Forest Park
Neighborhood in Springfield, Massachusetts
Hampden County 01106, 01108
Owning a piece of Springfield history
Forest Park is known for its stock of large single-family homes, duplexes and occasional three-family properties. Most were built during Springfield’s heyday as an industrial center in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and industrialists and CEOs were among the earliest residents. Queen Anne, Craftsman and Colonial Revival homes offer wraparound porches, second-level balconies and striking paint jobs that pair blue and orange, purple and white or burgundy and green. Most homes are more than a century old, but Bolen says the quality of the construction has endured over the decades. Her 1912 home was 100 years old when she moved in. “As soon as we walked across the threshold, my partner said there’s nothing but minor repairs and cosmetic repairs for this house.” Many homes on the west side are in the Forest Park Heights Historic District, so homeowners there must get approval from the Springfield Historical Commission to modify the exterior of their houses. The small lots average less than a fifth of an acre, but houses commonly have five-plus bedrooms and multiple bathrooms. Swallow says the relative affordability of these large homes often motivates buyers from larger markets to move to Springfield, and cash offers from distant buyers can muddy the waters of an already competitive market. “You can get a 3,000-square-foot home for $350,000 to $400,000 right now, which is incredible compared to Northampton, Boston or upstate New York.” Single-family home prices typically fall between $200,000 and $450,000, with some homes near Forest Park selling in the $500,000s. Multifamily homes with four-plus units cost between $550,000 and $900,000.
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Room for privacy in Forest Park
Forest Park’s namesake isn’t a typical park. Among 736 acres of white pine forests and lakes, wallabies and bison reside at The Zoo at Forest Park, hockey leagues play on the ice of Cyr Arena and an 1890s carriage house hosts weddings. Forest Park also has baseball fields, tennis courts and nearly 2 miles of trails. Bakers and farmers set up a farmers market on Saturdays. “Forest Park is big, but it’s never really busy,” Swallow says. “It’s the exact experience of Central Park in New York City. You’ll see people playing sports and having picnics, but it’s still quiet.” Winter brings sub-freezing temperatures and snowfall to Western Massachusetts, but the neighborhood is within 2 miles of Springfield Museums. The complex of five art and history museums is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. There’s indoor entertainment in Forest Park, too. In 2024, 52 Sumner opened inside a 125-year-old church, creating a venue where Latin Fusion acts, Irish country artists and tribute bands take the stage.
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White Street School adds new playground
There are several public schools in Forest Park. White Street School teaches kindergartners through fifth graders, and it added a new playground in 2024. Niche grades White Street School a C, giving nearby Forest Park Middle School a C-minus. Students can apply to attend any Springfield Public Schools high school, including Central High School 3 miles away. The B-minus-rated school emphasizes science, technology, engineering, arts and math education through features such as an aeronautics engineering-focused Air Force JROTC program and a TV studio that hosts digital video production classes.Christmas lights and neighborhood block parties
One time of year when Forest Park gets busy is December; thousands of visitors drive through the park to see 700,000 lights in the shapes of dinosaurs, a Victorian village and Dr. Seuss characters. Bright Nights at Forest Park has drawn 7 million people from across the country since 1995. The event is a Springfield tradition, but Bolen says neighborhood residents often associate it with the traffic it creates. “We don’t plan to drive on Sumner Avenue in the evenings for those couple of weeks.” The Forest Park Civic Association organizes other events to bring together as many of the neighborhood’s 25,000 residents as possible. For example, the volunteer-run civic association has put on Illumination Night for more than 30 years. The summertime block party rotates its location annually, bringing live music, games and porch decorating contests to different streets every year.
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Next to Interstate 91
A compact development pattern, abundant sidewalks and a wide selection of businesses make many sections of Forest Park walkable or bikeable. It’s still common for residents to own cars, and Interstate 91 connects the neighborhood to downtown Springfield, 2 miles north, and Hartford, 25 miles south. Baystate Medical Center is just off the interstate 4 miles north of Forest Park. I-91 also leads to Bradley International Airport, 20 miles from Forest Park. Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus stops are located throughout the neighborhood, so residents can reach downtown Springfield’s shops, restaurants and museums in less than half an hour.Walking to businesses at the X
Most of Forest Park’s retail and restaurant options sit at an intersection known as the X. Straddling Sumner Avenue, Belmont Avenue and Dickinson Street, this wide and walkable district is the community’s go-to for trips to Saigon Market Vietnamese grocer, darts at X Pub and plates of eggs benedict at Cafe Christo. “I’ve never walked in where I didn’t have an interesting conversation with people I didn’t know at all,” Bolen says of Cafe Christo. The X is widely considered Springfield’s most dangerous intersection due to frequent car crashes at the junction, which was laid out before cars were common. The city began a redesign of the X in 2024 that’s meant to make it safer for drivers and pedestrians by adding sidewalks and altering traffic light patterns. “The volume of traffic was something that couldn’t have been envisioned by the designers of that intersection,” Bolen says. “We’re aware there will be disruptions from the renovations. We’ve seen that when construction goes on in the streets, the city plans it well and manages traffic pretty well in the process.” The project is expected to wrap up by 2026. Restaurants in the X and beyond serve a diverse mix of cuisine, with several Vietnamese and Dominican eateries in the neighborhood. Big-box stores and retail chains are found on the eastern outskirts of Forest Park, including Big Y supermarket, HomeGoods and Rocky’s Ace Hardware.
