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"Welcome To Red Hook…You Made It."
By : Ana Zapata / Photos J. Kevin Foltz
So says the sign above the bar at Hope & Anchor, a diner in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Most New Yorkers—creatures of convenience—are deterred by the subway-to-bus-transfer necessary to arrive at this peninsula. But this relatively isolated waterfront community is a peaceful escape from the hubbub of the city. For those visiting from out of town, Red Hook is an invitation to forgo the usual tourist haunts.
Red Hook's current low-key feel belies its chaotic maritime history; it used to be one of the nation's busiest shipping ports during the 1850s. At that point, the neighborhood was primarily Italian, and it was Red Hook, in fact, that spawned the original Scarface—Al Capone. In the 1940s and '50s, the neighborhood became isolated from the rest of the borough after the construction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. But the final blow came in the 1960s when shipping became containerized and the industry moved to New Jersey. Matters didn't improve when the Port Authority set aside waterfront property in the '70s and then abandoned it. From then on until the '90s, Red Hook was a veritable no man's land. Still, residents persevered and artists moved in, finding—back then—affordable spaces. As one long-time resident says: "It's like a little fishing village forgotten in time." Indeed, the isolation has kept Red Hook's personality quaint and its community close-knit.
If you're already in Manhattan, you can get to Red Hook via the Water Taxi through New York Harbor (nywatertaxi.com). Or, do as the locals and take the subway-to-bus route (the F and G subway lines run more than 80 feet above ground as they approach the Red Hook area, granting panoramic—albeit brief—views of Brooklyn and Manhattan). Either way, you'll likely end up on or near the main drag, Van Brunt Street, whose far south end reveals a neighborhood landmark: the Beard Street Warehouse, one of the few remaining from the post-Civil War era. Adorned with rows of arched, iron-shuttered windows, this brick structure is a sight to behold and a striking reminder of Red Hook's shipping heyday. Today, it's home to small businesses and artists' studios, such as Pier Glass. A cavernous studio with a retail space in the front, it's run by artists Mary Ellen Buxton and Kevin Kutch, who are almost always available for a friendly chat when not blowing glass. Remember the drinking glass with the cinched waist in those "got milk?" ads? Kutch made it. Larger, public commissions by both artists can be seen at pierglass.net. Their studio windows overlook Beard Street Pier, which has expansive views of the harbor. Take a peek around the corner at the dilapidated Revere Sugar Refinery, a looming presence behind the warehouse worth noting for its spectacular state of decay, and reminiscent of industrial buildings in the Rust Belt.
It was, in part, this rugged aesthetic that drew Ben Schneider to the neighborhood, prompting him and his wife, chef Sohui Kim, to open The Good Fork in the spring of 2006 (goodfork.com). The intention was to create a "neighborhood joint," but just two months into it, they gained a fan base from all over New York City, despite being off the beaten path. Kim describes the menu as "eclectic international, quasi-comfort food, with one foot in fine dining…" Her crab cakes (with a vehement thumbs-up from Maryland natives), along with her signature dish, steak and eggs Korean style, are on their way to gaining a cult following.
You can order a fantastic slice of Key lime pie at The Good Fork, or you can walk a few blocks straight to its source: Steve's Authentic. Housed in historic Pier 41, it's not easy to find, but you'll know you've arrived when you see the "PIES HERE" sign and Mango, a white Jack Russell Terrier, at the doorway. Ring the service bell to order the SwingleTM, a frozen Key lime tart dipped in dark chocolate. I ate mine on a bench at Louis Valentino Jr. Park, just a short stroll from Steve's. Unless the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is blasting her horn while docked at Red Hook's Cruise Terminal, the only distinctive sound you'll hear on the pier is the kling klang of the buoys. It's enough to lull you to sleep as you behold the Statue of Liberty.
Unlike the QM2, the Waterfront Museum & Showboat Barge (waterfrontmuseum.org) is always in town. Docked right next door to Steve's, the Lehigh Valley #79 is the only surviving vessel of its kind, thanks to owner and waterfront preservationist David Sharps. Like many other business owners in the neighborhood, his enterprise is a labor of love. Suffice it to say that when he found the barge, it was filled with 300 tons of mud, and trained "as a clown and juggler," Sharps "didn't even know how to run a power tool."
Across the street from the museum is an unassuming "BAR" sign: that's Sunny's, a Red Hook institution. In the neighborhood since 1890, it was originally a lunch counter serving the area's longshoremen. This beloved watering hole remains an integral part of Red Hook, hosting community meetings and cultural events. Tone, Sunny Balzano's partner and wife, sees the bar as "sort of our extended living room." It's definitely cozy, with family relics and Balzano's abstract paintings lining the walls. If you're lucky, he'll be there to greet you with a hug.
The affection at Bait & Tackle is more of the tough love variety, but it's all in good fun. A crew of locals is often sitting at the front of the bar, and part-owner Barry O'Meara, an Irishman, is usually amongst them. Of course, the downside of such a tight-knit community is a certain, shall we say, loss of anonymity. O'Meara quips: "Oh, I'm the biggest [gossip] queen! If you want something to get around Red Hook really quick… it starts as a feather on Van Brunt [Street] and Hamilton [Avenue] and by the time it reaches Beard, it's a chicken… or a duvet!" Without a plan, the bar's furnishings developed organically, with gifts of taxidermy from friends and a bar top fashioned from a fallen neighborhood tree.
Passersby typically mistake Tonya "LeNell" Smother's boutique for an antiques shop, but the claw foot tubs and urinating boy fountain are merely lovely backdrops for an encyclopedic selection of handpicked wines and spirits. I can't conceal my skepticism when faced with a bottle of moonshine proudly professing to be "no more than 30 days old." Smother explains: "[It's good for] whiskey sours. The sweetness of the corn pairs well with the sour of the citrus." It's one of the many organic products she stocks, and she also has a few shelves devoted to female and Black winemakers. She's open until midnight, but if you still can't make it, be sure to log on to lenells.com to get a taste of her expertise, Southern hospitality and wonderful sense of humor.
Florence Neal, an artist and 20-year resident of Red Hook, likens it to the South (she's from Georgia) in that neighbors share a genuine concern for each other and get to know one another. In the crowded city of New York, where people make space for themselves by ignoring others, this neighborhood quality is a rarity. Since co-founding Kentler International Drawing Space in 1990, her mission has always been to be a resource for artists and the community. In that spirit, she invites in folks who are outside her door waiting for the bus and also brings in local school children for art talks and workshops. Although it's low profile, the gallery (kentlergallery.org) is full of engaging contemporary works. Carter Foster, of the Whitney Museum, guest curated a show in May 2006.
Red Hook, like the rest of New York City, is rich in history and racially diverse, but what makes it unique is its scenic waterfront charm and close-knit community of small business owners and artists. It has all the challenges of a working-class neighborhood facing accelerated development, and there's a group of resident activists who are fighting for historic waterfront preservation and sustainable development in all its forms. Red Hook is an intriguing neighborhood that deserves more than the question: "Where's the shopping district?" For directions to Red Hook, and interesting non-profit work being done in this community, go to portsidenewyork.com.
Book your trip today! Visit www.aa.com, call American/American Eagle reservations at 1-800-433-7300, or call your travel agent for more information.
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