$753,442Average Value$322Average Price per Sq Ft5Homes For Sale
From farmland to one of Durham’s first suburbs
What was once farmland less than 2 miles south of downtown Durham is now the historic Forest Hills neighborhood. Developed in the early 1920s as one of the city’s first automobile suburbs, this community on the National Register of Historic Places was designed to attract working professionals seeking respite from the city center. Developers created curving streets to connect spacious lots filled with trees. A clubhouse and pool would eventually accent a central golf course. While the golf course is no longer there, Forest Hills' namesake green space remains a big draw, and new residents here are welcomed into a connected community. “I love the camaraderie, the ambiance and the friendliness and cooperativeness of the neighbors,” says Moe Berry, who’s lived in the neighborhood for more than 40 years and is an active member of the Forest Hills Neighborhood Association. “We have a listserv, and when someone needs something, they put it up and get five to 10 answers from different people,” says Berry, who is known as the heart and soul of the community, according to FHNA president Michael Lemanski.
Forest Hills' namesake green space remains a big draw, and new residents here are welcomed into a connected community.
Forest Hills Park is a 45.86 acre park located in East Central Durham.
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Historic homes and a new vision for the Pinecrest estate
Forest Hills' wide and curving streets flow up and over hills shrouded with the branches of mature trees. Sidewalks line some roads, but thin curbs frame most. “A lot of people walk in this neighborhood,” Berry says. "There’s a path through the park, but people walk on the street. There’s not a lot of traffic in the morning." The neighborhood’s smallest homes include early 20th-century bungalows and cottages, along with midcentury ranch-style homes resting on lots that can reach nearly a half-acre. Garden beds and ornamental trees adorn well-kept front yards. These properties cost between $300,000 and $875,000. Forest Hills is also known for its collection of classical architecture, with stately Colonial Revivals and storybook Tudor Revivals sitting next to grand Federal and Neoclassical-style estates. These large homes often top 3,000 square feet and range from $900,000 to about $2 million. With Forest Hills often high on homebuyers' lists, competition for a house here is stiff. “There is not a lot of turnover in the housing," Berry says. "People come and stay. For the last few years, it’s been word of mouth. There aren’t too many homes that go on the market and sit there."
Once the Pinecrest development is complete, the neighborhood will feature dozens of new homes. Marked as a modern urban village, the community is being built on the historic Pinecrest estate, a 10-acre property once owned by Mary Duke Biddle. (Duke University is named after her family.) The 38 detached homes and six townhouses in Pinecrest will be Tudor Revival in design, honoring the historic mansion that still stands on the property today and is set for restoration. Work for the new community began in January 2023, with no completion date set.
Forest Hills is also known for its collection of classical architecture, with stately Colonial Revivals.
Forest Hills has smallest homes include early 20th-century bungalows and cottages.
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A central neighborhood green space near the American Tobacco Trail
Forest Hills Park, built around Third Fork Creek during the neighborhood's development, initially featured a nine-hole golf course. Today, the greens are open spaces for pickup games of flag football and soccer. Typical city park amenities, like a public pool and playground, sit in the park’s center alongside a clubhouse that's often rented out for parties. The neighborhood has its own entrance to the American Tobacco Trail, a broad, paved path stretching for more than 22 miles along a former CSX railroad route. Popular with cyclists and runners, it's often used to reach downtown Durham on foot. Several other parks are less than a mile from the neighborhood, including Lyon Park, which features a baseball field and basketball courts connected by a walking path. It’s also home to the Durham Teen Center at Lyon Park, which offers free drop-in youth programming.
Forest Hills has it's own entrance to the American Tobacco Trail.
Forest Hills park has many amenities, like tennis courts and a pool.
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The annual Turkey Trot, neighborhood clubs and giving back
The Forest Hills Neighborhood Association sponsors community events year-round, from beautifying the area with organized cleanups to the annual meet and greet, where new residents meet longtime neighbors. Berry says one of the group's biggest events is the Turkey Trot, held in the community's namesake park on the morning of Thanksgiving. “This year, we had about 120 people having donuts and coffee after a walk of about three-quarters of a mile," he says, "and we’ve done that since 1986.” The neighborhood has social groups, including garden and book clubs. There’s also a love for philanthropy. “We do a charitable event every year," Berry says. "We donate money to Trees for Durham, so our park will plant new trees, up to 200 per year.”
Trendy eateries along the 15-501
The neighborhood shopping center, Forest Hills, features Compare Foods and several local businesses and services, including a laundromat. Food Lion anchors the Shoppes at Lakewood, less than 2 miles away. Cocoa Cinnamon, a Latina-owned coffee shop with décor that transports customers to Latin America, sits across the street. “A lot of people get their coffee at Cocoa Cinnamon and then go across the street to shop,” says Stacy Slone, a Realtor with Keller Williams Elite Realty who’s lived in Durham for decades. Several beloved local restaurants line Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard nearby, often called the 15-501. Foster’s Market was started by Sara Foster, who worked with Martha Stewart. Guglhupf serves German dishes and baked goods, while barbecue is the specialty at the Original Q Shack. With downtown Durham a little over a mile away, residents often head by foot or car into the city center for a night out. The area features The Bullpen, a social district where of-age residents can walk around with open beer, wine and cocktails from designated bars and breweries.
