Lake Forest, Illinois 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 town is renowned for its public schools - and most recent famous high school graduates include Olympic medalist Matt Grevers, author Dave Eggers, and actor Vince Vaughn. The family-focused town also offers several private and parochial schools at both elementary and secondary levels, including 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 and safe places to live in the entire Chicago metropolitan area.