Red Hook, Brooklyn

Red Hook is a quiet and affordable community that was once very isolated. It is still pretty isolated, but the past few years have brought changes that have upset some longtime residents and inspired new residents to move here. For starters, this was a very small town with small, family businesses and where everyone knew each other. This became a place for artists, where there were unique shops and restaurants. Now, there's an IKEA and a Fairway. This beautiful neighborhood was a popular choice for retailers, developers, and newcomers, because it had beautiful views of the city skyline, and cheap property prices. Yet, it has still largely remained isolated, probably because it's hard to get to. The G train is a nightmare and the F train, which is often described as "within walking distance" is actually a rather scary trek around highways and under bridges away. There is bus service, but it's rarely on time and it takes forever. While it is pleasant and definitely has its perks, Red Hook isn't for everyone. A lot of people think that they will like the solitude, but they end up missing the bustling atmosphere of other parts of the city and leave.

I don't get out to Red Hook as much as I would like - because it's not the most accessible neighborhood via public transportation. You really have to make a day out of any trip to this boondocks of a neighborhood - not that it isn't worth a visit. It is, it's just a pain to get around (unless of course for some reason you have a car in the city).

Red Hook was supposed to be the next Williamsburg - a haven for twenty-something hipsters to shop, eat and make art/music, as that's all the trendy set ever seems to do. And it sort of is - except that it never caught on as much down here as in Williamsburg and surrounding neighborhoods. Perhaps this is because Red Hook was never as affordable as Williamsburg once was (and Bushwick and Bed-Stuy still are, being crap neighborhoods to live in). Or perhaps it is because residents of Red Hook must take the hated G train to get anywhere (TERRIBLE transit!), or perhaps it's the housing projects that keep people away.

Red Hook is half industrial and half residential - I've looked at some very roomy and fairly priced spaces for rent here, and many have amazing views of the city skyline. And the neighborhood has its bright spots: the ballfields, IKEA, Fairway, and a ton of trendy boutique restaurants and cafes, like Baked, Sunny's Bar and Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie. I'm not sure how many would agree that the city views, quaint residential streets (many of which are paved in shoddy brick) and parks would make up for the housing projects, industrial action (there are always huge trucks driving around these parts) and crap transportation. I suppose it's one of those neighborhoods where residents take the good with the bad.

Red Hook is one of New York’s oldest neighborhoods. The area offers great views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Take a walk down Red Hook’s cobblestone streets and take a trip back in time - there is so much history to be found in this community.

Velentino Pier offers some of the best views in Red Hook, and there is a nearby grassy park and picnicking area perfect for a weekend outing or weekday lunch date. Stop by the Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge for lots of educational programs for the kids. Further east, you will discover a large public swimming pool at the Red Hook Recreation Area, also a great place for the children.

Red Hook offers little in terms of transportation. There is no subway line in Red Hook and public transportation can be a problem as well. The NY Water Taxi does exist here and ferries passengers to and from Ikea and Fairway (the neighborhood’s gourmet food center). Despite the area’s lack of transportation, housing is priced fairly competitively with the rest of Brooklyn. One bedroom apartments rent for about $1500 per month. Red Hook also holds one of Brooklyn’s largest public housing projects, known as The Red Hook Houses.

A few schools populate the area, including South Brooklyn Community High School on Conover Street. Also in the area are PS 027 Agnes Y. Humphrey and PS 015 Patrick F. Daly. Lots of kids from the “projects” frequent the schools.

Some local favorites for dining out are Hope & Anchor (a diner on Van Brunt Street) as well as the Red Hook Ballfields where you can get your fill of hot wings and quesadillas. There are not a lot of upscale nightclubs in the area, but if you are looking for a stiff beer, grab a pint at Sunny’s, or class it up at Tini’s for a nice glass of wine.

I’ve heard a lot in the past about how Red Hook is supposed to be the new Williamsburg – or rather, what Williamsburg used to be before all of the businesses arrived with their trendy shops, bars, record stores, and restaurants: an enclave of artists living where ever the rent is cheap. I don’t know how true this is – but this neighborhood features a mixture of classes. Many working class people find themselves living beside luxury car owners here. Condo projects and shopping centers are in the works for Red Hook, so its days as any kind of bohemia are numbered.