Fircrest - Vancouver, WA

The Fircrest neighborhood owes its development to the Fort Vancouver fur-trading post established in 1824. Its strategic location on the Columbia River made Fort Vancouver a good choice for the transport of goods and supplies, and early settlers engaged in land disputes with the Native American Indians before opening up the west to further settlement and eventual expansion. The Fircrest area developed slowly until the mid-1900s. The neighborhood underwent heavy building in the 1970s with the construction of 500 homes, and it followed up with equivalent growth over each of the next two decades.

Fircrest doesn't house its own museum, but the full-scale replica of the original Fort Vancouver outpost provides all Vancouver residents with a living history of the area's development. The fort offers educational programs and hosts seasonal events, including the day-long slate of family activities for Independence Day.

Primarily along Southeast Mill Plain, Fircrest supports a mix of eateries that include international cuisine, West Coast fare, chain-restaurant standards and fast-food bites. Graze on greens at the Sweet Tomatoes salad bar, or grab a burger and fries to-go at Burgerville. Introduce your taste buds to the exotic flavors of Indian delicacies at Abhiruchi Indian Cuisine. Dig into the spicy goodness of chicken tikka masala, or go vegetarian with the savory eggplant curry. If you want to sample up to 25 of the restaurant's dishes, be sure to go for the daily lunch buffet and feast on crispy pakoras, a variety of curries, soup, daal and the amazing house-made chutneys that include mint and carrot-pickle varieties. Get your seafood fix at McGrath's Fish House on Southeast 2nd. Locals rave about the warm and fresh house sourdough bread delivered to each table as a starter. Try the wood-fired halibut served with a choice of sides, including clam chowder, and if you just can't decide, try the small bite seafood sampler to enjoy crab cakes, prawn crostinis, crab and artichoke dip, and alder-planked salmon. Enjoy a tangy margarita at Jorge's Margarita Factory. This fun joint features authentic Mexican dishes, such as the popular enchiladas, alongside an extensive cocktail menu. Order the house margarita or two. Locals typically make the short trip to Portland for clubs, concerts and nightlife.

As for getting around in Fircrest, you can run some errands on foot, but the neighborhood is not known for being highly walkable. Vehicles rule as the chosen form of transportation in this neighborhood, and parks, retailers and other public amenities provide ample free parking. Fircrest enjoys an ideal location for highway access. Residents can hop on I-205 for a 15-minute trip south to Portland airport, or they can take the interstate north and connect with I-5 for a trip to Seattle. Nearby State Route 14 carries traffic for express trips downtown.

City buses travel along SE Mill Plain and 136th and provide good service for residents in the southern and eastern sections of the district, but residents in the central and western sections have a considerably longer walk to the bus stop. Hailing a cab may not be easy, but you can call ahead for taxi service and book a pickup. If you choose the Uber option, you can simply use your app to select your vehicle and book your ride.

Fircrest takes care of cyclists with neighborhood-intersecting bike-friendly roads, dedicated bike lanes along the outer borders and scenic bike trails, especially in the community park.

Fircrest residents enjoy a neighborhood park and a community park for outdoor activities, as well as a recreation center for active fun and physical fitness.

Visitors have 30 acres to frolic in at the LeRoy Haagen Memorial Community Park. You can bike or jog along the trail, tire out the kids on the playground equipment or enjoy an outdoor meal in the covered picnic area. Fido is welcome but he has to stay on leash, and you have to clean up after him. In the summer, bring a blanket and a bowl of popcorn and settle in for free summer movies in the park.

Fircrest Neighborhood Park is a beautifully treed 5-acre green space with picnic tables for leisurely lunches, shaded pathways for peaceful walks and a playground area for the kids.

With a recreation center on their home turf, residents have easy access to swimming lessons and aquatic fun, fitness center equipment, basketball and volleyball courts, and climbing wall activities. Firstenburg Community Center hosts fitness and social events for children, adults and seniors.

You can stretch your money a little further in the Fircrest neighborhood because the cost of living comes in slightly lower than the Vancouver average. You typically notice the savings in housing costs, which are lower than the average Vancouver and Washington rates. Rents hover around $959 on average, and you can get an 865-square-foot one-bedroom apartment with a fitness center, a pool, a play area and lots more amenities for $925 per month.

Daily incidentals have very reasonable price tags. Public transportation to the city center costs $1.75 via C-TRAN bus service, and the cool brew that you enjoy at the pub after a hard day's work costs about $5.

There's no way to get around it — Washington residents typically pay more for gas because of distribution costs. Expect to pay about 12 percent more than the national average for gas in Fircrest.

In Fircrest, most commercial activity takes place along SE Mill Plain with a few scattered businesses on NE 112th. The kids can get good value for their piggy-bank savings at Dollar Tree, where every item costs $1, and adults can improve their home's curb appeal with advice and renovations from Exteriors Design.

Score good deals on quality pre-owned clothes and housewares at Spanky's Legendary Consignment. The store doesn't accept stained, worn or flawed clothing, so if you're consigning, only take in your best castoffs. If you're buying, expect to find items in excellent condition at deeply reduced prices.

Create an image for your child's baseball team, your corporate department or your bachelorette party at Instant Imprints. Customize shirts, hats and coffee mugs with screen prints, embroidery and heat transfer to identify your members and build team unity. Trader Joe's on NE 136th takes care of grocery needs for Fircrest residents, and with an urban farm right in the neighborhood, locals have their own version of a farmer's market. Joe's Place Farm on NE 112th provides seasonal produce, u-pick berries, homemade condiments and, at Halloween, hayrides and pumpkin u-picks.