
has a station in West Lake Forest.
of 2000, there were 20,059 people, 6,687 households, and 5,329 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,189.4 people per square mile (459.1/km²). There were 7,001 housing units at an average density of 415.1 per square mile (160.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.80% White, 1.35% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.45% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races
, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 6,687 households out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were married couples
living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $150,670, and the median income for a family was more than $200,000. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $44,083 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $77,092. About 0.15% of families and 0.2% of the population were below the poverty line.
for its history of polo
, being once the westernmost establishment of the sport in the United States. 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. Box seats sold for $5.50 and the general public was admitted for $1.10. The Chicago press covered the match extensively, right down to the arrival of every horse and player, the color of the horseflesh and the color of the goalposts. The match was described as a "gleaming moment in American polo, if not the very zenith of the game in this country." Today, Lake Forest continues the tradition, and polo
is played yearly throughout August. In F. Scott Fitzgerald
's novel The Great Gatsby
, Tom Buchanan's polo ponies are said to have been bred in Lake Forest. Furthermore, the character of Daisy Buchanan was based on Fitzgerald's ex-girlfriend Lake Forest resident Ginevra King, whose family brought polo ponies to Lake Forest.
Lake County, Illinois
Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The city is south of Waukegan
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population...
along the shore of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore
North Shore (Chicago)
The North Shore is a term that refers to the generally affluent suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois bordering the shore of Lake Michigan.- History :Europeans settled the area sparsely after an 1833 treaty with local Native Americans...
. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest College, founded in 1857, is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois. The college has 1,500 students representing 47 states and 78 countries....
and was laid out as a town in 1857 as a stop for travelers making their way south to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The Lake Forest City Hall was designed by an architect named Frost. The City Hall was completed in 1898 and originally housed the fire department, Lake Forest Library
Lake Forest Library
The Lake Forest Library is the public library serving Lake Forest, Illinois. It is located at 360 E. Deerpath, Lake Forest, Illinois.-Statistics:* Registered Borrowers: 15,645 1* Annual Circulation: 465,927 items 1...
, and city offices.
Educational institutions
Most Lake Forest residents attend Lake Forest School District 67Lake Forest School District 67
Lake Forest School District 67 is an Illinois school district serving the Lake County city of Lake Forest. District 67 is composed of three elementary schools and one grades five-through-eight middle school ....
and Lake Forest High School
Lake Forest High School (Illinois)
Lake Forest High School, or LFHS, is a public four-year high school located in Lake Forest, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Lake Forest Community High School District 115, which serves the communities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff,...
. Lake Forest High School serves Lake Forest as well as neighboring Lake Bluff
Lake Bluff, Illinois
Lake Bluff is a village in Lake County, Illinois. It is the closest moderate-sized town near the Great Lakes Navy Base and is North of Lake Forest. The population is 6,056 according to the 2000 census. The town has a police department and volunteer fire department.-History:In 1836, John and...
and Knollwood
Knollwood, Illinois
Knollwood is an unincorporated census-designated place in Lake County, Illinois. It is located within Shields Township and Libertyville Township. Knollwood shares a postal code with neighboring village Lake Bluff. Knollwood residents are served by Lake Bluff School District 65, Lake Bluff Park...
.
The Montessori School of Lake Forest and Forest Bluff School (in Lake Bluff) both serve ages two through 14, and are both accredited by AMI (Association Montessori Internationale); the latter is nationally known from the writings of founder and former head Paula Polk Lillard, and is often cited as one of the leading Montessori schools in America.
Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy is a college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 located on the North Shore in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. As of the 2008-2009 school year, students at Lake Forest Academy come from 20 states and 28 countries. The current Head of School is Dr....
, a boarding and day school on the west side of Lake Forest, is considered to be one of the best college preparatory and boarding schools in the Midwest, and attracts students from across the country and around the world. There are two private Catholic schools located in Lake Forest: East Lake Academy is an elementary school serving preschool through 8th grade, and the School of St. Mary
School of St. Mary (Lake Forest, Illinois)
The School of St. Mary is a Roman Catholic parish school. It has two campuses, both in Lake Forest, Illinois, in the Archdiocese of Chicago. , it has over 600 students....
has campuses serving preschool through 3rd grade (the Primary Grade Center) and 4th through 8th grade (the Upper Grade Center).
