64-401: Park Forest may refer to: Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest (meteorite) Park Forest Village, Pennsylvania Park Forest, Dallas, Texas Park Forest Plaza See also [ edit ] Forest Park (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
128-485: A B’nai B’rith Auxiliary. In 1951 and 1957, synagogues opened in Park Forest as Jews became 15% of the population. By 2013, both synagogues had moved outside the town. Although officially desegregated from its inception, Park Forest's first African-American family took residence there in 1959. Park Forest is known for the "Scenic 10", a 10-mile (16 km) race held annually on Labor Day that attracts runners from around
192-721: A book about her family's experiences. She died Dec. 5, 2011, in York, Pa. The NAACP and the ACLU opposed Levitt’s racist policies, and the Federal Housing Administration threatened to refuse mortgages on his next Levittown. Levitt still refused to sell to blacks, and developed plans for yet another whites-only Levittown—this one to be in Willingboro Township, N.J.—while fighting legal challenges in New Jersey courts. Ultimately
256-486: A book called The Organization Man that defined the nature of corporate life for a generation. The book described how America (whose people, he said, had "led in the public worship of individualism") had recently turned into a nation of employees who "take the vows of organization life" and who had become "the dominant members of our society". Park Forest was one of the communities that figured most prominently in Whyte's study of
320-417: A courtyard that had green spaces, benches, and entrances to the stores. The center's largest, anchor department store (Pomeroys, which was acquired by Boscov's ) and other chain retailers such as Food Fair, Woolworth's, JC Penney, Kresges, Yards, Lobel's, W.T. Grant, Pep Boys, and Sears were Levitt-favored tenants. The shopping center began a slow decline in the mid-1970s from which it never recovered with
384-424: A finished house every sixteen minutes. Construction of the homes commenced in 1952 and when completed in 1958, 17,311 homes had been built. What set Levittown apart from other developments at the time was that it was built as a complete community. Levitt & Sons designed neighborhoods with traffic-calming curvilinear roads, in which there were no four-way intersections. Each neighborhood had within its boundaries
448-462: A household in the CDP was $ 52,514, and the median income for a family was $ 57,220. Males had a median income of $ 40,411 versus $ 29,685 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 20,047. About 3.1% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 5.6% of those under the age of 18 and 3.5% of those 65 and older. 85.4% of Levittown residents ages 25 or older had at least
512-545: A location then surrounded by six service stations, two of which were severely damaged by vandalism in the riots. The two days of riots made national headlines and were mentioned (although not directly by name) in the draft of an address to the nation that was to have been delivered by President Jimmy Carter on July 5, 1979. A baseball team from Levittown won the Little League World Series in 1960. Levittown American beat an opponent from Fort Worth, Texas , to win
576-502: A nearby main thoroughfare. The names of these small connectors typically start with one of the letters from the adjacent sections, and tend to have a name reminiscent of their purpose or their location. Some examples: Learning Lane connects Lakeside and Pinewood, and borders Walt Disney Elementary School . Short Lane connects Stoneybrook and Farmbrook. Not all small connector streets are named. Red Rose Gate, Forsythia Gate, and Snowball Gate are collectively known as "The Gates." (These were
640-592: A number of non-Levitt owner-occupied houses have been built in Levittown. William Levitt had a career-long commitment to a whites-only policy in their developments. Levitt & Sons would not sell homes to African Americans . Levitt did not consider himself to be a racist , considering housing and racial relations entirely separate matters. Initially, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) conditioned essential financing for this and similar projects on
704-537: A place to play tennis and workout. In addition to six indoor tennis courts and a fitness area, the Club also has saunas in the locker rooms, a courtside lounge, professional tennis instructors, racquet stringing, and a pro shop. The Tennis and Health Club offers multiple types of tennis lessons. Group lessons are available for children and adults. The Club also offers private lessons and the Junior Excellence program, which
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#1732854870674768-528: A press conference in the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on October 28, 1946, to announce the planned development of a new self-governing community in Chicago's south suburbs. This project, soon to be referred to as Park Forest, was to be developed by American Community Builders (ACB). The village of Park Forest was partly designed by town planner Elbert Peets in the tradition of planned communities around
832-501: A site donated by Levitt & Sons for a public elementary school. Locations for churches and other public facilities were set aside on main thoroughfares such as the Levittown Parkway, likewise donated by the builder to religious groups and other organizations. Other amenities included Olympic-sized public pools, parks, greenbelts, baseball fields and playgrounds, and a shopping center located in neighboring Tullytown borough that