Cocoa Cinnamon, a Latina-owned coffee shop is a great place to grab a sweet treat and coffee in the Forest Hills neighborhood.
Guglhupf serves German dishes and baked goods, in the Forest Hills neighborhood.
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Morehead Montessori and two universities nearby
Durham Public Schools offers school choice, and Berry says many people apply through the lottery system to get into the neighborhood’s assigned elementary school, Morehead Montessori. It earns an overall rating of B-plus from Niche and sits about a mile north of Forest Hills. “Kids ride their bikes there,” Berry says. "It’s a good school and a good community. They do a lot of extracurriculars and plays." Brogden Middle gets a C and offers a dual language immersion program where students build on the Spanish they learned throughout elementary school. Jordan High receives a B-plus. Its career and technical education pathway helps students explore careers in various fields, such as agricultural sciences, hospitality and tourism, and sports marketing and entrepreneurship. Nearby private options include the A-plus-rated Camelot Academy and the B-plus-rated Mount Zion Christian Academy. Both schools offer kindergarten through 12th grade.
Forest Hills sits between two higher education institutions: the private Duke University, ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the sixth-best university in the nation, and North Carolina Central University, a historically Black university that the publication rates as the country's 15th-best HBCU. Social sciences and criminal justice are North Carolina Central's two most awarded degrees.
Children get into the Morehead Montessori Magnet by lottery in the Forest Hills neighborhood.
Forest Hills sits between two higher education institutions: the private Duke University, and NCCU.
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Getting around Bull City
Forest Hills is within walking distance of downtown Durham, and while Berry says residents will walk to the city center, it’s more common to drive around. U.S. Route 15-501 runs through the center of the neighborhood, and it’s a main road through the region, used to reach destinations such as Chapel Hill, roughly 10 miles southwest. The Durham Freeway is nearby for the roughly 8-mile commute to Research Triangle Park, which hosts hundreds of top companies, including IBM and LabCorp. GoDurham’s Route 7 buses stop in the neighborhood, and cyclists can use the American Tobacco Trail to take an alternate route through the city. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is about 14 miles away, offering nonstop flights to dozens of destinations, including New York City and Los Angeles.
Forest Hills is within walking distance of downtown Durham.
Forest Hills is a roughly 8-mile commute to Research Triangle Park, which hosts hundreds of top companies, including IBM and Lenovo.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Jeff Stevenson,
an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Parks in this Area
Forest Hills Park
Bike Trails
Grills
Picnic Area
Transit
Airport
Raleigh-Durham International
22 min drive
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Forest Hills
US
Homicide
5
4
Sexual Assault
5
4
Assault with Weapon
5
4
Robbery
6
4
Burglary
8
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
7
4
Larceny
8
4
Crime Score
7
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Forest Hills, Durham sell after 42 days on the market compared to the national average of 47 days. The average sale price for homes in Forest Hills, Durham over the last 12 months is $941,488, up 46% from the average home sale price over the previous 12 months.
BRING YOUR VISION. FLOOR PLAN APPROVED THROUGH THE CITY OF DURHAM. Forest Hills! Floor plan includes 5 bedrooms (4 bedrooms on main level), 1 in basement, Office, GYM, Wine Cellar, Family Room, Living Room! 4 bathrooms! Carolina Basement completed waterproofing (permitted) basement 2023. Plumbing rough-in approved through City of Durham. Electric rough-in approved through City of Durham. HVAC
Tucked on one of the premier lots in Forest Hills, 1603 Hermitage offers an extraordinary blend of historic charm and modern comfort. Built in ~1930 this 2-story Colonial Revival is rich with original character - fanlight entry, weatherboard siding, and a graceful pedimented porch. Set on a rare combined double lot, the home unfolds with mature, thoughtfully designed landscaping that blooms
Are you looking for a one level Ranch home located in a family neighborhood convenient to everything? Look no more! This home built in 1979, has been totally updated with new flooring, a renovated kitchen with SS appliances, shiplap and quartz countertops. The primary bedroom has a private bath with walkin shower and double vanity and 2 walkin closets. The family room has built in cabinets with
AVAILABLE EARLY-MID JULY 2025! Adorable cottage with a sleeping loft! Tiny house features lofted ceiling with ceiling fan, heat and AC, and tile floors. This dollhouse is fully furnished with a full bed in the loft and a sleeper sofa in the main living area. Kitchenette features a microwave, hot plate, toaster oven, small fridge. Stack washer/dryer is in the unit. Full bath with shower-renovated
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Jeff Stevenson,
an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
1,283
Median Age
43
Population under 18
23.1%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
18.9%
On par with the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$143,144
Significantly above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$163,187
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
97.6%
College Graduates
78.7%
Significantly above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
50.6%
Significantly above the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
71%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
49''
Average Winter Low Temperature
28°F
Average Summer High Temperature
86°F
Annual Snowfall
0''
Area Factors
Bikeable
Bike Score®
56/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
44/ 100
Some Transit
Transit Score®
37/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
