Starcrest - Vancouver, WA

After settlers began developing what would later become the city of Vancouver in the late 1800s, the demand for places to live increased. Vancouver Lake became a prime spot for land development, as its reputation as a recreational and scenic spot made it a popular tourist attraction. In the early 1900s, suburban neighborhoods were built around the lake's watershed area, which caused severe water pollution. Starcrest continued to expand its suburban homes, but established areas close to the lake as environmental protection zones. Vancouver Lake's newly clear waters still attract tourists.

Starcrest doesn't have any museums, but it has a thriving arts scene due to its close location to multiple schools. Columbia River High School's auditorium hosts live performances from local artists. Locals expect to attend community projects at one of the local elementary schools, middle schools or high schools.

One look at Starcrest's expansive lines of homes tells you most of what you need to know about the neighborhood's nightlife. Evening entertainment here centers around family-friendly activities. While it stays fairly quiet at night, residents always find something fun to do when the sun goes down.

Fantastic restaurants border the Starcrest neighborhood, including the breakfast staple Fatty Patty's Restaurant. Be sure to get to this spot early, since they close every day at 2 pm. When you arrive, you're greeted by walls decorated with kitschy pig art, lending the diner a comfortable home-like atmosphere. Bring your appetite, since each plate easily feeds two people. Their specialties include huge homemade omelettes, classic chicken fried steak and stacks of pancakes.

The neighborhood doesn't have a central restaurant location, but residents find most great diners scattered along 99 Street and Hazel Dell Avenue. One of these restaurants includes Bortolami's Pizzeria near 99 Street. Bicycle memorabilia line the interior of the dining area, welcoming customers with a giant bicycle tire on the ceiling. This Starcrest hotspot goes beyond the cheese and pepperoni pizza, offering a ciclismo pizza with basil pesto, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato, spinach and artichoke hearts over parmesan and romano cheese. If you want Italian food, but you're tired of pizza, order the Gorgonzola and honey bruschetta, a toasted ciabatta bread topped with cheese and drizzled with honey. Almost everything on the menu has a gluten-free option.

Familiar chain restaurants make up most of what you find in Starcrest, but the neighborhood also has an original barbecue diner. Jazzy John’s BBQ serves up classic comfort food in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. Founded by jazz musician John Moak, this restaurant has everything from dry-rubbed pork spare ribs to smoked bologna. When you walk into Jazzy John's BBQ, the aroma of sweet barbecue sauce and smoke from the grills instantly hits your nostrils. Order your choice of meat with a side of smokey red potatoes, or take a bite out of the gluten-free cornbread with a side of collard greens.

Locals often grab a beer at 3 Monkeys' Pub just outside of Starcrest's east border. This bar features local music nearly every weekend, with karaoke on Wednesday nights. You'll also find plenty of family entertainment in Starcrest. Head over to Regal Cinemas located just outside of the neighborhood to catch a flick on a Friday night.

Most people get around in Starcrest by walking or driving, but residents have plenty of public transportation options at their disposal. Take the C-Tran bus to get anywhere in the neighborhood easily. Since Starcrest has a high concentration of public schools within its borders, buses frequently make trips into the area.

Call a cab to get picked up anywhere around the neighborhood, or pull the Uber app up on your phone for a custom ride. Uber serves all of Vancouver.

If you choose to drive, you can find free public parking nearly everywhere in the neighborhood. Most shopping areas have plenty of parking spaces, while residents park along the sidewalk in residential zones.

Hop on 99 Street to connect to major expressways such as Interstate 5 on the east side of Starcrest. Interstate 5 takes you to downtown Vancouver and straight through to Portland. Highway 99 reaches shops to the east of the neighborhood.

When you walk in this neighborhood, you get to take in the scenery around you on Starcrest's safe sidewalks. Many residents choose to bike through residential zones, since cars drive slowly around the suburban streets. Take one of the neighborhood's dozens of biking lanes or trails on a weekend trip.

Residents visit the Vancouver Lake Regional Park for picnics or to look at the lake's expansive view.

Starcrest has one park nestled along Salmon Creek at its northern border. Salmon Creek Park features a huge man-made pond called Klineline. Visitors fish for trout in the lake or take a swim in its fenced-off sections on hot summer days. Have a picnic at one of the park's dozens of picnic tables, or take your children to play on one of the seven playgrounds.

This park caters to joggers and bicyclists, with its paved Salmon Creek Trail stretching for acres. See wildlife such as deer and coyotes roaming along its extensive greenway. Bring your pets along, but make sure you keep them on a leash at all times.

Events at this free park include softball games at the nearby field. Come to the park every summer for Klineline Kids Fishing, where children are taught how to fish by designated experts every year.

Families looking to save money while living close to Portland choose to build their homes in Starcrest. The cost of living in Starcrest sits at about 7 percent lower than the cost of living in Portland. Combine this with an average rental rate of $710 for a one-bedroom apartment, and you understand this neighborhood's growing popularity among new residents.

Getting around in this neighborhood doesn't require you to break the bank, since it costs about $1.75 to get around on the C-Tran bus. Take the bus into Portland for $3.75. When you drive your own car, expect to pay about 8 percent more than the national average for gas.

Entertainment comes cheap in Starcrest, with a beer at a local pub selling for about $3 per bottle.

Residents visit the Hazel Dell Towne Center just outside of Starcrest's borders to meet all of their shopping needs. The shopping center includes a Party City, Office Depot, Target and Kohl's. While you don't find high-end stores in the neighborhood, you find plenty of affordable boutiques scattered along its borders.

Whether you're looking for a new armchair to match your renovated living room, or you want something special to wear for a party, Modao has you covered. This consignment shop specializes in high-quality clothing and furniture. While many vintage consignment shops carry off-brand thrift clothing, this store stands out for its dedication to designer brands such as Chanel and Burberry.

For the craft-oriented, check out Urban Wolves Fibre Arts near Interstate 5. This yarn store includes one of the largest collections of knitting material in the city, and provides customers with work groups for knitting, crocheting, felting and spinning your own yarn. Pop into the store on Wednesday nights to hone your knitting skills at one of the shop's weekly gatherings.

Since Starcrest focuses on families, you have a wide selection of grocery stores to choose from when you make your weekly shopping trip. Buy the basics at WinCo Foods, Safeway, Fred Meyer or Grocery Outlet. For organic items, visit Chuck's Produce in the northern part of the neighborhood. Every May through October, residents head into downtown Vancouver for the Vancouver Farmers Market in Esther Short Park.