Elementary schools
- Deer Path Middle School — public
- Cherokee Elementary School — public
- Everett Elementary School — public
- Sheridan Elementary School — public
- Lake Forest Country Day SchoolLake Forest Country Day SchoolLake Forest Country Day School , founded in 1888, is a coeducational, independent preK-8 school located on a 29-acre campus in Lake Forest, Illinois, USA, a suburb approximately 30 miles north of Chicago. The School serves families from more than 30 communities...
— private - School of St. MarySchool of St. Mary (Lake Forest, Illinois)The School of St. Mary is a Roman Catholic parish school. It has two campuses, both in Lake Forest, Illinois, in the Archdiocese of Chicago. , it has over 600 students....
— private - Montessori School of Lake Forest — private; Montessori
- Forest Bluff School — private; Montessori (in neighboring Lake Bluff; majority of students live in Lake Forest)
High schools
- Lake Forest High SchoolLake Forest High School (Illinois)Lake Forest High School, or LFHS, is a public four-year high school located in Lake Forest, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Lake Forest Community High School District 115, which serves the communities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff,...
— public - Lake Forest AcademyLake Forest AcademyLake Forest Academy is a college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 located on the North Shore in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. As of the 2008-2009 school year, students at Lake Forest Academy come from 20 states and 28 countries. The current Head of School is Dr....
— private - Woodlands Academy of the Sacred HeartWoodlands Academy of the Sacred HeartWoodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a private, Roman Catholic girls' high school in Lake Forest, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.-Sports:...
— private
Colleges
- Barat CollegeBarat CollegeBarat College of the Sacred Heart was a small Catholic college located in Lake Forest, Illinois, 30 miles north of Chicago. The college was named after Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart...
— closed on 30 June 2005 after 100 years in Lake Forest - Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest CollegeLake Forest College, founded in 1857, is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois. The college has 1,500 students representing 47 states and 78 countries....
- Lake Forest Graduate School of ManagementLake Forest Graduate School of ManagementLake Forest Graduate School of Management is a not-for-profit business school located in Lake Forest, Illinois. It opened in 1946 and has satellite campuses in Schaumburg, Illinois and Chicago. Until 2004, the school was located near, but unaffiliated with, Lake Forest College. In 2004, the...
Geography and development
Lake Forest is located in the North ShoreNorth Shore (Chicago)
The North Shore is a term that refers to the generally affluent suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois bordering the shore of Lake Michigan.- History :Europeans settled the area sparsely after an 1833 treaty with local Native Americans...
area, at 42°14′5"N 87°51′3"W (42.234788, -87.851042).
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²), of which, 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.30%) is water.
As Lake Forest was first developed, the planners laid roads that would provide very limited access to the city in an effort to prevent outside traffic and further isolate the tranquil settlement from neighboring areas. Though considerably more accessible today, due in part to the extensive new construction taking place further West, the much smaller neighborhood of eastern Lake Forest, near the coast of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, remains relatively secluded and is one of the most scenic, historical, and architecturally significant suburbs of Chicago. These neighborhoods include estates and homes designed by distinguished architects like Howard Van Doren Shaw
Howard Van Doren Shaw
Howard Van Doren Shaw was an American architect. He became one of the best-known architects of his generation in the Chicago area.-Early life and career:...
, David Adler
David Adler
David Adler was a prolific architect, designing over 200 buildings...
, Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, Arthur Heun, Henry Ives Cobb
Henry Ives Cobb
Henry Ives Cobb , born in Brookline, Massachusetts to Albert Adams and Mary Russell Candler Cobb, was a Chicago-based architect in the last decades of the 19th century, known for his designs in the Romanesque and Victorian Gothic styles...
