Fort George - New York, NY

The Fort George area once witnessed Revolutionary War battles, during which the budding Americans fought the British from the high point of Fort Washington. From there, the American side retreated down Broadway until eventually turning the fight around. Today, memorial plaques all the way down Broadway mark each of these battles.

The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that specializes in Medieval art, housed in a French monastery. The New York City International Film festival is also held each year at 1 University Place #9C.

Restaurants in Fort George feature a wide range of ethnic cuisine, with dining venues ranging from lower-end food carts to upscale restaurants. Since only a handful of nightlife options exist in this neighborhood, many establishments pull double duty as both a restaurant and lounge.

Patacon Pisao's blue food truck delivers authentic Venezuelan cuisine in Fort George. Order patacones and cachapas, the sweet corn cakes, topped with large portions of bacon and cheese. Plantains reign supreme, as one patacon has roast pork, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and plantain crust. Get ready to use a fork and knife because some dishes are too big to handle.

Kismat sits on Fort Washington Avenue in an intimate, low-frills storefront. This restaurant cooks traditional Indian appetizers and small bites, but locals love the baked salmon Tandoori with mixed garden vegetables as a weekly special. For an extra $3, add some whole wheat or white naan bread to accent the meal.

Apt 78 on Broadway serves a lunch and dinner menu while live music and DJs entertain guests. However, the weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. features unlimited mimosas and a wide variety of foods. Try the maduro hash that comes with pan-fried, diced yellow plantains tossed with scallions, peppers, and chorizo. For a Southern feel, chicken and waffles take the cake with chicken breast served over red velvet waffles and spicy Sriracha maple syrup. This decadent slice of heaven makes Apt 78 a wonderful place to unwind.

As night falls, residents choose from several options to get a drink or to dance the night away. The Arka Lounge touts itself as one of Upper Manhattan's best-kept secrets. The club offers a diverse lineup of live music and DJs, private VIP rooms in the back, and a bottle service located on Broadway. For somewhere a bit more low-key to unwind after a long day, the Buddha Beer Bar on Broadway offers a more relaxing, informal atmosphere.

More spread out than most neighborhoods in Manhattan, Fort George is nevertheless easy to navigate on foot. The George Washington Bridge Bus Station can be found at the southern border of the district, offering easy access to the commercial parts of the city. Two subway lines service the area, transporting commuters either down through Times Square towards the South Ferry or through Manhattan and into Brooklyn.

Use Uber to hail a taxi or travel from north to south via the bicycle lanes within the parks. Via car, access the Henry Hudson Parkway or Harlem River Drive on the west and east borders, or the George Washington Bridge at the south edge. Street parking is available in limited quantities, as well as several parking garages for a fee-based stay.

New Yorkers who enjoy the outdoors tend to appreciate Fort George thanks to the range of park options in the neighborhood. Established by the son of the architect responsible for Central Park and later restored partly thanks to Bette Midler, Fort Tryon Park remains a preserved area with plenty of outdoor recreation options. Picnic in the beautiful surrounds, walk your dog on the dog run while watching out from the gazebo, or take the kids to one of two playgrounds or the spray showers. Overlooking the Hudson River, Fort Tryon Park offers exercise options such as morning fitness classes, fitness equipment, and basketball courts.

On the opposite side of the neighborhood, find Highbridge Park, named after the city's oldest standing bridge. Packed with even more activities than its neighbor, the park overlooks the Harlem River and includes bicycling routes and greenways, areas for barbecuing, courts for volleyball, handball, and basketball, and baseball fields. Fitness equipment and recreation centers are available. Dogs are welcome, while children will enjoy the playgrounds and spray showers.

Two smaller parks sit between these large expanses: Gorman Park and Bennett Park. The former resembles terraces, each one a sitting area, and features a wide stone staircase that leads to Broadway. The latter offers playgrounds for younger visitors, but attracts locals largely for quieter recreation.

Finding space to live in New York City can be tricky on a budget, but Fort George offers a more reasonable cost of living than most Manhattan neighborhoods. Estimated at around 4.5 percent lower than the average for the city, living in this neighborhood will still cost around 60 percent more than the national average.

Gas prices hover around $3 per gallon, around 10 to 15 percent higher than the national average, while a glass of beer will set you back about $7. Renting a one bedroom apartment in Fort George costs about $1,500 per month. Travel to the center of the city is $2.75 with a multiple-trip MetroCard.

Residents in Fort George choose from plenty of small businesses along Broadway and Dyckman Street, where they run errands at the beloved family-run Hilltop Pharmacy or score deals at discount shops for clothing and home goods.

Book lovers gravitate to several independent bookstores, and cyclists shop for new wheels at Tread Bike Shop, where the knowledgeable but laid-back staff help beginners get into the sport. The shop also has a wide selection of accessories for fixed gear bikes and features knowledgeable mechanics in the back to tune up your ride.

Quisqueya Record Shop on Sherman Avenue remains a bastion of old-school vinyl records and Latino tunes. Check out Probus, Inc, a men's clothing boutique that sells top-tier brands such as Dita, as well as old school classics such as Jack Purcell Converse and imports like G-Star Raw jeans.

Grocery store options include Key Food and Bravo Supermarkets on Broadway. For farmers markets, head to the nearby Greenmarket on 175th Street, which is open Thursdays from eight to five during the summer months. Gideon's Bakery sells kosher sweet treats, while Food Palace offers Russian treats and affordable produce.