The Village of Park Forest, located 30 miles south of downtown Chicago, is a diverse community of 21,975 people. Founded by Nathan Manilow, Carroll F. Sweet and Philip M. Klutznick in 1948, Park Forest was initially designed as a planned community for World War II veterans.
Since its inception, the Village has received numerous honors and recognitions. It has twice been named an “All-American City” by the National Civic League, it has received two Governors Hometown Awards from the State of Illinois, it was presented the Burnham Award for Excellence for the Downtown Park Forest Master Plan and received the Congress for New Urbanism’s Illinois Charter Award for Best Town Plan. Additionally, Forbes Magazine named Park Forest as one of America’s Most Livable Suburbs, Business Insider ranked it third in the nation in affordable housing, and the Chicago Sun-Times recognized it as a leader in affordable housing.
Park Forest features 2,000 acres of parks, recreation facilities and open land, among the largest per capita in Illinois. The Aqua Center, Park Forest Tennis & Health Club, Central Park Wetlands and Freedom Hall are popular amenities in the community. The Village hosts its Main Street Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings from May through October, the Main Street Nights free music festival on Wednesday evenings in the summer and the highly acclaimed Tall Grass Arts Fair every September.