, and modernist George Fred Keck
George Fred Keck
George Fred Keck was an American modernist architect based in Chicago, Illinois. He was later assisted in his practice by his brother William Keck.-Biography:...
among others. Landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
and Jens Jensen
Jens Jensen (landscape architect)
Jens Jensen was a Danish-American landscape architect.-Early life:Jens Jensen was born near Dybbøl in Slesvig, Denmark, in 1860, to a wealthy farming family. For the first nineteen years of his life he lived on his family's farm, which cultivated his love for the natural environment...
also designed projects in Lake Forest. Market Square
Market Square (Lake Forest, Illinois)
Market Square is a shopping center located in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States, in the Chicago metropolitan area. Opened in 1916, it is notable as one of the earliest planned shopping centers, and is often cited as the first planned shopping center in the United States.Although Country Club...
, designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw
Howard Van Doren Shaw
Howard Van Doren Shaw was an American architect. He became one of the best-known architects of his generation in the Chicago area.-Early life and career:...
, was completed in 1916 as a commercial center for Lake Forest.
On of Lake Forest's most notable features is its virgin prairies and other nature preserves. In 1967, a group of 12 long-time residents of Lake Forest formed a land conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
organization, Lake Forest Open Lands Association. Its express purpose was to purchase or otherwise set aside the rapidly disappearing open spaces
Urban open space
In land use planning, urban open space is open space areas for “parks”, “green spaces”, and other open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing fields to highly maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes. They are commonly open to public access, however, urban...
in the city, in the interests of preserving animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
, restoring ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s, and providing environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
for the city's children. In the next 38 years, the group managed to acquire over 700 acres (2.8 km²) within the city limits, which now form six nature preserves with 12 miles (19.3 km) of walking trails open to the public. Preserved in perpetuity are wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, original pre-1830 prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
and savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
, all within the city.
The Ragdale Foundation
Ragdale
Ragdale is the summer retreat of Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, located in Lake Forest, Illinois. It is also the home of the Ragdale Foundation...
, an artists' community and residence, is located in Lake Forest. Formerly Howard Van Doren Shaw
Howard Van Doren Shaw
Howard Van Doren Shaw was an American architect. He became one of the best-known architects of his generation in the Chicago area.-Early life and career:...
's summer retreat and built in 1897, the estate has accommodated notable artists including Sylvia Shaw Judson
Sylvia Shaw Judson
Sylvia Shaw Judson , also known as Sylvia Shaw Haskins, was an American sculptor and teacher.-Early life and education:Shaw was born in 1897 in Lake Forest, Illinois, near Chicago, the daughter of prominent Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw. She attended the Westover School in Connecticut. In...
and President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's inaugural poet, Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander is an Australian actress with a number of high profile credits in film, television and theatre.-Personal life:...
.
Lake Forest has been named a Tree City USA
Tree City USA
Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation for cities and towns in the United States.- Requirements :...
by the National Arbor Day Foundation
National Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world's oldest and largest tree-planting organization. The foundation began September 3, 1971 with a mission "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees". The Foundation is supported by donations, selling trees and merchandise, and by corporate sponsors...
in recognition of its commitment to community forest. As of 2006, Lake Forest had received this national honor for 26 years. Mr. T
Mr. T
Mr. T is an American actor known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team, as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and for his appearances as a professional wrestler. Mr. T is known for his trademark African Mandinka warrior hairstyle, his gold jewelry,...
notably angered the town by cutting down more than 100 oak trees on his estate, in what is now referred to as the "Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre."
Commercial development
Commercial development in Lake Forest is focused in three areas, two of which have public railway stations. The central business district includes a Metra commuter railroad station on the Union Pacific/North LineUnion Pacific/North Line
The Union Pacific/North is a commuter rail line in the Chicago metropolitan area that runs between Chicago and Waukegan, Illinois, with some trains continuing to Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is part of the Metra system, but it is operated by the Union Pacific Railroad...
and extends beyond Market Square, providing a mixture of retail, banking, and professional services, as well as restaurants. Market Square is composed of a wide variety of shops and restaurants, including Talbots
Talbots
Talbots is a specialty retailer and direct marketer of women’s classic clothing, shoes and accessories. Established in 1947, the company sells items such as the blazer, trench, white shirt, ballet flats and pearls....
, Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a high-end American consumer retail company that sells kitchenwares, furniture and linens, as well as other housewares and home furnishings, along with a variety of specialty foods, soaps and lotions...
