Hub for metro Atlanta economic opportunities
Economic opportunity surrounds Forest Park, from the world’s busiest airport just to the west – Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport – and Gillem Logistics Center, a growing industrial park to the east. Within Gillem Logistics Center, Kroger has a distribution facility, and Blue Star Studios is building out its campus, bringing additional jobs. This industrial park is in a prime location for transportation along Forest Parkway and Jonesboro Road, the city’s main thoroughfares. Residents use the same routes to reach neighborhood attractions, including Starr Park and the Atlanta State Farmers Market. As a hub for entertainment and travel, Forest Park’s population fluctuates, with 51% renting in the community. The Census Bureau estimates that in 2022, the population hovered around 19,400 people, a 1.9% decrease since 2020.
Homes hugging Forest Parkway
Ranch-style houses join mature oak trees along neighborhood streets. Unless they live next to Starr Park, where sidewalks connect residents with greenspace, homeowners depend on a car to reach parks and shopping centers along Jonesboro Road. Subdivisions spread across the city’s center, divided into sections north and south of Forest Parkway. The Monticello subdivision is joining this mix of development along this parkway, bringing new townhouses. Single-family homes list for a median price of $205,000 – selling on average at $159 per square foot – while the median townhouse list price is slightly more than $340,000. Clayton County's home values are already significantly below the national average, and this city’s houses are more than $60,000 below that average.
Farmers markets and Southlake Mall
Locals shop for everyday necessities along Jonesboro Road to the east, including groceries, at the Piggly Wiggly or Lake City International Farmers Market. Whether picking up fast food or sitting down at Pho Dai Loi next to Global Plaza, residents appreciate having a selection. Atlanta State Farmers Market in the city’s northwest corner sits on 146 acres, with merchants selling produce, cheeses and meats to the public and restaurants. Six miles south at Southlake Mall, shoppers browse big-name retailers, then rest and refuel at the food court.
Starlight Drive-in screens and bowling shoes
From Starlight Drive-in Theatre and Flea Market to Funtime Bowl, residents do not travel far outside Forest Park to find an outlet for their hobbies. Since 1949, Starlight has shown movies from the big screens – not only surviving the mass closings of drive-ins across the country during the late 1950s but also defying the odds and expanding. Funtime Bowl also boasts a retro feel, with 24 lanes and a snack bar ready to meet the demands of hungry bowlers.
Clayton County schools and bilingual instruction
Students may study at one of five elementary schools, two junior high schools and one senior high school within the Clayton County Public Schools District. Unidos Dual Language School – one elementary school option where learners are taught lessons in Spanish and English – and the district each earns an overall Grade C from Niche. Residents may also access metro Atlanta private schools, including Woodward Academy in College Park, which earns a Grade A-plus from Niche and is rated the No. 5 best private high school in Georgia. After graduating high school, many students in the county schools go on to attend Georgia State University, University of Georgia, or Clayton State University, which is just southeast of the city off Forest Parkway.
Starr Park, swimming pool and nature preserve
Baseball players bat and tennis players rally in the city’s center at Starr Park. The park is not only a place for competitive spirits but also independent fun, with a public swimming pool where the community splashes away. Parents watch from park benches over at the park’s playground while children pretend to be aviators and drivers in the structures next to the swings. Lake City Park also has a playground where children rock around on the seesaw and climb the playset as parents walk the track that circles the equipment or watch on from the covered picnic tables. When looking to enjoy the outdoors at a slower pace, hikers explore three miles of pine and oak trails at Reynolds Nature Preserve in the city’s southeast corner.
Forest Parkway, interstates and runways
Located less than 12 miles south of Atlanta at the intersection of Interstate 75 along the western edge and Interstate 285 along the northern neck, Forest Park positions commuters at a point of convenience. While Jonesboro Road grants access to grocery stores and restaurants, it also connects south to Morrow and north to downtown Atlanta. Residents arrive at local hotspots, including Starr Park, by hopping on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) along Jonesboro Road or Forest Parkway, which runs west and east through the city’s center. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is only a 9-mile drive west to catch domestic and international flights, connecting travelers to over 150 destinations.
Other information
While Forest Park's crime rates are higher than the national average, the city is working towards lowering its rates by implementing community policing initiatives. Forest Park earns an overall Grade D from Crime Grade, which calculates that violent crime rates are 7.44 per 1,000 residents while property crime rates are 36.10 per 1,000 residents. Through the Citizens Police Academy, neighborhood watch and Triad – a group focused on reducing crimes against seniors – the police educate the community about their jobs and teach residents how to lower their risks of being victimized.
