Day Tripper: Bay Ridge

Between keeping within your budget and scheduling time off from work, planning a vacation can be stressful.

If you find you have too little time to travel and not enough money in your bank account, there’s no need to fret.

Each Thursday, Douglaston Patch will profile one of the five boroughs’ unique neighborhoods, where you can sample some local culture and culinary delights.

This week’s pick is Bay Ridge. The ideal time to visit the neighborhood is in the spring:

10 a.m.

Start your day with a tour of the historic Fort Hamilton, which is named after the first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

The military base, which was built in the mid-1820s, includes a plaza dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I and a park.

The Harbor Defense Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. It includes Revolutionary War relics, uniforms, exhibits and old maps of the fort.

For more information, visit the fort’s website.

1 p.m.

For lunch, drop by Agnanti Meze, a Greek restaurant located at 78-02 Fifth Ave.

The menu offers several cold-served appetizers, grilled salmon, swordfish kebob, fried Baccalao, chicken souvlaki, T-bone steaks, lamb chops, grape leaves with rice and herbs, a complete wine list and desserts.

Click here to view Agnanti’s menu.

3 p.m.

On a sunny afternoon, check out the Narrows Botanical Garden, which offers a variety of events during the warmer months, such as high tea, movie nights and wine tastings.

The garden’s sights include a tree grove, rock wall, a moon garden, native plant garden and rose garden.

The park’s entrances are located on Shore Road between Bay Ridge Avenue and 72nd Street.

For more information, visit the Narrows’s website.

6 p.m.

End your day by dining at Gino’s Restaurant, located at 7414 Fifth Ave.

This popular restaurant’s menu includes 17 varieties of pasta as well as soups, salads, chicken rollatine, chicken parmigiana, veal dishes, seafood, shell steak, filet mignon and vegetarian courses.

To view Gino’s complete menu, visit the eatery’s website.