New to Fayetteville or want to rediscover the area? This guide is for you.

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Hi foodies,

Three years ago, when I found out that my now-husband would be stationed at Fort Liberty, the first thing I did was search online for the best restaurants in Fayetteville.

I was encouraged by what I found! Surely the city can’t be so bad, with such a range of cuisines represented at its restaurants. I texted my sweetie a list of places for us to try, including Indian restaurant Bombay Bistro, which became his favorite Fayetteville food; Brooklyn Pizzeria, which became our Friday night treat; and Don Ramon’s Taco Shop, which became a beloved breakfast burrito stop.

Fairly quickly, we found our culinary footing here, and now, we're always finding new food to try. But it took us longer to get a grasp on everything else. Fayetteville history, entertainment, shopping, schools, neighborhoods and things to do took a while to demystify.

That’s why I wrote this guide to what to know if you’re moving to Fayetteville or Fort Liberty. It’s choc-full of information about the area and links to our previous work, so if something strikes your fancy, you can learn more about it.

While it’s written with newcomers in mind, the guide works for anyone who wants to rediscover the area and love where they live.

I hope it leads you to something that makes Fayetteville feel a little more like home.

Think of something I missed, that should be in the guide? Send me an email at tshook@gannett.com.

What’s happening

The Dogwood Festival returns to downtown Fayetteville this weekend. Here’s the schedule, and here’s a guide to the food.

Bethany Food Truck Festival returns Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Stedman’s Bethany Crossroads neighborhood, 7064 Maxwell Road.

Happy eating,

Taylor

Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and culture for The Fayetteville Observer. She can be reached at tshook@gannett.com or on Facebook

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Get a guide to Fayetteville food, shopping, neighborhoods, things to do