Forest Lodge is located 4 kilometers south west of the Sydney central business district; it is in the local government area of the City of Sydney and is part of the inner-west region. Ambrose Foss built his home called Forest Lodge in the area in 1836 and this is where the suburb of Forest Lodge has gained its name. The house stood on Bridge Road until it was demolished in 1912.
Forest Lodge is surrounded by neighbouring suburbs of Glebe, Annandale and Camperdown. Ross Street and the intersecting St Johns Road form the centre of the area with a collection of cafes, antique stores and bars which is popular with students from the nearby University Of Sydney. There area is considered to be a quieter alternative to its neighbour Glebe. The area has a public school Forest Lodge Public School along with the University of Sydney Centre For Peace and Conflict Studies as well as the Medical Foundation.