, J. Crew, and Einstein Bros. Bagels
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Einstein Bros. Bagels is a bagel and coffee chain in the United States. As of 2010, there were 587 restaurants with the Einstein Bros. name.Einstein Bros. was created by a chain restaurant corporation, Boston Chicken in 1995, as a way to market breakfast foods...
. The business district to the west includes a Metra commuter railroad station on the Milwaukee District/North Line
Milwaukee District/North Line
The Milwaukee District/North is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs...
and extends beyond Settlers' Square to provide a mixture of retail, banking and professional services, as well as restaurants. A third area of business development, consisting mostly of corporate and office space, extends along the city's northwestern border with the Tri-State Tollway
Tri-State Tollway
The Tri-State Tollway is a U.S. toll road maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in northeastern Illinois which is considered one of the most heavily traveled highways in the country...
.
Lake Forest is known for its strong stance against commercial development. High property taxes have driven out many businesses, especially car dealerships, to neighboring Lake Bluff
Lake Bluff, Illinois
Lake Bluff is a village in Lake County, Illinois. It is the closest moderate-sized town near the Great Lakes Navy Base and is North of Lake Forest. The population is 6,056 according to the 2000 census. The town has a police department and volunteer fire department.-History:In 1836, John and...
. Most notably, Lake Forest Sportscars, one of the only Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
dealerships in Illinois, moved from downtown to its current location on Waukegan Road
Illinois Route 43
Illinois Route 43 is a major north–south state road in the U.S. state of Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 30 in Frankfort north to the large intersection of Illinois Route 120 and U.S...
in Lake Bluff, just across the street from Lake Forest. The McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, located near the Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
station in West Lake Forest, was approved only after significant appearance changes, giving it a "barn-like" appearance. There were plans for a Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
to be built on Illinois Route 60
Illinois Route 60
Illinois Route 60 is an east–west state highway in Lake County, in northeastern Illinois. It connects the village of Volo at Illinois Route 120 just east of Illinois Route 59 with the village of Lake Forest at U.S. Highway 41...
, near the Tri-State Tollway
Tri-State Tollway
The Tri-State Tollway is a U.S. toll road maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in northeastern Illinois which is considered one of the most heavily traveled highways in the country...
in 2005. However, these plans were canceled due to opposition from the city government, local citizens, and the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The headquarters of Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies Tenneco
Tenneco
Tenneco is a $6.2 billion Fortune 500 company that has been publicly traded on the NYSE since November 5, 1999 under the symbol TEN...
, Brunswick
Brunswick Corporation
The Brunswick Corporation , formerly known as the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, is a United States-based corporation that has been involved in manufacturing a wide variety of products since 1845. Brunswick's global headquarters is in the northern Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois...
, and Hospira
Hospira
Hospira, Inc. is a U.S.-based global pharmaceutical and medical device company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois. It has approximately 14,000 employees. Hospira is the world's largest producer of generic injectable pharmaceuticals, manufacturing generic acute-care and oncology...
are located in Lake Forest; Covered Logistics also has its headquarters in Lake Forest, while W.W. Grainger, Inc. and BFG Technologies
BFG Technologies
BFG Technologies was a privately held U.S.-based supplier of power supplies and 3D video cards based on NVIDIA graphics technology and a manufacturer of high-end gaming/home theater computer systems. BFG Technologies branded products were available in North America and Europe at retailers and...
are located in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Lake County, near Lake Forest. The Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
training facility and headquarters, Halas Hall
Halas Hall
Halas Hall is a building complex in Lake Forest, Illinois, that serves as the Chicago Bears' headquarters. The building hosts the team's front office, as well as indoor and outdoor practice facilities. The franchise spent 20 million dollars to build the complex in 1997. It is four miles west of...
, opened in 1997 in west Lake Forest, and the Chicago Fire now train at the Bears' previous facility located on the campus of Lake Forest College. Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
filmed Ordinary People
Ordinary People
Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford. It stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton....
, the story of a Lake Forest family, on location in 1980, and the movie went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
. Silver medal Olympian Matt Grevers
Matt Grevers
Matt Grevers is a professional American swimmer. He is best known for winning the silver medal in the 100 m backstroke at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.-Personal life:...
