Forest Hill was originally incorporated as a village in 1923 and later annexed by the City of Toronto in 1967, along with the Village of Swansea. The village was named after the summer home of John Wickson; previously it had been known as Spadina Heights (a name that continued to be applied to the neighbourhood into the twentieth century). Rather than electing a mayor as in a city, the leading municipal official was the reeve of the village.

Before World War II, Forest Hill's population was predominantly made up of wealthy Anglo-Protestants. During the 1940s and 1950s, many upwardly mobile Jews moved from the Spadina area of Toronto into Forest Hill. Forest Hill has many businesses catering to the Jewish community along Eglinton Avenue West. According to the 2011 census, about 40% of the residents of the southern section of Forest Hill are affiliated with Judaism. Its original boundaries were Bathurst Street to the west, Upper Canada College to the east, Eglinton Avenue to the north, and Lonsdale Road and a portion of Montclair Avenue to the south (the original boundaries of School Section 30). Neighbourhoods north of Eglinton are sometimes though not unanimously regarded as Forest Hill. In 1999 Robert Fulford compared Forest Hill to Rosedale, the other traditional home of Toronto's elite: "While Rosedale has remained stable for half a century, Forest Hill's prestige has been growing steadily. There's a key tonal difference in the architecture of the two places: where big Rosedale houses shout 'history,' big Forest Hill houses shout 'grandeur.' More than any other district in the central city, Forest Hill has become the site of spectacular new 'neo-traditional' homes built on a grand scale, usually with lawns to match."

Forest Hill is an affluent neighbourhood in central

North and South

Currently, for the purposes of social policy analysis & research, the city of Toronto’s Social Development & Administration division divides Forest Hill into two neighbourhoods: Forest Hill North and Forest Hill South.

Forest Hill North extends from Briar Hill Avenue in the north to Eglinton Avenue West in the south, and from Latimer Avenue in the east to Allen Road and Marlee Avenue in the north-west and south-west, respectively.

As the name would imply, Forest Hill South is directly south of Forest Hill North. It extends from Eglinton Ave West in the north to Tichester Road in the south, and from Bathurst Street in the west to Elmsthorpe Road in the northeast and Avenue Road and the Oriole Parkway in the east. There is an additional stretch of Forest Hill South between Bathurst Street and Spadina Road, north of Lonsdale Road.

Forest Hill Village is a part of Forest Hill occupying most of the original area of the village. The Village extends roughly from Briar Hill Avenue in the north (the Upper Village, officially part of Forest Hill North) to Heath Street in the south (the Lower Village, officially the major part of Forest Hill South along Spadina Road between Bathurst Street/Cedarvale Ravine (whichever is further east) and Avenue Road. The designations Upper and Lower are based on height of land and not on positions on a map or along a watercourse.

The Lower Village is known for its upscale shopping and dining, although the actual mix of stores includes several modest enterprises. The Lower Village has attracted extensive residential development (especially of apartments), both within the original boundaries of Forest Hill and in adjacent neighbourhoods to which developers have now extended the Village and Forest Hill names.

Real Estate in Forest Hill

The typically large Forest Hill homes leave no doubt that this is a prestigious locale—characterized by winding roads lined by majestic shade trees, gentle hills, and numerous small parkettes. Indeed, the great mansions of Lower Forest Hill are comparable only to those found in Rosedale. Architectural styling varies widely, from French Provincial with terra cotta tiles to Georgian or English country manors with Tudor boarding and immaculate lawns.

Easy access to downtown, excellent local schools, upscale shopping, and proximity to the paved 14.5 kilometer Belt Line fitness and nature trail make Forest Hill a sought-after neighbourhood and a relatively safe investment area. Numerous extensive renovation projects are evidence that demand for Forest Hill homes and real estate remains strong.

Schools in Forest Hill

Elementary

• Forest Hill Jr. and Sr.
• North Prep

Secondary

• Forest Hill Collegiate
• North Toronto Collegiate

Private

• UCC
• BSS
• Havergal College
• St Clements
•  Cresent School