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Red Hook

We love Red Hook! and plan to participate in its revitalization in many ways.  Red Hook is now a destination neighborhood for weekenders.  However, it still lacks many year round attractions.  PortSide NewYork aims to provide those, aboard the tanker Mary A. Whalen, with our own waterfront interpretive center, water-themed events, and a maritime trail that will guide visitors through local history and the growing list of activities, places to shop, dine or have a drink.  We also promote the Red Hook events of other organizations and retail venues. We believe our working waterfront is one of the main attractions and defining features of our neighborhood, and we continually seek ways to do programming that highlights it.

Red Hook cultural calendar  May created by PortSide NewYork

News Box:

15th Annual Red Hook Arts Festival organized by Dance Theatre Etc, Sat June 7, 2008, 11am-7pm. Rain Date Sun June 8.  Festival inaugurates with movies in the park on Fri June 6.  PortSide NewYork will run Kayak Valet and boater safety education during this year's festival.

IKEA opens June 18, 2008, campout on site begins two days before 9am Mon June 16.  New York Water Taxi will run a free ferry every 40 minutes on weekends only from new IKEA dock to Pier 11 (eastern end of Wall St), Manhattan.  The Water Taxi dock by Fairway will remain inactive.
 

CB6 references:

zoning map Red Hook + CB6

list of links to studies, history, local institutions and miscellania

other Red Hook Features


Red Hook is now Surf n Turf central.  We have a fascinating working waterfront, killer harbor views, 70 acres of city park space, 3 garden centers and and two waterside gardens designed by Lyndon Miller, noted landscape designer.  We've had visits by a Minke whale and a harbor seal.  We get a lot of mileage out of our city parks:

Red Hook Parks highlights: one of the city's largest outdoor pools (occasionally enjoyed by local ducks), ballfields, leafy Coffey Park, the waterfront gem Louis Valentino Memorial Pier with one of the city's few designated boat launches for hand-powered boats.  See Red Hook Boaters for free kayaking there. 

"Taco Soccer" - in the park on Bay Street - great soccer plus a foodie fave, the  Latin American food vendors, (Note links to each vendor at right of that page.)  The scene provides cheap, savory eats, background music and the authentic ambiance of Latin America's blue-tarped street markets. porkchop-express profiles each vendor.

Mexican baseball league plays at Columbia Street ballfield near the grain terminal. More latin food there...

Added Value youth program, urban farm, and farmer's market at the Todd Memorial Ballfield.

Red Hook Movies in the Parks free, cancelled in event of rain

Sundays at Sunny's readings 1st Sunday of the month, coordinated by author Gabriel Cohen

Dance Theatre Etc Site-specific dance and events, art as civic engagement

Off the Hook  Plays by local teens, arts as empowerment

BWAC (Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition) non-profit art group hosts shows on the Beard Street Pier at foot of Van Brunt

Waterfront Museum (left) at the end of Conover Street, summer concerts, Circus Sundays, school programs--a PortSide partner.  Open house every Thursday from 4 to 8pm.

Kentler International Drawing Space small gallery with quality shows, and our oldest--established 1990.

Diesel Gallery (no website) at 242 Van Brunt Street. Open limited hours and days.

B61 Productions - web zine named after the bus that connects Red Hook & Williamsburg

 

 

Maritime Activity

Several maritime firms have located here in the past 15 years. There are over a dozen maritime support service businesses inland in addition to the marine businesses on the waterfront listed below. 

American Stevedoring, container port operator
American Warehousing, break bulk operation
Hornbeck, tug and barge port
Hughes Brothers, tug and barge port
New York Water Taxi, ferry homeport and stop
Gowanus Industrial Park, imports road salt, subleases to other vessels, planned cement port
Reinauer Transportation, tug and barge port
Cruise ship terminal

and we have historic maritime in the Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge

Why is the waterfront so decrepit?
A few reasons: mothballing by the Port Authority after a lot of shipping switched to containers and went to Jersey by the late 1970s, poor management (remember the Fishport?), warehousing of property, cleaner water re-introducing worms that eat wooden piers, cost of repair and permits. A word on permits below. More on the other factors in the future.

The photo below shows current identifiers on a historic photo of Red Hook at a peak period of economic activity. Sadly, many of these piers were removed during the years of Red Hook's economic collapse. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulations generally prohibit the reconstruction of piers once they are 50% gone, even if the piers have existed for decades or centuries.  As a result of Red Hook's dark years, we've lost much of our waterfront infrastructure, and therefore many options for future waterfront activity.  Many waterfront stakeholders in this city—from private homeowners and park planners to large industrial marine operators—have been trying to get the DEC to reconsider their pier permit policies.  PortSide NewYork has testified before the New York City Council Waterfronts Committee about these policies.  Read our testimony.