896-469: A variety of concerts and theatre performances. Since the opening of Park Forest’s Cultural Arts Center in 1976, Freedom Hall Nathan Manilow Theatre has presented performance arts in the form of theater groups, recitals, lecture events, etc. The Nathan Manilow Theatre has 287 seats. This theatre has presented a variety of events of all genres for more than thirty years. Such shows include Tom Dreessen, C.J Chenier, The Chicago City Ballet, The National Theatre of
960-535: Is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois , with a small southern portion in Will County , Illinois , United States . The village was originally designed by Loebl Schlossman & Bennett as a planned community for veterans returning from World War II. As of the 2020 census , the village had a population of 21,687. Park Forest is bordered by Olympia Fields to the north, Chicago Heights to
1024-410: Is available to junior high and high school students who are interested in competing. The Park Forest Park District runs seasonal programs open to both residents and non-residents and includes a variety of programs for all ages. The Park District offers sports, health & wellness, and dance programs, in addition to special day trips and art classes. In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial,
1088-466: Is located at 40°9′15″N 74°50′59″W / 40.15417°N 74.84972°W / 40.15417; -74.84972 . Levittown lies in the southern end of Bucks County ("Lower Bucks"), between Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey ; Downtown Philadelphia ("Center City") is approximately 22 miles (35 km) away. It is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area (an area also known generally as
1152-667: Is located in downtown Park Forest Cultural Center; the Tall Grass Arts Association operates a regional art gallery where juried artists are invited to participate in the annual fine arts fair held in September in downtown Park Forest. Artists can display their work in the gallery at least once a year in addition to including their work in the Tall Grass Gift Shop. Park Forest offers a variety of recreational services to its residents and surrounding neighborhoods including
1216-466: Is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area . The population was 52,699 at the 2020 census , down from 52,983 at the 2010 census . Levittown is 40 feet (12 m) above sea level. Though not a municipality , it is sometimes recognized as the largest suburb of Philadelphia while Upper Darby , Lower Merion , Bensalem , Abington , and Bristol townships are municipalities larger in size within
1280-593: The Delaware Valley ). It is adjacent to and nearly surrounds Fairless Hills , a suburban community more modest in scale, but that shares many of Levittown's characteristics. According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26 km ), of which 0.5 km (0.59%) is water. It has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) bordering a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) and average monthly temperatures in
1344-788: The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (now the Canadian National Railway ) double-track main line, which was paralleled a little further north by the Michigan Central ( New York Central ) railroad. That rail line has been converted to a nature trail called Old Plank Trail. The beginning of the trail is at Western Avenue, and it runs through Park Forest west to Joliet . Metra operates commuter railroad service to downtown Chicago . Stations bordering Park Forest include Richton Park (Sauk Trail at Governor's Hwy./Crawford Ave./Pulaski Rd.,) 211th Street (Lincoln Highway) and Matteson stations on
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#17328548706741408-614: The Metra Electric Line , which runs parallel to the Illinois Central Railroad Company (owned by Canadian National Railway Company) but on its own closely adjacent tracks Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Park Forest to destinations throughout the Southland. As of the 2020 census there were 21,687 people, 8,179 households, and 4,738 families residing in the village. The population density
1472-403: The 2021 census gazetteer files, Park Forest has a total area of 4.96 square miles (12.85 km ), all land. The village is generally bounded by U.S. Highway 30 on the north, Western Avenue on the east, Central Park Avenue on the west and Thorn Creek on the south. Parts of Park Forest are east of Western Avenue, however, including a subdivision called "Eastgate". Park Forest is bisected by
1536-529: The Aqua Center also has a sand area and a concession stand. Summer season opens to the public in the beginning of June and ends on Labor Day. Throughout the season, the Aqua Center offers special events, such as Members Only Kickoff, Hawaiian Night, Glow Swim, and Carnival Night, as well as multiple swim lesson programs: For over thirty years, the Park Forest Tennis and Health Club has offered residents
1600-538: The CDP was 94.4% White , 2.4% African American , 2.2% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 1.2% from two or more races, 0.95% Asian , 0.9% from other races , 0.2% Native American and 0.04% Pacific Islander . There were 18,603 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who
1664-479: The Deaf, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, Tom Chapin, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Corky Siegel, George Winston, The Second City Touring Company, John Houseman, Peter Mayer and many other performances. The goal of such performances is to present the finest cultural events for the Park Forest community and other residents of the Chicago area. The 1950s Park Forest House Museum is meant to replicate an original home. It
