Welcome to 739 Forest Avenue, an exquisitely updated, stately Victorian in the heart of Southeast Evanston.  Set on a beautiful, tree-lined street 3 blocks from Lake Michigan, this 5 bedroom, 3.1 bath home seamlessly combines elegant historic features with modern luxury.  A gracious front porch leads into the inviting foyer with an oak paneled staircase.  French doors open to a spacious, sun filled living room with a wood burning fireplace, centered between built-in bookcases, and new quarter-sawn oak flooring.  French doors lead into an adjacent sun room with windows on 3 sides. French doors on the opposite side of the living room lead into the formal dining room, which has an elegant leaded window, display cabinet and new quarter-sawn flooring with an inlaid border, which exactly replicates the original.  The spacious chef's kitchen has an abundance of custom in-set cabinets and drawers, a large island, quartzite counters, 2 Shaw sinks, a Bosch dishwasher, 2 Subzero units, a 6 burner Viking cooktop, 2 Viking built-in ovens, a Viking convection oven, instant hot and cold filtered water, 2 pantries and casual dining space to accommodate 6 to 8 guests.  Adjacent to the kitchen is a mud room with full sized laundry and sink.  A powder room completes the first floor.  Front and back staircases lead to the second floor.  The graciously sized primary suite has 3 exposures, a generous walk-in closet and an ensuite bath with heated floors, double sinks, a spa shower and a smart tv mirror to watch the morning news.  There are 3 additional bedrooms on the second floor, one of which has a tandem dressing room and is currently used as an office/sunroom.  A hall bath, with plumbing for a second sink, completes this floor.  The top floor is a hidden gem: a private suite perfect for guests or a nanny, plus an enormous library/family room/playroom with skylights, window seats and walls of built-ins.  The full basement, with an exercise room and ample storage space is accessible from the interior and exterior of the home.  The professionally landscaped grounds feature mature trees, a charming playhouse, and a three-car garage with a full second story for storage, but ready to be transformed into a guest apartment, studio, or home office.  This home is ideally situated in a 3-4 block radius to the Metra, EL, restaurants, shops, parks, beaches and the renowned Lincoln Elementary School.