Forest Park's housing stock reflects its mid-20th-century growth around Fort Gillem and the surrounding industrial corridors. Much of the city is made up of modest brick and wood-frame ranch homes, many built between the 1950s and 1970s on compact, well-treed lots. Some neighborhoods contain postwar cottages and duplexes, while newer construction appears as infill and small subdivisions. The area around the former base includes a mix of rental housing and townhomes. In general, Forest Park's housing is characterized by modestly scaled, solidly built single-family homes rather than large master-planned communities, giving the city a distinctly established, utilitarian character distinct from newer southside suburbs.

Forest Park's residential fabric is organized around its main corridors, with the Ft. Gillem area on the eastern side among its most recognizable districts. Developed alongside the former Army post, it combines long-standing homes with newer infill near the redeveloped base property. The streets south of Forest Parkway hold many of the city's older ranch homes, while neighborhoods near Main Street and the farmers market corridor connect directly to commercial thoroughfares. Street by street, the city mixes established single-family homes with small lots and duplexes, and most of the community remains within a short drive of the airport, interstates, and the retail corridors along Jonesboro Road.

Forest Park is a diverse, working-class community where daily life is tied to the airport and logistics economy of the southside. The Atlanta State Farmers Market is both a regional landmark and a routine shopping stop, offering fresh produce and specialty goods to residents and visitors alike. Community life gathers around schools, churches, and seasonal events at Starr Park's amphitheater. The city's location a few minutes from the airport and downtown Atlanta gives residents easy access to regional sports, arts, and dining, while the everyday rhythm of the city remains rooted in its neighborhoods and long-standing institutions.

Public schools in Forest Park are operated by Clayton County Public Schools, the district serving communities across Clayton County. Students attend a network of elementary and middle schools in the city and are served by Forest Park High School and Forest Park Middle School. The Clayton County Board of Education oversees a large district with magnet, charter, and career-technical options available to families across the county, and the city's position within the Atlanta metro area also places private schools and post-secondary institutions within commuting distance.

Forest Park sits near two of metro Atlanta's most important transportation assets: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, just to the northwest, and the interchange of Interstates 75 and 285. The city is served by MARTA bus routes that connect to rail stations at College Park and the airport, providing transit access to the wider region. Major thoroughfares include Forest Parkway and State Route 54, while the freight rail lines and logistics corridors around the former Fort Gillem reinforce the area's long-standing role as a southside distribution hub.

Starr Park is the city's central green space, with walking paths, picnic areas, a playground, and an amphitheater that hosts seasonal community events. The Atlanta State Farmers Market, a Georgia Department of Agriculture facility, functions as both a working wholesale market and a retail destination where visitors buy produce and specialty goods directly. Clayton County's parks department operates additional athletic fields and community centers nearby, and the city's proximity to Atlanta puts regional attractions, museums, and major sporting venues within easy reach.