1728-594: The Levittown Historic District. Since its inception in 1988, the Bucks County St. Patrick's Day Parade has been held in Levittown. Every year, the parade steps off from St Joseph the Worker Church , and proceeds two miles (3 km) on New Falls Road to Conwell-Egan Catholic High School . St Joseph the Worker Church has since been torn down. Levittown is not an incorporated place, though efforts in
1792-559: The Park Forest Aqua Center, the Park Forest Tennis and Health Club, and park district classes and sports teams. Park Forest Aqua Center has been a neighborhood institution since 1952. Both seasonal memberships and daily passes are available. Patrons can enjoy a beach pool for toddlers, the 160-foot water slide, 2 drop slides, a 15-foot aquatic climbing wall, and the East Pool, which is designed for adults to swim laps. Additionally,
1856-613: The Park Forest was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois). Former: Evanston • Hyde Park • Jefferson • Lake • Lake View • North Chicago • Rogers Park • South Chicago • West Chicago Levittown, Pennsylvania Levittown is a census-designated place (CDP) and planned community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania , United States. It
1920-489: The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case. The community's otherwise placid exterior was again disturbed during the so-called suburban gas riots of June 1979 in the wake of the Camp David Peace Accords , which resulted in a second embargo by Arab oil-producing nations. The unrest occurred June 24–25, 1979, as lines swelled and tempers flared in the heart of Levittown at an intersection known as Five Points,
1984-641: The block. Now everybody was getting a car. Oh, it was exciting. (Terkel, p. 12)" Park Forest was honored in 1954 as an " All-America City " for its citizens' help in the creation of Rich Township High School, on Sauk Trail . It was awarded this same honor again in 1976 for open housing and racial integration and initiatives. A village landmark was the Park Forest Plaza , an outdoor regional shopping center of over 50 stores and restaurants which included Sears, Marshall Fields and Goldblatt's. In 1956, William H. Whyte , an editor at Fortune magazine, published
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2048-854: The building of the Oxford Valley Mall . The mall, located just north of Levittown, in Langhorne in Middletown Township , drew shoppers away from the older Levittown facility, given Oxford Valley's much larger size and enclosed shopping environment. In 2002, the redeveloped site of the Shop-a-rama was reopened as the Levittown Town Center . The completed facility contains 468,675 square feet (43,541.3 m ) of retail space. Levittown's 41 neighborhoods (locally called "sections") are found in parts of four separate municipalities: The names of
2112-732: The central CDP range from 32.2 °F in January to 76.1 °F in July. The local hardiness zone is 7a. SEPTA Regional Rail serves Levittown to the south at its Levittown station on the Trenton Line , and to the north at its Langhorne and Woodbourne stations on the West Trenton Line . Interstate 295 (I-295) runs to the north and west of Levittown, connecting it with the suburbs north of Trenton . The Pennsylvania Turnpike ( I-95 ) runs southwest of Levittown, connecting it with Philadelphia ,
2176-465: The early 1950s were made to incorporate. Some Levittown residents feared that incorporation would lead to higher taxes, by robbing the prospective municipality of a commercial tax base. Levittown Shop-a-Rama , the 1955 Levittown Shopping Center in Tullytown was a 60-acre L-shaped pedestrian mall at the edge rather than the center of Levittown, with two strips of stores faced the 6,000-car parking lot with
2240-536: The east, University Park to the south, and Richton Park and Matteson to the west. The village has multiple public and private schools. In addition to the arts and culture scene including Tall Grass Arts Association and the Illinois Theatre Center, residents also have access to a myriad of recreational opportunities for both children and adults such as the Park Forest Aqua Center. Developers Nathan Manilow, Carroll F. Sweet and Philip M. Klutznick held
2304-464: The east. Though a steel mill once operated by U.S. Steel provided employment in Falls Township, many Levittown Residents have historically commuted by automobile or train to Philadelphia , Trenton, Princeton and still others to more distant locales in as many as four states. Just over ten percent of employed Levittown Residents both live and work in the community. As of the 2010 census, Levittown
2368-552: The exclusive domain of the 'upper class.' It was where the rich lived. The rest of us were neighborhood folk. At war's end, a new kind of suburb came into being. . . . Thanks to the GI bill, two new names were added to American folksay: Levittown and Park Forest. "A new middle class had emerged. Until now, the great many, even before the Depression, had had to scuffle from one payday to the next. . . . [Before there had only been one] car on
2432-503: The globe. In 2008, the race was shortened to a 5-mile (8.0 km) course to attract more local runners and renamed the "Scenic Five". On March 26, 2003, a meteor exploded over the Midwest, showering Park Forest with dozens of meteorite fragments. These fragments are currently on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. For further reading see Park Forest (meteorite) . According to