, Actor Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn
Vincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
, author Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
, and musician Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.- Early life and the Bowl of Fire :...
graduated from Lake Forest High School
Lake Forest High School (Illinois)
Lake Forest High School, or LFHS, is a public four-year high school located in Lake Forest, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Lake Forest Community High School District 115, which serves the communities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff,...
.
Transportation
Lake Forest has Interstate Highway access through the Tri-State TollwayTri-State Tollway
The Tri-State Tollway is a U.S. toll road maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in northeastern Illinois which is considered one of the most heavily traveled highways in the country...
(I-94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
). In addition, the Skokie Highway (U.S. Highway 41) runs through Lake Forest, roughly bisecting the city. Lake Forest is connected with suburbs west of it through Illinois Route 60
Illinois Route 60
Illinois Route 60 is an east–west state highway in Lake County, in northeastern Illinois. It connects the village of Volo at Illinois Route 120 just east of Illinois Route 59 with the village of Lake Forest at U.S. Highway 41...
. Additionally, Lake Forest has two Metra commuter railroad stations, both of which share the same name. The Union Pacific/North Line
Union Pacific/North Line
The Union Pacific/North is a commuter rail line in the Chicago metropolitan area that runs between Chicago and Waukegan, Illinois, with some trains continuing to Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is part of the Metra system, but it is operated by the Union Pacific Railroad...
has a station in East Lake Forest, while the Milwaukee District/North Line
Milwaukee District/North Line
The Milwaukee District/North is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs...
has a station in West Lake Forest.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 20,059 people, 6,687 households, and 5,329 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,189.4 people per square mile (459.1/km²). There were 7,001 housing units at an average density of 415.1 per square mile (160.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.80% White, 1.35% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.45% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 6,687 households out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $150,670, and the median income for a family was more than $200,000. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $44,083 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $77,092. About 0.15% of families and 0.2% of the population were below the poverty line.
Polo
Lake Forest is famous in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for its history of polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
, being once the westernmost establishment of the sport in the United States. 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. Box seats sold for $5.50 and the general public was admitted for $1.10. The Chicago press covered the match extensively, right down to the arrival of every horse and player, the color of the horseflesh and the color of the goalposts. The match was described as a "gleaming moment in American polo, if not the very zenith of the game in this country." Today, Lake Forest continues the tradition, and polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
is played yearly throughout August. In F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
's novel The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....
, Tom Buchanan's polo ponies are said to have been bred in Lake Forest. Furthermore, the character of Daisy Buchanan was based on Fitzgerald's ex-girlfriend Lake Forest resident Ginevra King, whose family brought polo ponies to Lake Forest.
Literature
- The Great GatsbyThe Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....
(novel by F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott FitzgeraldFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
) - A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering GeniusA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering GeniusA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is a memoir by Dave Eggers released in 2000. It chronicles his stewardship of younger brother Christopher "Toph" Eggers following the cancer-related deaths of his parents....
(memoir) - It (novel)It (novel)It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
by Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
: Lake Forest is mentioned early in the book - The Lay of the LandThe Lay of the LandThe Lay of the Land is a 2006 novel by American author Richard Ford. The novel is the third in a trilogy, which began with The Sportswriter and was followed several years later by Independence Day...
(novel) by Richard Ford: Frank Bascombe's in-laws are from Lake Forest{p. 224-26. Knopf, 2006.} - Official Preppy HandbookOfficial Preppy HandbookThe Official Preppy Handbook is a tongue-in-cheek humor reference guide written by Jonathan Roberts, Carol McD. Wallace, Mason Wiley, and Lisa Birnbach. It discusses an aspect of North American culture described as prepdom...
- Ordinary PeopleOrdinary People (novel)Ordinary People is Judith Guest's first novel. Published in 1976, it tells the story of a year in the life of the Jarretts, an affluent suburban family trying to cope with the aftermath of two traumatic events....
(novel) - Pet SemataryPet SemataryPet Sematary is a 1983 horror novel by Stephen King. It was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and was later made into a film of the same name.-Plot:...
