{"id":151047,"date":"2025-08-16T17:34:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T17:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/151047\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T17:34:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T17:34:11","slug":"where-i-live-illinois-native-finds-belonging-in-growing-forest-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/151047\/","title":{"rendered":"Where I Live: Illinois native finds belonging in growing Forest Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alonzo Pettiford Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I left O\u2019Fallon, Illinois, in 2013 chasing an opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

O\u2019Fallon is a small military town 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. After years there, I was ready for a change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Texas called me. Fort Worth in particular with its promise of jobs and affordable housing. I landed in an apartment off Interstate 20 and McCart Avenue, figuring it would be a good starting point.<\/p>\n

\"Where<\/a><\/p>\n

Where I Live<\/a> spotlights Tarrant County\u2019s unique neighborhoods, as told by the residents that live there. Submit an essay<\/a> to tell us about your neighborhood. Where I Live is sponsored by Frost Bank<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t until 2018 that Fort Worth truly became home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been browsing Zillow, mostly looking in Dallas. Everything I saw felt wrong. Cramped houses, tiny lots and concrete slabs with no real character.<\/p>\n

Then I came across a listing for a 1936-built house in Forest Hill, one of the fastest-growing communities in North Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I was drawn to the affordability and the neighborhood\u2019s welcoming atmosphere.<\/p>\n

On a whim, I drove out to see it. The neighborhood has this small-town feel, yet it was close enough to the city that I could get downtown in about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Food, entertainment, art \u2014 all within reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After seven days of mulling it over, I made an offer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It felt right.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Forest Hill welcomed me in a way I didn\u2019t expect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In O\u2019Fallon, people came and went. It always felt a little transient.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here, it\u2019s different. Families have been on the same street for generations. People know each other. And, more importantly, they look out for each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t seen many block parties yet, but throughout the year, neighbors come together to celebrate in ways that feel meaningful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For me, home now means peace. A quiet comfort underscored by the occasional chorus of barking dogs or crowing roosters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As long as they\u2019re making noise, I figure everything\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n

Over the past seven years, I\u2019ve seen Forest Hill change. The city puts money into the community. There\u2019s a new YMCA, schools have expanded and upgraded their technology, and Renaissance Square has brought in new businesses and residents.<\/p>\n

You can feel the energy picking up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More houses are being built, property values are climbing and, like a lot of neighbors, I\u2019ve put work into my house and watched the equity grow. It\u2019s not just about new storefronts or developments, the community itself is coming alive again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, there\u2019s a part of me that worries. Many of the older residents who\u2019ve lived here for decades are on fixed incomes. Rising property values mean rising taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Growth and improvement is great, but not when it pushes those people that built it out.<\/p>\n

Living here has shown me the value of connection. Forest Hill gives me the best of both worlds: a small-town feel with the city just minutes away. We don\u2019t have as many restaurants as I\u2019d like, but I know they\u2019re coming.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, I\u2019ve got the peace of my home, the familiar sound of my neighbors\u2019 animals, and the sense of belonging that comes from living in a community that feels like family.<\/p>\n

This is where I belong.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alonzo Pettiford Jr. is a senior project manager at Clear Scope Media.<\/p>\n

Forest Hill<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total population: <\/strong>14,238<\/p>\n

Female: <\/strong>51% | Male: <\/strong>48%<\/p>\n

Age<\/strong><\/p>\n