2496-592: The home life of "the organization man," and should be read by anyone seeking an insight into early Park Forest. By 1949, the village was home to a chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women , a B'nai B'rith lodge and a Hebrew school (Sunday School). By 1955, a second Hebrew school had opened and three new women's groups had formed, including chapters of Hadassah , the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods (later renamed Women of Reform Judaism) and
2560-569: The honor. Of the five public pools built by Levitt & Sons and operated by the Levittown Public Recreation Association (LPRA), four were closed in 2002, with the exception being one located in the Pinewood section. LPRA Headquarters (and other landmarks) of this prototypical post-war suburb of sometimes mythic importance have been the focus of historic preservation efforts. Since 2002, studies have been underway to establish
2624-493: The nation to provide housing for veterans returning from World War II . Studs Terkel , in his oral history of World War II, The Good War , says Park Forest and other such middle-class suburbs grew out of the new prosperity after the war. First he quotes an unnamed GI, "The war changed our whole idea of how we wanted to live when we came back. We set our sights pretty high. . . . I am now what you'd call middle class." Terkel goes on: "The suburb, until [about 1946], had been
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2688-456: The only sections without sidewalks so as to lend a more "executive" appearance to the neighborhoods.) Lakeside sits next to Levittown Lake. Thornridge has its upper half that sits on a ridge, that was found to have Thorn Bushes. Vermilion Hill is named after the color that the trees on its prominent hill turned in the Fall. Magnolia Hill is on a prominent hill. Mill Creek Falls is found next to a creek by
2752-399: The population. There were 8,179 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.32% were married couples living together, 23.13% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.07% were non-families. 39.47% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.91% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
2816-594: The restriction of home sales to those of "the Caucasian race ", as stipulated in housing rent and sales agreements and deed covenants . This did not prevent Bea and Lew Wechsler, a Jewish couple from the Bronx, from connecting an African-American family to a neighbor who desired to sell his home. Levittown's first Black couple, William and Daisy Myers , bought a home in the Dogwood Hollow section in 1957. Their move to Levittown
2880-647: The same name. Middletown residents are served by public schools run by the Neshaminy School District . Bristol Township public schools are managed by the Bristol Township School District . Falls Township and Tullytown Borough residents are served by the Pennsbury School District . Some students attend schools run by Catholic , Lutheran , evangelical Protestant and Quaker organizations, in and around Levittown. Levittown
2944-418: The sections connect on one or both ends to the drive of that section. In some sections, such as Goldenridge, the shape of the section prevents the drive from surrounding the section, or allowing all roads in the section from connecting to the drive. The drives of adjacent sections, are frequently connected with small connector streets. In addition, small connector streets are used to connect the section drive with
3008-420: The streets within each section uniformly begin with the same letter that begins the name of the section in question except for the section of Green Lynne, which was not constructed by Bill Levitt. This plan offers a good clue as to where any particular street might be located. "X" and "Z" are not used for section or street names. As there are more than 24 section names, "road" is used for street names in sections to
3072-403: The three surrounding Pennsylvania counties. Starting with land purchased in 1951, it was planned and built by Levitt & Sons . The brothers William Levitt and architect Alfred Levitt designed its six typical houses. Levittown is located 72.5 miles (116.7 km) southeast of Allentown and 26.6 miles (42.8 km) northeast of Philadelphia . Most of the land on which Levittown is built
3136-474: The title Park Forest . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Park_Forest&oldid=933040683 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest
3200-476: The upkeep of their homes and use of their property. Two of these "rules" included a prohibition on hanging laundry out to dry on Sunday and not allowing homeowners to fence off their yards. These proved unenforceable over time, particularly when backyard pools became financially accessible to the working class and privacy concerns drove many to fence off their yards. In the years since Levitt & Sons ended construction, three- and four-story "garden apartments " and
3264-590: The village was $ 56,393, and the median income for a family was $ 65,507. Males had a median income of $ 41,744 versus $ 40,219 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 26,078. About 5.8% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over. Park Forest is in Illinois's 2nd congressional district . Local Government: Presidents/Mayors of Park Forest: School districts serving Park Forest include: The Illinois Theatre Center
