A hidden gem in the Forest Hill neighborhood

Over the past three months, staff members at Reilly Painting and Contracting’s sister company, E-Reilly Consulting, have formed a grassroots campaign centered around rebranding the Forest Hill neighborhood as the “bedroom community” to University Circle. One of the most troubling issues the community faces is the decline in property values due to neglected and abandoned homes. To raise awareness about this problem, E-Reilly conducted field work and compiled data about these homes to present to the Forest Hill community town hall meeting on March 31. Attendees not only felt concerned about the dilapidated homes, but also felt disappointed that none of Forest Hill’s hidden gems are being marketed towards new Cleveland residents.

While the housing issue begins to be corrected, we wanted to take a moment to showcase one of the Forest Hill landmarks that some may not know too much about: the Forest Hill Park.

A little background about the park: In 1936, John D. Rockefeller gifted his original homestead estate, located on the corners of Lee Rd and Monticello Blvd, to the cities of Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland.  This beautiful piece of green space became the Forest Hill Park.  In 1998, it was officially listed on the register of Historic Places.

With over 230 of acres, the Forest Hill Park boasts many wonderful amenities, including ballfields, tennis courts, soccer fields, and a playground.  In the spring, cherry blossoms bloom around Rockefeller Pond and wildflowers paint the Great Meadow. When the snow falls, grab your cross country skis and sleds, and head out to Sled Hill!

Another feature is the all-purpose pathway that connects the Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland sections of the park. Be on the lookout for any of the following wildlife: deer, fox, blue herons, ducks, geese, and wild turkeys.  There's been discussion of starting a walking club for this particular area, which would in turn create a social and safe way to enjoy the pathway.

One of the campaign's initiatives is to continue keeping the park beautiful and maintained, and ultimately host different events, like farmers markets, yoga in the park, 5k races, and more.

Find out more about the Campaign for Forest Hills by going to our website.