The Little Forest Hills neighborhood of just under 1000 homes in East Dallas, TX is located on the southeast side of White Rock Lake across from Garland Road and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and adjacent to the neighboring subdivision of Forest Hills.  In addition to being a popular neighborhood for homeowners because of its proximity to White Rock Lake and many other East Dallas attractions, Little Forest Hills is also known for its eclectic architecture and is well-known as a hot-spot for local artists and musicians.  Residents of Little Forest Hills are very protective of its charming and eclectic mix of homes built in the early 20^th century.  Little Forest Hills was also once named “The Best Neighborhood in Dallas” by the Dallas Observer.

The Little Forest Hills Neighborhood is the area bordered by Lakeland road on the southwest, Garland road on the northwest, the railroad tracks to the southeast and Old Gate Lane on the northeast.   Several legal subdivisions lie within the subjective boundaries of Little Forest Hills, including Broadvu, Lake Crest, Lakeland Terrace, Shamrock Shores and Shamrock Shores 02.  The neighborhood is easily identifiable by the sign toppers located on most street signs in the area that say “Little Forest Hills”.

Little Forest Hills is located entirely in the 75218 zip code.  The post office that serves Little Forest Hills and the 75218 zip code is located a short drive from Little Forest Hills at the intersection of Buckner and Redondo Drive.  Little Forest Hills lies in Dallas City Council district 9.

History of Little Forest Hills

Prior to 1910, the area known today as Little Forest Hills was a mixture of farmland and wooded areas.   After construction of White Rock Lake was completed in 1910, the city of Dallas began several projects which increased recreational appeal of the area and helped spur residential development.   Homes began popping up in the 1920s and development accelerated throughout the 1930s until the late 1950s when the vast majority of lots were built out.  Many original homes still remain in Little Forest Hills and the neighborhood has a variety of home styles.

Little Forest Hills Neighborhood

The Little Forest Hills neighborhood has some very unique characteristics that attract homebuyers seeking a small town feel and charm.  The rolling hills are lined with large, mature trees and homeowners proudly display many artsy landscape designs in their yards.  Many people say the area does not “feel like Dallas” because of the unique feel of the neighborhood.  Many streets are exceptionally wide and have large sidewalks.  Parking is not allowed on some streets.   The neighborhood lies across from White Rock Lake and the Dallas Arboretum, both of which are within walking distance for most residents of Little Forest Hills.

Homes in Little Forest Hills

Little Forest Hills is known for its wide variety of architectural styles of homes in the neighborhood, including some very unique contemporary/modern style homes.   Most of Little Forest Hills consists of original homes, but several new homes have been built in recent years.  The majority of the original homes are one-story cottages with pier and beam foundations.  The homes in Little Forest Hills add to its already charming and unique personality.

The lot sizes in Little Forest Hills are relatively small compared to the neighboring subdivisions of Forest Hills and Casa Linda Estates but the smaller lot sizes help to make homes in Little Forest Hills affordable.  Lots typically average around .20 acres but lots of a half-acre or more exist in parts of the neighborhood.

Homes in Little Forest Hills have a wide range of actual and effective ages.  From 1/1/2006-9/30/2011, the average home that sold in Forest Hills was built in 1950.  Many homes in the neighborhood have been significantly remodeled which makes their effective age much less than their actual age.   Home sizes typically range from 1000-1500 square feet and almost all homes are less than 3000 square feet.   The majority of homes have either two or three bedrooms and most have at least two full bathrooms.    Two car garages are common, but some homes may only have a one car garage and a few have garage conversions and may either have a carport or no covered parking.  Swimming pools are relatively rare in the neighborhood, with only three of the 250 sales in the last six years having pools.  There are quite a few homes in Little Forest Hills that have guest quarters and/or garage apartments.

Little Forest Hills Neighborhood Association

Little Forest Hills has a voluntary neighborhood association consisting of homeowners and residents that volunteer their time to preserve the character of Little Forest Hills.  Membership in the association is voluntary but a significant number of home owners donate their time and money to the cause.   Little Forest Hills also has a website dedicated to  reuniting lots pets with their families and encourages residents to participate by posting pictures of lost and found pets.   The neighborhood association also hosts an annual 4^th of July parade where residents are encouraged to decorate their bicycles and floats with red, white and blue and participate in the parade which runs through the neighborhood.

The neighborhood association publishes a quarterly newsletter with information about happenings in the area and updates about various neighborhood projects and events.  Residents can also join the Little Forest Hills Facebook page to keep up with all the happenings in the neighborhood and East Dallas area.

Neighborhood Association and other Little Forest Hills neighborhood links:

Little Forest Hills Neighborhood Association

Little Forest Hills Animal Alert Page

Little Forest Hills Neighborhood Association Facebook Page

Little Forest Hills Neighborhood Schools

Public Schools: Forest Hills is served entirely by the Dallas Independent School District.

Elementary School (K-5) – The Little Forest Hills neighborhood is served by Sanger Elementary School which is located in the neighborhood at 8410 San Leandro Drive.  Source: DISD Attendance Zone Map for Sanger Elementary 2011-2012 School Year

Middle School (6-8) – The Little Forest Hills neighborhood is served by Gaston Middle School which is located in the adjacent subdivision of Casa Linda Estates.  Source: DISD Attendance Zone Map for Gaston Middle School 2011-2012 School Year

High School (9-12) – The Little Forest Hills neighborhood is served by Bryan Adams High School which is located in an adjacent neighborhood.  Source: DISD Attendance Zone Map for Bryan Adams High School 2011-2012 School Year

NOTE: This information is from school years 2011-2012 and was taken from third parties and I take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.  Please verify the correct schools for a specific street address by using the DISD School Lookup by Home Address service.

Life in Little Forest Hills

Residents of Little Forest Hills enjoy living in a hub of recreation, shopping and dining opportunities that East Dallas has to offer its residents.

Shopping / Dining.  Little 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 – Little 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 Little 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 is walking distance for many residents.
• White Rock Lake and adjacent parks are a short walk or bike ride for most residents – 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.
• Casa Linda Park is a public park located on the northeast side of Little Forest Hills at the intersection of Old Gate Lane and Eustis Avenue.  The park features children’s playground equipment, a softball field, and basketball court.

 Residents of Little 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 Little Forest Hills.

 Little Forest Hills Real Estate Market Data and Charts

Median Sales Price (12 Month Moving Average):

Median Sales Price per Square Foot (12 Month Moving Average):

Median Sales Price by Number of Bedrooms (12 Month Moving Average):

Median Price per Square Foot by Number of Bedrooms (12 Month Moving Average):

Average Days on Market (12 Month Moving Average):

 

Average List Price to Sales Price Ratio (12 Month Moving Average):

Months Supply of Homes (12 Month Moving Average):

** DISCLAIMER: All data provided by NTREIS.  Information deemed reliable but not 100% accurate.