John D. Rockefeller's Cleveland roots stretched across the oil-drenched banks and murky flats of Kingsbury Run in Cleveland and ended in the wooded sanctuary at Forest Hill. Six miles east of Public Square, Forest Hill was the Rockefeller family's country estate and summer home for four decades. It had formal gardens, greenhouses, a lake and lily pond, a golf course, a horse track, and acres of farmland. In the early 1900s, tourists and local residents rode the streetcar out Millionaires' Row to East Cleveland, where they peered through the imposing iron gates scrolled with an R to peek at the gatekeeper's lodge, the manicured lawns, and the road that led to the mansion atop the hill. Unfortunately, in 1917, Forest Hill burned to the ground. Because so many records, mementos, and photographs perished, the estate remains as shrouded in secrecy today as it did during its lifetime. Forest Hill: The Rockefeller Estate unveils the story of the estate, how it evolved and changed over the years, and how its legacy continues.

Set in 2005, this gorgeously illustrated, funny, and honest graphic novel follows four teens who stumble into an illicit anime DVD-burning business that shakes up their conservative small town…and their friendship. When Brooke, Kelly, Maggie, and Melissa buy a bootleg anime DVD at a gas station, they get much more than they bargained for with Super Love XL, a risqué move featuring—among other things—a giant mecha who shoots lasers out of her chest. The four girls are horrified (and maybe a little fascinated). It’s so unlike anything they’ve seen, would probably shock everyone else in their town, and definitely would take over their extremely conservative Christian school. That’s when they have the idea to sell copies to local boys…for twenty dollars a pop. At first, everything goes perfectly, with the friends raking in cash—pretty soon they’ll even have enough money to buy the matching jackets they’ve always dreamed of! But as the market for mildly titillating anime DVDs grows, the girls realize they’ll need new material. On top of figuring out how to replicate their first success, there’s growing tension within the group. Brooke and Kelly’s romance is on its last legs, and hurt feelings are guaranteed when Melissa starts falling for one of them. Will the four girls’ shared history be strong enough to see them through this upheaval? Or will they learn that some things can only end in heartbreak?

Forest Hill boasts one of the largest nursery industries in the country, despite its tiny population. In the early days, the community was a summer retreat for plantation owners. The lumber industry rolled into town with the railroad, which eased the transportation of virgin timber. By 1901, the nurseries had emerged after Samuel Stokes began selling a variety of plants from his woods. Today, more than two hundred nurseries are in operation, many by the families who founded them. Author Chere Dastugue Coen reveals the deep roots of this horticultural hub.

Forest Hill, located in the North Ward of Newark, overlooks the Passaic River to the east and Branch Brook Park to the west. This desirable residential area is filled with large homes representing a variety of architectural styles, from Richardsonian Romanesque to Craftsman. In the mid-1800s, three major landowners acquired most of the former farmland on the northern edge of Newark. These men built mansions for themselves and modest housing for those who worked in their nearby plants. With easy commuting access to downtown Newark and New York City, the Forest Hill neighborhood was marketed to wealthy professionals. One local landmark is the old Tiffany factory. A 52-block area of Forest Hill has been designated a National Historic District and is listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. Forest Hill showcases the rich architectural and community history of this Newark neighborhood.

I have written about Arlington Ridge in terms of personal exploration between my best friend, Charley, and me. When you walk a dog several miles a day in the same general area, you encounter many things that are missed when you are alone, just walking or driving a car. With a dog, you must stop and attend to the duties of the dog. The shared journey is the important thing, not getting somewhere. You must stop and wait for sniffing expeditions. And you (the human) can share your observations and wonder with someone (the dog) who is nonjudgmental. Since we traverse the area a couple times a day, we are also a strobe light on change. We report downed trees to the county. We observe poor workmanship and repairs. And even though we may have passed a location hundreds of times, we see something new, even things as large as houses. Thus, I have tried to create a series of Readers Digestible stories (a made-up term for a story quickly read and easily understood) that relate here and now to yesteryear with the help of Charley. This book is organized by first introducing you, the reader, to Charley, then by working our way around the ridge geographically. If north is at twelve oclock, that is where I start and work clockwise and back to twelve oclock. I hope you will enjoy my shared journey and experiences with Charley as much as I have. Charley doesnt remember any of the story details (unless there are smells involved), but she does remember her way around the nearly twenty miles of roads, alleys, and paths of the ridge.

The Forest Hills neighborhood is set within a heavily treed, rolling landscape adjoining Rock Creek Park and was first home to the Piscataway Indian tribe and later to Civil War encampments. Threshing mills and large rural estates gradually gave way in the early 1900s to a residential community in close proximity to the National Bureau of Standards where many of the residents worked. Diplomats, politicians, and many prominent Washingtonians now inhabit many of the splendidly designed houses found in Forest Hills today. 0Images of America: Forest Hills includes nearly 200 vintage images that document the long and fascinating history of the community. Etchings, maps, and photographs combine to illustrate Native American settlers; architect-designed residences; and the homes of Presidents Truman and Johnson, infamous FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and Post cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. The book also highlights Connecticut Avenue, the neighborhood's main street; apartment buildings; and well-known artists and authors who have called Forest Hills home.