Fisher's Landing East - Vancouver, WA

Fisher's Landing East was founded by Solomon W. Fisher, and it fostered notoriety as a steamboat landing in the 1800s. The culture of the neighborhood was inspired by the waters of the Columbia River. In the early 1900s until the 1960s, the neighborhood housed a ferry that took people to Government Island. The docks have been replaced by a community park, allowing visitors to take in the view of the water. Store owners replaced dock workers after the ferry shut down.

The neighborhood has an art scene driven by the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, a non-profit focused on indigenous art. The Journey Theater Arts Group near LeRoy Haagen Memorial Community Park holds theatrical performances.

The neighborhood does not host annual festivals, although plenty of spontaneous community events are held year-round.

Living in this neighborhood links you to popular bars, restaurants and bowling alleys that make any weekend a blast. Head to Jerusalem Cafe east of Interstate 205 for a taste of authentic Mediterranean food. On a cold day, order a warm plate of lamb shawarma, dip bread into a dollop of babaghanooj and get a cup of Turkish coffee to sip on the side. The Farran family trekked from northern Israel in 1996 to start this restaurant business. After the success of their first restaurant in downtown Vancouver, they opened a second location in Fisher's Landing East. The diverse menu includes their specialty: a homemade baklava with fresh pistachios. The central restaurant location in Fisher's Landing East is off of 164th Avenue between 15th Street and 34th Street.

Head back in time to the 50s at the Stardust Diner. This nostalgic eatery is decorated with 50s memorabilia that is only outmatched by the award winning menu. Stop in for a short stack of pancakes or a hearty hobo skillet with diced ham, sausage, bacon and onions. For dinner, the King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak leaves you satisfied or grab a teriyaki pineapple burger, with a side of onion rings.

While this neighborhood has worldwide cuisine options, one of its best restaurants serves up American cheese steaks and cold-cut sandwiches. Don't let the simple diner atmosphere of Philly Bilmos fool you. This restaurant has Philly cheese steaks that rival those in Philadelphia and thick slices of deli meat piled onto Italian subs. If you want something other than a sandwich, try the chili cheese fries, an all-beef hot dog or the chicken Parmesan.

For live music, stop in at The Springs Food & Spirits off of Chkalov Drive. The venue holds a jam night for local musicians every week and karaoke starting at 8 p.m. every Sunday. Enjoy a tropical drink at Jorge's Margarita Factory. Open nightly until midnight, this is the perfect spot to watch your favorite NFL team in a lively atmosphere. Jorge's features homemade salsa and one-of-a-kind drink creations that keep patrons coming back for more. Sports fans also flock to Main Event Sports Grill to watch the latest game and take in the bar's famed happy-hour menu. Auto's Pub off of 164th Avenue has every classic bar game, including darts and pool.

For family fun, visit Big Al's bowling alley. Along with classic bowling lanes, it has a full arcade, a sports restaurant, a fully-stocked bar and five private bowling lanes that are perfect for a birthday party.

The local businesses in Fisher's Landing East are tucked into concentrated pockets of buzzing activity. This makes it easy to get around, whether you have a car or prefer to walk.

Catch the bus at Fisher's Landing Transit Center. The C-Tran bus makes stops everywhere along the neighborhood's most popular shopping centers and residential areas.

Since this is a trendy shopping area, taxis drive through town daily. Hail a cab with a phone call to a cab company, or get a rideshare from Uber. Uber serves the entire city of Vancouver. If you want to take your own car through town, public parking is available at nearly every shopping plaza.

Fisher's Landing East is located next to two major freeways and one highway, allowing you to get anywhere in Vancouver or Portland. Interstate 5 takes you to the downtown Vancouver to the north or Portland to the south via Highway 14. Take Interstate 205 to go straight through eastern Vancouver or southbound toward the Portland International Airport.

With wide pedestrian sidewalks on roads with the most traffic, walk through Fisher's Landing East without worry. The neighborhood is filled with shops on nearly every block, so walking to most destinations is simple and fast. Biking lanes populate the neighborhood. If you need to get to the airport, take the Interstate 205 bike lane to save money on airport parking.

Fisher's Landing East's scenic views make its parks some of the finest in the city. Choose from four free parks on your next outing, including Clearmeadows Park, Fisher Basin Community Park, Heritage Park and Summer's Walk Neighborhood Park.

Walk through four acres of grass at Summer's Walk Neighborhood Park on 180th Avenue. Play Frisbee on the open lawn, or take your kids to play on the modern equipment. Its central location to residential areas creates a perfect space for families.

If you need space to spread out, head over to Fisher Basin Community Park near the Mill Plain Crossing Shopping Center. This park has 12 acres of land with sports fields, playground equipment and plenty of picnic tables. Dogs on leashes are welcome.

The cost of living in Fisher's Landing East is about 6 percent higher than the Vancouver city average, but it is about 1 percent less expensive to live in this neighborhood than to live in Portland. If you want to save money and still live close to downtown Portland, choose this neighborhood.

Getting to downtown Vancouver from Fisher's Landing East costs about $1.75 on C-Tran, although if you're a Medicare card holder, it only costs $0.85. To get to downtown Portland by bus, expect to pay about $3.75.

Renting a one-bedroom apartment in this neighborhood costs anywhere from $800 to $1,300. The median rent is about $1,222 per month.

Entertainment comes cheap in the neighborhood, so a beer at local pubs costs about $3 per bottle and $6 per pint.

Gas prices in the neighborhood are typically about 1 percent higher than the national average, but they are lower than the average Washington state gas price.

Fisher's Landing East has a high concentration of shopping areas. Stop in at Fisher's Landing Marketplace for groceries from New Seasons, or grab some essentials at Big Lots. The marketplace is the central location for shopping in this neighborhood, but plenty of stores are scattered throughout 164th Avenue.

For those seeking luxury products at an affordable price, check out Himalayas' Legend off of 176th Avenue for handmade freshwater pearl jewelry inspired by the South Asia region. The store tailors jewelry based on their clients' needs. Order a custom pearl necklace to stand out at your next party.

If you have children, check out Pipsqueak Resale Boutique. This store has designer children's clothes at a fraction of the cost of brand-new items. The owner started this boutique after raising two children of her own. She wanted to give customers high-quality clothes without charging the price of new name-brand children's collections.

Beacock Music near 164th Avenue sells and rents instruments, including high-end classical equipment. The store provides music lessons on instruments ranging from the trumpet to guitar. The store opened in 1976, and it remains the destination for music lovers in Vancouver.

For the health-conscious, select from fresh organic produce at New Seasons Market or Trader Joe's on Chkalov Drive. Get your essentials at Fred Meyer and Walgreens, or head north to find Whole Foods Market and specialty grocers, such as Kolos Euro Foods.

While Fisher's Landing East does not have a farmers market, head 10 miles west to downtown Vancouver during harvest months to get food directly from local farmers.