(novel by Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
) - Her Fearful SymmetryHer Fearful SymmetryHer Fearful Symmetry is the second novel by author Audrey Niffenegger.The book was released on 1 October 2009 and is set in London's Highgate Cemetery where, during research for the book, Niffenegger acted as a tour guide.-The title:...
(novel by Audrey NiffeneggerAudrey NiffeneggerAudrey Niffenegger is an American writer, artist and academic.-Writing:A film version of Niffenegger's debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife , starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, was released in August 2009.She has also written a graphic novel, or "novel in pictures" as Niffenegger calls it,...
) - The Lovers of the Poor (poem by Gwendolyn BrooksGwendolyn BrooksGwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet. She was appointed Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968 and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1985.-Biography:...
)
Film
- Cheaper by the Dozen 2Cheaper by the Dozen 2Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a 2005 film produced by 20th Century Fox. It is the sequel to the family comedy film Cheaper by the Dozen . Shawn Levy, the director of the first film, did not return as director for this sequel, which was instead directed by Adam Shankman . Levy was a producer of the film...
(film), Lake Forest is where Jimmy Murtaugh's children go to a private school - Class (film)Class (film)Class is a 1983 American movie that was directed by Lewis John Carlino, the writer/director of the 1979 film The Great Santini. It features the film debuts of actors Andrew McCarthy, John Cusack, Virginia Madsen, Lolita Davidovich, and Alan Ruck....
- Damien: Omen IIDamien: Omen IIDamien: Omen II, is a 1978 American horror film directed by Don Taylor, starring William Holden, Lee Grant, and Jonathan Scott-Taylor. The film was the second installment in The Omen series, set seven years after the first film, and was followed by a third installment, Omen III: The Final Conflict,...
(film) - Ferris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
(film): parts of movie filmed in uptown Lake Forest - Four FriendsFour Friends (film)Four Friends is a 1981 American drama film directed by Arthur Penn. The semi-autobiographical screenplay by Steve Tesich follows the path of the title characters from high school to college during the often turbulent 1960s and beyond.-Plot synopsis:...
(film) - Girls Just Want to Have Fun (film)Girls Just Want to Have Fun (film)Girls Just Want to Have Fun is a 1985 dance film starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt, directed by Alan Metter.It resembles the style of Footloose and Flashdance. For many years, Comedy Central, Lifetime, USA Network, Lifetime Movie Network and ABC Family have aired the film...
: Sarah Jessica Parker's snobby rival Natalie is from Lake Forest - Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film)Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film)Miracle on 34th Street is a 1994 American fantasy film directed by Les Mayfield. It is the fourth remake of the original 1947 film. Like the original, this film was released by 20th Century Fox...
- Ocean's TwelveOcean's TwelveOcean's Twelve is a 2004 American crime comedy film, the sequel to 2001's Ocean's Eleven. Like its predecessor, which was a remake of the 1960 film Ocean's 11, the film used a celebrity ensemble cast. It was released in the United States on December 10, 2004. A third film, Ocean's Thirteen, was...
(film) - Ordinary PeopleOrdinary PeopleOrdinary People is a 1980 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford. It stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton....
(film) - The Package (film)
- Public Enemies (film) parts of movie filmed in Barat CollegeBarat CollegeBarat College of the Sacred Heart was a small Catholic college located in Lake Forest, Illinois, 30 miles north of Chicago. The college was named after Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart...
- The Razor's Edge (1946 film)The Razor's Edge (1946 film)The Razor's Edge is the first film version of W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel. It was released in 1946 and stars Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, John Payne, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Herbert Marshall, supporting cast Lucile Watson, Frank Latimore and Elsa Lanchester. Marshall plays Somerset Maugham....
- Uncle BuckUncle BuckUncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
(film) - A WeddingA WeddingA Wedding is a 1978 black comedy film directed by Robert Altman, starring Carol Burnett, Lillian Gish, Geraldine Chaplin, Vittorio Gassman, Mia Farrow, Lauren Hutton, Craig Richard Nelson, Pam Dawber, Desi Arnaz, Jr., Paul Dooley, Dennis Christopher, and Howard Duff...
(film), directed by Robert Altman - A Nightmare on Elm StreetA Nightmare on Elm StreetA Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film...
(film), directed by Samuel Bayer - The Unborn (2009 film)