Wolfe Park - Manchester, NH

Wolfe Park is situated in New Hampshire's largest city, Manchester, a historical and culturally vibrant city center. Here, residents enjoy exposure to art, theater and creative events.

The area developed with the vision in the 19th century to make Manchester into an industrial center, becoming the home to the largest cotton mill in the world, and the community thrived as a result. With an influx of immigrants and diversification of its products, including cigars and textiles, the area flourished, and remnants of its affluence still remains.

Residents can see many historic sites throughout the city including the Palace Theatre, once home to vaudeville shows and art enthusiasts can enjoy piece by artists like Matisse or O'Keefe at the Currier Museum of Art.

Annually in October, residents can participate in the ManchVegas Zombie Walk, an event that brings the community together as zombies to benefit local charities.

The neighborhood offers its residents national fast food chains and restaurants, but also fine and semi-casual offerings. If you do not find what you are in the mood for, rest assure you are only a short drive away from downtown Manchester.

Enjoy an upscale, New American-style meal at Copper Door without feeling intimidated by a fancy atmosphere. Locals enjoy coming to this restaurant for its not too casual, but not too posh environment and most recommend coming for lunch. Try the soup and salad combo, ordering the beet and arugula salad with the tomato basil soup.

If you are in the mood for some ribs, head out to KC's Rib Shack Barbecue. Thanks to its reasonable prices and consistent service, locals enjoy coming to this joint to get their rib fix. Once you are here, order the pulled pork sandwich with a couple of sides, especially the dirty rice. It does get busy in this restaurant, but frequent diners say it is worth the wait.

Should you opt for a night out on the town in downtown Manchester, try the trendy Cotton. The restaurant serves up classic American dishes such as meatloaf with flare. Share an order of popcorn shrimp that the chef displays in an actual popcorn box, and for the main, get the house steak with the mashed potatoes. Even if you do not come here for dinner, the bar received accolades for its creative handcrafted cocktails, so drop in for just drinks too.

The nightlife in this area can be described as a casual one. Many restaurants house bars with happy hours for locals to enjoy. If you're looking for classic cocktails like an Bourbon Old Fashioned, go to Hanover Street Chophouse. Or if you want a view while you sip your drink, Black Trumpet Bistro and Wine Bar, gives patrons a nice view of Portsmouth's Harbor.

To get around the neighborhood, residents usually drive or carpool, but also have access to other means such as public transit or rail service to get around.

Residents are close to local routes that connect out into major highways such as Interstate 93, 293 and the F.E. Everett Turnpike. These highways connect the metropolitan area to Concord in the north and to Nashua and Boston in the south. If you drive into the city, you can find affordable street parking and garages for your car. As an alternative to driving, you can also call a cab or UberX in advance.

For those wanting to use public transit, they can use the bus service provided by the Manchester Transit Authority. The MTA operates several routes throughout the city and the surrounding areas, with local service even going into Nashua and Boston.

Apart from biking for leisure or exercise, Wolfe Park does not accommodate commuters who bike. Once in downtown Manchester, cyclists do have bicycle friendly streets.

Manchester has numerous parks. Wolfe Park creates a perfect environment for families and those who enjoy sports. The park has a playground, a softball field, a little league baseball field and basketball courts.

Derryfield Park, located on the east side of Manchester, has many trails for cross country, open fields that host softball and football games, and a playground area. This park is considered one of the most popular in Manchester.

At the Veteran Memorial's Park, TD Bank hosts a free summer concert series. The event, free to the public, provides people a carefree night under the stars with live music and, if you packed one, a delicious picnic dinner.

Residents find living in Wolfe Park comparable to Manchester, while the area as a whole ranks as highly affordable compared to the rest of New Hampshire. For a one-bedroom residence, expect a median rent around $979.

Despite gas prices that are 5 percent higher than the national average, most people drive or carpool around the area. For public transit users, Manchester Transit Authority also provides bus service with base fares around $2 to get into the city. The typical price for domestic draught beer costs $3, while imported beer costs around $5.

Manchester provides residents and visitors with the largest retail shopping area in the New England area. Shoppers can also enjoy the fact they can partake in tax-free retail therapy.

Residents have the Mall of New Hampshire, which has nearly one million square feet filled with department stores such as Macy's and 125 specialty stores. For outlet shopping, take a drive to the outer regions such as Merrimack, Tilton and Conway. More unique shopping can be found in downtown Manchester as this area has plenty of specialty shops and boutiques.

Castro's Back Room gives cigar aficionados a unique experience. Pop in to get some cigars as a gift for yourself or someone you know. You can even lounge about a bit as the store has a bar and comfy leather seating to create a good place to wait for whomever you accompanied for a shopping day. For the music buff and lover of memorabilia, Thrifty's Second Hand Stuff not only brings together a collection of vintage household decorative items and musical mementos, the store also acts as sort of a museum. Regardless of whether you purchase an item, you can come in to see guitars signed by the likes of Kurt Cobain and Eric Clapton.

Residents can do their grocery shopping at the nearby Walmart or Hannaford Supermarket. For farmers' market fans, downtown Manchester has one as does Bedford.