Location! Location! Location! When living in Forest Heights there is no need to get on a freeway to commute to Downtown, Nike or Intel in the Hi-Tech corridor.
Schools! Forest Heights feeds in to exceptional schools at all levels and is the #1 reason residents purchase a home in this community. Forest Park Elementary, was built in 1998 on 6.6 Acres and is located in the heart of the Forest Heights neighborhood in NW Portland. Serving about 400 students K-5 and offering exceptional education as well as a turf soccer field, track and under cover play area. There is also a 3 Acre City Park with play structures at the north end of the school.
From Forest Park Elementary administration: “We pride ourselves on having a rigorous academic program. We consistently score in the top tier on our report card from the Oregon Department of Education. In addition to core academics, students regularly attend physical education, music, and library. We also pride ourselves on having a diverse student body. At last count, over 18 languages are spoken by our students. The staff and community truly value inclusivity and diversity.”
West Sylvan Middle School and Lincoln High School have also earned exceptional ratings. School buses are available throughout the community to students living over a mile away from the school. Private schools such as the French International School (Pre-school through grade 8), Caitlin Gable (K-12), OES (K-12) are an easy commute, some offer private school buses.
Community Amenities! Forest Heights includes 200 acres of green space with miles of groomed walking trails. The private Mill Pond Park is within walking distance from many homes. There are play structures for both younger and older children, outdoor cooking and picnic areas. Residents look forward to the many community events at the park including; Easter Egg Hunt, 4th of July picnic, International festival with dancing, singing and ethnic food, and summer concerts in the park.
The Forest Park HOA owns a Shuttle Bus providing residents free transportation to and from the Sunset Transit Station for access to MAX light rail and city buses. The shuttle runs Monday-Friday approximately every 20 minutes and you can even track it on line! Schedules vary seasonally. Not only is the Shuttle great for commuters but also helpful to Lincoln HS students with after school activities. View Shuttle Schedule Residents can download an app to see where the shuttle bus is in real time.
Most importantly, Forest Heights is a true community with economic and international diversity.
History of Forest Heights
The Tualatin Valley, viewed from a majority of homes in Forest Heights, was once occupied by the Atfalati (or Tualatin) band of Kalapuya Indians. The Atfalati moved throughout the valley during the spring, summer and fall and spent winters in permanent villages along the Tualatin River and its tributaries. Evidence supports the Atfalati inhabiting Beaverton, Tualatin and Cedar Mill and strongly suggests they also inhabited what is now NW Portland, including Forest Heights.
In 1850, the Oregon Donation Land Act opened up land to homesteaders who claimed most of the Tualatin Valley within five years. Mill Pond, which is now a private park in Forest Heights, was the original mill pond for the Jones Lumber Mill. Cedar and Oak trees were logged from the land that is now Forest Heights. Although the Jones family sold their mill in 1869, the original mill changed hands several times before finally closing in 1892. Mill Pond now serves as part of the Forest Heights Master Drainage Plan and still flows into the tributaries where the Atfalati wintered over.
There were a number of wildfires that burned parts of the West Hills in recorded history, and parts of Forest Heights burned as recently as the 1950’s. The idea of Forest Park Estates was formulated in 1969, as the brain child of four men: Homer Williams, Rob Bissell, Roland Haertl and Neal Marlett. Although a group of local neighbors initially fought the project, in 1983 the Oregon Court of Appeals cleared the way for construction of Forest Heights Estates (later named Forest Heights). Homer Williams sold off 601 acres of his share of the property to Nauru Phosphate Royalties, a corporate entity from the island nation of Nauru. In 1989, Nauru hired George Marshall and Dan Grimberg to handle the development work in Forest Heights. Gary Locker, Bryan Locker and JR Figurski sold approximately 70% of the lots in Forest Heights in the early 1990s. This sales team ended up working out of a trailer where The Village of Forest Heights now stands. As each phase of the community was platted, the lots were mainly sold through a lottery to builders. They signed up for the lottery and when their name was drawn they selected up to five available lots of their choice this led to our great diversity in home styles.
And now… the rest of the story.
Forest Heights Available Homes
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