Schorsch Forest View is a lesser known Chicago neighborhood on the city’s Northwest Side. It is unique because it isn’t actually adjacent to any other part of the city. Rather Schorsch Forest View is detached from the rest of Chicago—surrounded by suburbs and forest preserves on all sides. The community only has three border streets: Lawrence Avenue to the north and Cumberland Avenue to the east, while River Road curves around the neighborhood along the southern and western edges.

Despite its small size, Schorsch Forest View has a number of restaurants and neighborhood businesses in the commercial sector found along Cumberland and Lawrence avenues. In addition to necessities like The UPS Store and Jewel-Osco, residents can get a tasty pick-me-up at Great American Bagel or a nice plate of pasta at Café Il Cortile or Basilico Ristorante. A couple of pizzerias, some fast food joints and a Red Lobster round out the options for eating out in Schorsch Forest View. 

The rest of the neighborhood is designated to residential blocks and the grounds of Our Lady Mother of Church (located at the northwest corner of the community). Some of the interior neighborhood streets follow the curvature of River Road, breaking away from Chicago’s standard grid pattern. Similar to a planned sub-division in the suburbs, the homes in Schorsch Forest View have a uniformity that extends throughout the entire community. The housing is all single-family homes with attached garages, front drive entrances and moderate-sized private yards. Trees and vegetation dot the landscape here and there but for the most part residents head next door to the forest preserve for their fill of flora and fauna.

You can bet Schorsch Forest View’s proximity to Chevalier Woods is what draws people to this remote neighborhood of Chicago. It offers acres of forested land and miles of trails where city folk can leave the concrete jungle behind and enjoy the Great Outdoors. Bikers, hikers and nature-lovers frequent the forest preserve to take advantage of the Des Plaines River Trail and access to Schiller Pond. Whether visited for a day trip or a morning jog, this untouched woodland terrain is an natural resource you don’t expect to find in most neighborhoods of Chicago!