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100 years of worship at Trinity United Methodist Church, Temple Beth El
Forest Park has one of Springfield's most varied collections of houses of worship. The stone towers of Trinity United Methodist Church’s Gothic Revival building have stood in the heart of the neighborhood since the 1920s. The church's lawn and parking lot host annual events including a pumpkin patch, trunk-or-treat and a nearly 4-mile walk to raise money for Church World Service, a nonprofit addressing food insecurity worldwide. Synagogues concentrated on the south end of Forest Park include Temple Beth El, the oldest Conservative Jewish congregation in Western Massachusetts. The congregation was formed in 1913, and the synagogue has been the home of Boy Scout Troop 31 since 1924. The neighborhood is also home to Masjid Baitussalam and Winding Path Buddhist Sangha, a temple that follows the Tendai school of Buddhism.
Written By
Alex Soderstrom
Photography Contributed By
Matt Barrett
Video By
Tyler Newbold
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Agents Specializing in this Area
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Cynthia Gonzalez
Cynthia Gonzalez
Executive Real Estate, Inc.
(413) 288-5131
74 Total Sales
10 in Forest Park
$285K - $460K Price Range
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Christina Pietras
Christina Pietras
Naples Realty Group
(413) 278-6757
49 Total Sales
1 in Forest Park
$185,000 Price
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Ray Hoess-Brooks
Ray Hoess-Brooks
Responds QuicklyHB Real Estate, LLC
(860) 356-3690
130 Total Sales
5 in Forest Park
$211K - $282K Price Range
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Jason Kemp
Jason Kemp
Five Stars Realty
(860) 370-3052
84 Total Sales
1 in Forest Park
$320,000 Price
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Amy Rio
Amy Rio
Executive Real Estate Inc.
(860) 321-8567
1,262 Total Sales
1 in Forest Park
$285,000 Price
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Dorothy Maiwald
Dorothy Maiwald
HB Real Estate, LLC
(413) 779-8828
72 Total Sales
2 in Forest Park
$265K - $317K Price Range
Schools
Source:
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
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 6th to 8th
- Public
- Pre-K to 5th
- Public
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Parks in this Area
The Barney Family Mausoleum
Forest Park Zoo
Pynchon Point
Forest Park
Forest Park
Johnny Appleseed Park
Transit
Crime and Safety
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Forest Park | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 6 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 5 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 6 | 4 |
| Robbery | 6 | 4 |
| Burglary | 5 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 5 | 4 |
| Larceny | 4 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 5 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Forest Park Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Forest Park, Springfield sell after 26 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Forest Park, Springfield over the last 12 months is $291,250, up 6% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$289,900
Median Sale Price
$291,250
Median Single Family Sale Price
$291,250
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$335,000
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$276,190
Median Change From 1st List Price
-2%
Last 12 months Home Sales
122
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
6%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$190
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
4,182
Number of Homes for Sale
12
Median Year Built
1923
Months of Supply
1.20
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,804
Below the national average
1,933
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,817
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
964
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
635
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
6,098
Open Houses
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Sunday, Jun 1510:30am - 12pm
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Sunday, Jun 1512 - 2pm
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Sunday, Jun 1511am - 1pm
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
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Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Renters
Demographics
Total Population
25,771
Median Age
34
Population Density
11 ppl/acre
Population under 18
27.8%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
13.5%
Below the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$44,799
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$63,568
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
78.7%
Below the national average
89.1%
College Graduates
22.5%
Below the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
9.9%
% Population in Labor Force
63.9%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
51''
Average Winter Low Temperature
19°F
Average Summer High Temperature
82°F
Annual Snowfall
27''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
44
/ 100
Very Walkable
Walk Score®
74
/ 100
Good Transit
Transit Score®
56
/ 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.
Nearby Neighborhoods
East Forest Park
Peaceful Springfield neighborhood a short distance from Forest Park
Old Hill
Historic Springfield neighborhood seeing reinvestment in parks, homes, education
Maple-High Six Corners
Two historic communities form this Springfield neighborhood near downtown
South End
New investments coming to historic Springfield district known for Italian cuisine
Upper Hill
Close to some of Springfield's most iconic sites and the birthplace of basketball
Bay
Family-friendly Springfield neighborhood with historic charm
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