Forestville is 12 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council.

Forestville's location is at a junction between Sydney's North Shore and Northern Beaches and is often considered to be part of both, with Middle Harbour forming the boundary of this distinction.

Forestville is also formerly the home to the office and call centre of the NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES), which has since relocated to nearby Brookvale.

Cook Street is also home to many DIY shops such as a Mitre 10 (also known by its original name "Eatons")[4] and multiple car service centres and other industries.

[5][6] Dotted with many parks and reserves and almost completely surrounded by beautiful bushland with much native flora and fauna, Forestville is a low density housing area consisting of mostly family homes with medium-sized backyards.

Many of the timber Soldiers Cottages that were originally built in the 1950s and early 1960s have gradually been replaced by large project homes and smaller townhouse villas.

[7][10] Warringah Road is the main thoroughfare that connects Forestville to the adjacent suburbs of Roseville Chase and Frenchs Forest.

[11] Keolis Downer Northern Beaches operates two bus routes, which runs from Chatswood to Dee Why or Westfield Warringah Mall and passes through Forestville.