The Forest Hills neighborhood of East Dallas, TX is located on the southeast side of White Rock Lake across from Garland Road and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.  The neighborhood is very established and has been a highly sought-after neighborhood because of its proximity to White Rock Lake, abundance of recreational and outdoor activities as well as the unique characteristics of the homes and the neighborhood itself.

Forest Hills is located in the 75218 zip code and is in Dallas City Council district 9.  The post office that serves 75218 is located a short distance from Forest Hills at the intersection of Buckner Boulevard and Redondo Drive close to the Casa Linda Shopping Center.

The Forest Hills Neighborhood is the area bordered by Garland Road and White Rock Lake to the northwest, Lakeland Drive to the northeast, the railroad tracks to the southeast and Highland Road to the southwest.  The neighborhood consists entirely of the subdivision that bears the same name – Forest Hills.   The neighborhood is easily identifiable by the sign toppers located on most street signs in the area.

History of Forest Hills

Prior to 1910, the area known today as Forest Hills was a mixture of farmland and wooded areas.  The seeds for residential growth and development for neighborhoods in the East Dallas area were planted when White Rock Lake was built in 1910.  The city of Dallas created White Rock Lake Park in 1929 and many public recreational facilities were created during the 1930s, which made the area a hot-spot for wealthy Dallasites looking to build second and vacation homes outside of the city (at the time, the White Rock Lake Area was considered to be far outside of the city).

Residential development in the Forest Hills area began as early as the mid 1920s and early 1930s and accelerated significantly during the late 1940s through the mid 1960s.  Because of the age of homes in the area, several homes have been torn down and new ones built in their place.  A significant number of new homes were built between 2000 and 2010 in the area by custom builders.

Forest Hills Neighborhood

The Forest Hills neighborhood has some especially unique characteristics that appeal to many homebuyers.  Many streets are exceptionally wide and have large sidewalks.  Parking is not allowed on some streets.  Residents enjoy views of White Rock Lake and the downtown skyline upon entering and leaving the neighborhood, and some homes along Garland Road have lake views.  The neighborhood lies directly across from White Rock Lake and the Dallas Arboretum, so residents enjoy easy access to parks, biking and jogging trails and all of the events and festivities that happen at the Arboretum.

Forest Hills Homes and Neighborhood

Forest Hills has a wide variety of home styles, ranging from one story ranch style homes and mid-century moderns to several contemporary homes built in the last 10-15 years by custom home builders.  Other home styles in Forest Hills include some Tudors, Southwestern, Mediterranean,  Early American and Colonial.   Many of the homes were built on pier and beam foundations.

The lot sizes in Forest Hills are large compared to many other neighborhoods in East Dallas.  Lots in Forest Hills have a variety of sizes- Quarter and half acre lots are quite common and a few lots exist that are over one acre.

Homes in Forest Hills have a wide range of actual and effective ages.  From 2006-2013, the average home that sold in Forest Hills was built in 1962.  Many older homes have been significantly remodeled and/or have had additions built at some point.   Homes range in size from around 1,000 square feet to over 6,000 square feet.  Many older homes have between three and four bedrooms and two and three full bathrooms, but a few older homes exist that have only two bedrooms and one full bathroom.  Several of the newer homes that were built within the last 10-15 years have five bedrooms and may have as many as five full bathrooms as well as additional half-baths.   Most homes in the neighborhood that were built after the mid 1950s have two car garages although a few may only have carports or a one car garage.  Many of the newer homes have three and four car garages.   Several homes, including many that were built in the mid 20^th century, have swimming pools.  There are also some homes that have guest quarters.

Forest Hills Neighborhood Association

Forest Hills has one of the most active volunteer neighborhood associations in East Dallas.  Membership in the association is voluntary but a significant number of home owners participate and volunteer their time to plan neighborhood social events, preservation and beautification projects and other volunteer programs that help to make Forest Hills a charming and vibrant place to call home.   The Forest Hills Neighborhood Association is also a recognized volunteer organization and volunteers can receive credit hours for community service.  The neighborhood has a garden club, a senior citizens program to assist elderly residents with getting food and caring for pets when they are ill and participates in the Adopt-A-Shoreline program where residents pick up trash on a monthly basis.   The neighborhood also has a security program funded by donations from Forest Hills residents that pays for off-duty patrols by Dallas Police Officers that’s been operating in the neighborhood since 2003.

The association is very organized and has a number of volunteers that coordinate the various programs and social events.   Their website has lots of helpful information about the neighborhood and East Dallas community.  The website also has a lost-and-found section for neighborhood pets as well as a “children’s network” that allows parents to sign up for information about neighborhood babysitters, nannys and setting up co-op play dates with other parents in the neighborhood.   They also have a Facebook page where users can stay up-to-date with all that’s happening in Forest Hills.

Neighborhood Association and other Forest Hills neighborhood links:

Forest Hills Neighborhood Association

Forest Hills Neighborhood Association Membership Information

Forest Hills Neighborhood Security Program

Forest Hills Neighborhood Association Facebook Page

Life in Forest Hills

Residents of Forest Hills have access to a wide variety of options for outdoor and recreational activities as well as shopping, dining and entertainment.

Shopping / Dining.  Forest Hills is located in the heart of East Dallas and offers many choices for retail shopping and dining:

• Casa Linda Plaza is located a short drive away at Buckner and Garland road.  The shopping center has many restaurants and stores, including Albertsons and the recently opened Natural Grocers, which specializes in natural and organic foods.
• Shopping centers line both sides of Garland road that have many retail shops and restaurants.
• Lakewood Village shopping center is just a short drive down Gaston Road.   The Lakewood area features an abundance of restaurants, bars and specialty stores, including Whole Foods.
• Short drive from many other areas of Dallas that have some of the best shopping and dining establishments in the country.

Entertainment / Nightlife – Forest Hills is also close to many areas of Dallas that have year-round entertainment options for children and adults.

•  The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens – Located just across Garland Road from Forest Hills.  Events including concerts, art shows, seasonal garden attractions and festivals.
• Dallas Arts District – A short distance away on the northeast side of downtown Dallas.
• Very close to Lakewood Village, Lower Greenville and Knox-Henderson areas with tons of entertainment and nightlife.  Deep Ellum, Fair Park and downtown are also a few miles away.

Parks and Recreation:

• St. Frances Park located just east of the neighborhood.  Walking distance for many.
• White Rock Lake and adjacent parks – Enjoy easy access to the White Rock trails and parks.
• Santa Fe Bike and Jogging Trail – Trail that was opened this year and runs from the south side of White Rock Lake to Deep Ellum and close to downtown.  City plans are in the works to extend the trail closer to downtown and make it easy to connect with Katy Trail.

Residents of Forest Hills enjoy easy access to major thoroughfares and public transportation options in Dallas.

• Garland Road turns into Grand Avenue and connects with Interstate 30 a few miles to the south.  635 is accessible by taking Garland Road north and Gaston Avenue provides easy access to other parts of East Dallas and the downtown area.
• DART Rail – White Rock Station located on the northwest side of White Rock Lake connects you with DART’s 72 mile light-rail system that spans into downtown and many suburbs.  The train is bike friendly and some trains have bike racks.
• DART provides bus service throughout the greater Dallas area and has bus stops on Garland Road and Gaston Road close to Forest Hills.

Forest Hills Real Estate Market Data and Charts

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** DISCLAIMER: All data provided by NTREIS.  Information deemed reliable but not accurate.