Deer Park Newport News, VA

The Deer Park neighborhood is comprised of 1970s-era high-rise apartments and condominiums that testify to the area's high rental residence ratio. Once a part of a vast farming estate, this inner city community's late 20th-century development continues to lure students from Stratford University, Christopher Newport University and Everest College to its hip, urban lifestyle and easy access to the abundant cultural scene of the Hampton Roads area.

The youthful, thrill-seeking vibe of the neighborhood shows in the annual Battle of the Beers festival held at the Mariner's Museum and Park on Museum Drive. Your admission ticket grants you access to not only sample craft beers, but to vote for your favorite brewhouse in each specified category.

Soak up some of the local arts scene at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in the Park. This 21,000-square-foot facility houses a 1930s-era hydraulics laboratory and revolving historical collections.

Night-time weekend fun in Deer Park generally starts at one of the local restaurants and moves over to neighboring Oyster Point for the festivities at Hoss's Deli. This biker bar hosts some of the best local and traveling bands and features a decent beer selection. Get there early for the grilled or steamed seafood plate to share with your friends before the show.

Although the Deer Park neighborhood hosts numerous restaurants, they're not all situated within a central restaurant hub, but rather dispersed throughout the community.

Try a totally different spin on fried chicken with a visit to Chic n Fish on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard. This authentic Korean hole-in-the-wall restaurant makes the tastiest, most succulent wings in the neighborhood and also serves a variety of fried seafood dishes and wraps, sandwiches and burgers.

Take your love for classic Mexican food to the next level at Los Paisas Locos on Jefferson Avenue. This unpretentious spot's staff focuses solely on the food and it shows in each and every plate. Order the whole fried fish and top it yourself with one of the housemade salsas from the salsa bar, or opt for an enormous burrito or chimichanga to have a hearty dinner and take your leftovers home for a filling next-day lunch.

Pho 83 on Pilot House Drive nails the mixture of shrimp and pork within each freshly made spring roll. Order the rolls with the sweet and spicy thighs for a substantial midday snack. This small family establishment's Pho soup, beef tendon and Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk are also menu stand-outs.

Since many of your errands can be easily accomplished on foot, you'll spend a lot of time meandering through the manicured streets of the Deer Park neighborhood. The area also hosts numerous bike-friendly streets, including Alpine Street and Canon Boulevard as well as a few lanes with dedicated bike paths, such as Thimble Shoals Boulevard and Coventry Boulevard.

Because Interstate 64 runs through the neighborhood, you won't have trouble packing up and taking a spontaneous weekend trip. Virginia State Routes 306 and 312 and U.S. Route 17 are all also easily accessible from your Deer Park neighborhood home base.

Expect free parking at most area businesses although you might have trouble finding a spot during peak weekend shopping times. Uber isn't an option here, so call a cab in lieu of waiting extended periods attempting to hail one on the street during the week.

Huntington Park on Riverside Drive at Mercury Boulevard provides you and your family with everything you need to enjoy an action-packed day of educational entertainment. Launch your boat into the river to cruise or fish for dinner, or simply lie along the public beach and take a few dips in the designated swimming area when the mood strikes you. Let your kids run wild around the 14,000-square-foot Fort Fun Playground, or take your on-leash dog for a walk around the grounds. When you're in the mood for a more exercise-centric experience, take advantage of the two ball parks available for public use when not booked by one of the city's sports leagues. You'll also find a tennis court on-site.

Spend the day fishing off of the James River Pier for a per-person fee, or take your kids to the free Children's Fishing pier over Lake Biggins to teach them how to fend for themselves. While you're at the park, check out the on-site Virginia War Museum. This cultural masterpiece hosts several permanent collections, including the Evolution of Weaponry and Prisoner of War exhibits. This museum also sponsors yearly kids' camps and themed educational programs.

Deer Park's central city location comes with a higher-than-average cost of living as compared to the outlying Hampton Roads neighborhoods. Expect the median price for one-bedroom rental residences to flutter near $820 a month and for gas prices to remain around 8 percent lower than the national average. A craft beer at a local pub costs you about $6 a pint, while taking the Hampton Roads Transit bus runs about $1.50 per ride.

The Deer Park neighborhood's layout provides you with easy access to nearby grocery and retail shops.

Groceries are easy to pick up at the Farm Fresh on Arthur Way or the Food Lion on Jefferson Avenue. When you want grass-fed beef, just-picked organic produce or homemade jams, venture out of the neighborhood to the Farmer's Market on Dam Neck Road in Virginia Beach. Featuring an impressive assortment of freshly made ice cream, local honey and free-range chicken eggs, this market is worth its weight in gold.

Duck into Anderson's Home & Garden Showplace on Jefferson Avenue when you want to pick up a little something special for yourself. Browse the flower and foliage pieces outside, and then head indoors for women's accessories, jewelry, handbags and clothing. The boutique also sells men's and children's clothing and accessories.

When you want a funky piece of jewelry or the beads to make a one-of-a-kind necklace, check out Bead Retreat Boutique on William Styron Square South. The store's upscale vibe and lots of shiny beads and trinkets help you unleash your creativity and redefine your personal sense of style.

Find the higher-end national stores such as Express, Macy's and Zales at the Patrick Henry Mall on Jefferson Avenue.