Washington Heights

Becca Spence, 30, moved to Washington Heights almost 11 years ago. “The rents are cheaper, and it’s like living in the city, but not,” she says. “It’s more neighborly. And there’s Fort Tryon Park, and you can see the river, so it’s not all buildings.”

Her friends Beth Schechner, 29, and Bryan Osborne, 30, followed her up here just last September. “This view is what sold the neighborhood for me,” says Bryan, standing at the Seawall along Chittenden Ave., between 187th St. and Alex Rose Place. Couples line up along the Heights’ lovers’ lane to watch the sunset behind the George Washington Bridge. “We have a lot of

hidden gems like this,” says Becca (center). Broadway bustles with mom-and-pop produce stands and retail shops. At the year-round outdoor market La Plaza de las Americas (175th St., between Wadsworth Ave. and Broadway), kids play hideand-seek between clothing racks while their mothers browse the tables of fresh squash, yams and bell peppers. “This is the best roast chicken in the neighborhood,” says Bryan inside El Malecon (4141 Broadway, at 175th St.). The restaurant is renowned for its rotisserie chicken seen browning in the window. “On Sundays after church, this place is happening,” adds Beth. Word Up Community Bookshop (4157 Broadway, at 176th St.) launched as a pop-up store last June. “It was going to be open for a month, but the neighborhood response was nuts,” says founder Veronica Liu, who wants to renew the current lease, which is up in May. “I realized after I started it just how badly we need a bookstore.” Wahi is steeped in Revolutionary War history. “This is the highest point in Manhattan, and this is where George Washington tried to hold off the British,” says Bryan, standing at Bennett Park (183rd to 185th Sts., between Fort Washington and Pinehurst Aves.). A plaque marks the spot where Fort Washington used to stand. George’s Pizza (726 W. 181st St., at Bennett Ave.) is branded the nabe’s best slice. “It’s got a thicker crust than a