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#17328548706743328-413: The war, it would later become an attraction for enthusiasts of the era. Visitors can open drawers, cupboards, and closets containing period treasures. Consistent with the way the house was furnished, dolls, toys, built-in bookcases and even a collection of clothes from that period may be found. One of the rooms even recreates a classroom from the very first school in the town. Tall Grass Arts Association
3392-442: The west of Edgely Road, "lane" is used in those section to the east. Sections are surrounded by a "drive" with the same name as the section. For example, the Pinewood section is circled by Pinewood Drive, while Snowball Gate is surrounded by Snowball Drive. Some sections have their drive broken into multiple parts, with similar names. Forsythia Gate has Forsythia Drive North and Forsythia Drive South. Almost all other roads or lanes in
3456-679: The western suburbs, and the New Jersey Turnpike . U.S. Route 1 (US 1) runs to the north, carrying traffic directly into downtown Trenton. The nearest international airport is Philadelphia International Airport (Airport Code PHL), approximately 34 miles (55 km) southwest of Levittown. The nearest Amtrak station is just across the Delaware River in Trenton at the Trenton Transit Center , just over 9 miles (14 km) to
3520-404: Was 3.38 and the average family size was 2.46. The village's age distribution consisted of 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males. The median income for a household in
3584-406: Was 4,371.50 inhabitants per square mile (1,687.85/km ). There were 9,701 housing units at an average density of 1,955.45 per square mile (755.00/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 70.18% African American , 18.83% White , 0.25% Native American , 0.76% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 3.39% from other races , and 6.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.76% of
3648-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.28. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median income for
3712-490: Was 87.7% White, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino ancestry of any race, 3.6% Black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 1.6% were two or more races, 0.3% were some other race and 0.2% Native American.[16] As of the census of 2000, there were 53,966 people, 18,603 households, and 14,510 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 5,309.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,050.0/km ). There were 19,044 housing units at an average density of 1,873.7/mi (723.7/km ). The racial makeup of
3776-436: Was built in 1947-1949 and now stands as a house has remained furnished the same way it originally was back in the years of 1948-1953, just as it was during the first five years that it was occupied by tenants. Visiting this site provides people with the ability to uniquely experience the history of Park Forest, a suburb built after the conclusion of World War II. Initially designed to help veterans and their families returning from
3840-493: Was considered large and modern at the time of its construction (and in fact was the largest east of the Mississippi ). The first set of four sample homes were put on display in a swatch of land near the future Levittown Shop-a-Rama , and an estimated 30,000 people viewed them in that first weekend. Residents, who are sometimes called Levittowners, were first expected to comply with a lengthy list of rules and regulations regarding
3904-461: Was established in 1976 by Steve and Etel Billig. At its inception, it was located in Park Forest's public library but was later moved to Downtown Park Forest in 1999. In addition to the main stage series of six plays, the theatre offers programs like The Drama School which provides acting classes for children, teens and adults. Freedom Hall Performing Arts Theatre is a performing arts theatre and concert hall situated in Park Forest, Illinois. It offers
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#17328548706743968-568: Was marked with racist harassment and mob violence, which required intervention by state authorities. This led to an injunction and criminal charges against the harassers while the Myerses and their supporters refused to surrender and received national acclaim for their efforts. For instance, Daisy Myers has been hailed as "The Rosa Parks of the North", who helped expose the northern states' problems with racial inequality of that time. Daisy Myers later wrote
4032-874: Was purchased in 1951. Levitt and Sons only built six models of houses in Levittown, all single-family dwellings with lawns: the Levittowner, the Rancher, the Jubilee, the Pennsylvanian, the Colonial and the Country Clubber, with only modest exterior variations within each model. The homes were moderately priced and required only a low down payment. Construction of Levittown began in February 1952, soon after completion of Levittown, New York , located on Long Island . Levittown, Pennsylvania,
4096-602: Was the second " Levittown " built by William J. Levitt , who is often credited as the creator of the modern American suburb . To speed up construction, Levitt & Sons perfected a 26-step rationalized building method that was essentially an assembly line type of home building. The house remained stationary while construction workers moved from site to site, each repeatedly performing a task such as pouring foundations, putting up pre-fabricated walls, installing plumbing, or doing electrical work. At peak production, this highly regimented process enabled Levitt's workers to produce
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