The three-mile Forest Beach area, comprised of the North and South residential areas meeting at Coligny Circle, is one of Hilton Head’s oldest neighborhoods; some homes were built as early as the 1950s.  The attraction bringing such a consistent crowd for over 50 years is the close proximity of beach access:  each lot in the Forest Beach area is within 600 yards of the Atlantic.  While most of Hilton Head Island’s plantation communities are gated, this area is free for all to come and go as they please.  Dozens of shops, boutiques, and restaurants—not to mention plenty of parking spaces—draw thousands of tourists and locals alike, each year.  Not only does Forest Beach have an easy-to-find location (follow the Cross Island Parkway straight down until it ends at the Coligny Beach traffic circle) but many of the island’s amenities are within a stone’s throw. Also, the island's first grocery store and first movie theater were both founded at Coligny Plaza.

   North Forest Beach includes the area between Coligny Circle and Shipyard Plantation's Crown Plaza Resort while South Forest Beach consists of the land between Coligny and Sea Pines Resort's Ocean Gate. 

   Locals refer to Forest Beach as "downtown Hilton Head" for good reasons.  Coligny Plaza and the Beach Market consist of tourist-y gift shops and boutiques as well as unique restaurants and daiquiri bars, and even a police station.  Set beside the traffic circle, Coligny Plaza is a collection of fun stores (fudge shops, candle makers, and Rita's Italian Ice, a Hilton Head Island staple) located straight down Pope Avenue from some of the island's best nightlife venues.  The nearby Park Plaza and what locals refer to as the "Triangle" collectively contain approximately 10 bars/clubs for either a lively night out or a quiet evening on the town. 

   Near the Forest Beach area are two popular, well-merited tennis facilities:  the Van der Meer Tennis Center on DeAllyon Avenue and the Shipyard Racquet Club which also features Dennis Van der Meer.  The nearby Players Club Resort, located on DeAllyon Avenue, also features tennis courts.