A Day Grows in Red Hook
My tour of Red Hook, if you should ever join me, does not begin in Red Hook. Instead, it begins across the BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) in the lovely little neighborhood of Carroll Gardens (a place I’m proud to currently call home).
I live just two blocks from the Hamilton overpass, a small walking and bike bridge that spans the entire breadth of the BQE and which will take you straight to Red Hook. I came to learn about this overpass and it’s incredible proximity to my home after multiple attempts to reach Red Hook by various means, including snaking all the way down past Ikea, through projects that felt like they wouldn’t end, and past gas stations that I don’t think were ever meant to be approached on foot.
Just at the foot of this overpass (on the Carroll Gardens side), you’ll find a gem of an espresso bar called Maglia Rosa. As soon as you enter the café you’re transported straight to Milan, where the owner Manuel hails from, or perhaps in the foothills outside of the city where a bike race is currently taking place (the café doubles as a pro bike shop, and I never knew how many important bike races took place in Europe until I started going here, since there seems to always be one happening on the television.)
Grab a caffeinated beverage of your choice (I recommend an espresso based one, as their machine is unmatched) and cross the street to the overpass where you’ll begin your trek to Red Hook.
Crossing the overpass always gives me a strange feeling of being part of it all, as I feel the immense power of the BQE and all the vehicles that travel on it rumbling beneath me, while also being completely removed, as I casually amble across a highway that I could never cross on foot if not for this bridge.
Once you reach the other side you travel a few short industrial blocks (including a Stumptown Coffee packaging facility) before reaching Van Brunt Street, the heart and soul of what many would call the “new” Red Hook. Turn south, or to your left if coming from my direction, and mosey your way on down.
Depending on the day of the week, time of day and your current mood, there are many places you’ll want to stop on this street.
Restaurants include but are not limited to:
Kao Soy
Northern Thai
Grindhaus
Owned by a former dominatrix
Red Hook Lobster Pound
Of Smorgasburg fame — they’re all the way out in LA now!
Fort Defiance
The most hipster of the restaurants in this area, but still quite tasty
The Good Fork
Delicious. That’s all.
If you’re there in the early afternoon, as I usually am, I opt for a sweet bite at Baked (they recently opened a second outpost in Tribeca, so you know they’re doing well) where the most famous item is the Brookster, a brownie with a whole chocolate chip cookie baked inside. My favorites include their homemade cakes, loaves and whoopie pies.
From there, with my tummy a bit more full, I head off of Van Brunt towards Louis Valentino Park, my favorite park in all of NYC. You’ll enjoy breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty, the plushest grass around and some great street art sightings on the way. If you aren’t too full of sweets you can stop by Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie right next to the park to pick up a frozen key lime pie on a stick, claiming to be the most authentic key lime pie you’ll find this far north.
When you’re done with the park, check out Red Hook Winery for a wine tasting with one of their uber-educated sommeliers in a really cool setting on the water. They close at 5pm so you’ll have to start boozing early (toooo bad.)
From there, you’ve got even more food options… Brooklyn Crab is the most authentic crab house experience I’ve found outside of Maryland, and Hometown Bar-B-Que has renowned BBQ and often features live music.
To end the night, you MUST (MUST MUST MUST) go to Sunny’s Bar. This was recommended to me about a billion times on my first visit to Red Hook, and I couldn’t understand why everyone was so obsessed until I went myself. It really is the perfect bar. On most nights you’ll find live bluegrass, an outdoor area in the summertime, and a few other rooms with their own unique vibes.
This is the way I do Red Hook, but what’s best about this place is that despite it’s size it has something for everyone. The area also holds a plethora of distilleries and breweries if you’re into learning how booze is made, it has fancy furniture design stores and galleries like Pioneer Works if you like art and such, and Fairway and Ikea if you like… shopping in gigantic stores.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Red Hook is my favorite part of all of NYC, and if you go there you’ll see why. Whether you get there by car, bus, the Hamilton overpass or the water taxi (just a few minutes to FiDi!) you’ll find this place to be diverse, authentic, delicious and utterly adorable.
The List
Maglia Rosa
2 4th Pl
b/t Hoyt St & Coles St
Carroll Gardens
Kao Soy
283 Van Brunt St
b/t Pioneer St & Visitation Pl
Red Hook
Grindhaus
275 Van Brunt St
b/t Pioneer St & Visitation Pl
Red Hook
Red Hook Lobster Pound
284 Van Brunt St
b/t Pioneer St & Visitation Pl
Red Hook
Fort Defiance
365 Van Brunt St
b/t Sullivan St & Dikeman St
Red Hook
The Good Fork
391 Van Brunt Street
b/t Dikeman St & Van Dyke St
Red Hook
Baked
359 Van Brunt St
b/t Sullivan St & Dikeman St
Red Hook
Louis Valentino Park
Coffey St & Ferris St
Red Hook
Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie
185 Van Dyke St
b/t Van Brunt St & Conover St
Red Hook
Red Hook Winery
175–204 Van Dyke St
Red Hook
Brooklyn Crab
24 Reed St
b/t Van Brunt St & Conover St
Red Hook
Hometown Bar-B-Que
454 Van Brunt St
b/t Reed St & Beard St
Red Hook
Sunny’s Bar
253 Conover St
b/t Reed St & Van Dyke St
Red Hook
Pioneer Works
159 Pioneer St
b/t Imlay St & Conover St
Red Hook
Photo Credits: Maglia Rosa, Sally Ryan for The New York Times, Grindhaus, Red Hook Lobster Pound Facebook, The Good Fork Facebook, Baked, Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie Facebook, Brooklyn Crab
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