Photo by myself in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
We got back safe and sound, Saturday afternoon and are recovering from jet lag. Part of the recovery process involved getting some groceries from Fairway, in Brooklyn. Already, vacation seems far away!
From the park alongside the supermarket, you can see the Statue of Liberty quite nicely. Sunday was bright and clear.
No one was in line for the Water Taxi, which takes you to Wall Street each day. The taxis run every 45 minutes and are painted the same shade of yellow as the four-wheeled ones on the streets.
For the Water Taxi schedule, click here.
Related posts: Yellow Cab, Under Snow, Hailing a Cab, in Times Square, and Evening on Sixth Avenue.
Showing posts with label Red Hook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Hook. Show all posts
Monday, October 5, 2015
Water Taxi, from Red hook, Brooklyn
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Graffiti, in Red Hook, Brooklyn
Photo by myself on Van Brunt Street, in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
A derelict house stood in Red Hook, Brooklyn, covered in graffiti. On the front door someone had written 'There is no justice in Amerikkka. RIP Trayvon.'
From what I can tell, Red Hook is a racially diverse neighborhood. Some people have lived there a long time, but there are some newer apartment buildings and converted artist lofts.
Red Hook is located on the water, and so suffered extensive flooding during Hurricane Sandy, last October. One major drawback with the neighborhood is that it lacks a convenient subway station.
Though the Trayvon Martin shooting took place in Florida, 'stop and frisk' (where police are allowed to frisk people on the street because of whatever suspicion) is now being heatedly discussed in the news here in New York.
Just Monday, the stop and frisk routine of the NYPD was ruled unconstitutional. The City plans to appeal.
Related posts: Graffiti, Williamsburg, Random Graffiti, on Second Avenue, and Written on the Walls, in Nolita and East Harlem.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Mural in Red Hook, Brooklyn
Photo by myself at Conover and Coffey Streets, in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Just outside a chocolate factory and a bar are two gorgeous murals, depicting both indulgences, wine and chocolate.
Unfortunately, the establishments were closed when we were there, this Saturday. Mark and I heard from friends that the owner of the chocolate factory opened a bar next door for impromptu celebrations.
Red Hook is a quirky, gritty, arty neighborhood along the Brooklyn waterfront, near Carroll Gardens. There are many cobblestone streets, local bars and tiny stores. A Fairway supermarket and an Ikea branch are also located here.
Unfortunately, it's not an easy neighborhood to visit. Since there are no direct subways, you must drive, take a bus or the Ikea shuttle.
A mural depicting a couple enjoying chocolate is just steps away on this seemingly desolate street.
Related posts: Street Art, Soho, On Target, on Houston, and Cereal Killers Mural, in Williamsburg.
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Season's First Blizzard, in Red Hook, Brooklyn
Photo by myself on Van Brunt and Pioneer Streets, in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
New York City is bracing itself for as much as 16 inches of snow.
The snow and wind began Sunday, and is expected to continue through the night. At this writing at Sunday 9 pm, snow drifts are piled 10 inches high.
I took the above photo outside a bar called the Brooklyn Ice House. By sheer chance, there were many spots of red in this image.
Red Hook is a cool, arty neighborhood that is still a little rough around the edges. Some of the streets are paved in cobblestone. There are a lot of bars and garden centers. There is no direct subway. Those who live in Red Hook take the bus or own cars.
The East River is just a couple blocks away from where this photo was taken. From the edge of Red Hook, you can see lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.
For an earlier photo of the Statue of Liberty from Red Hook, click here.
Click here for some incredible readers' photos of the snowfall on the Times.
Related posts: The Brooklyn Ice House, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Chez Ralph, in Red Hook, Brooklyn and Sledding Outside the San Remo.
Read more...
Thursday, June 24, 2010
On Man v. Nature, and the Gowanus Canal
Photo by myself, in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
An odd combination of nature and machinery exists in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Large construction equipment sits on a dock on weekends.
In the distance is one of many loading cranes that move containers onto barges.
Not too far from the area above lies the Gowanus Canal, which was recently awarded Superfund status by the US government. The pollution there is so terrible, accumulated over years of neglect, that the Environmental Protection Agency has slated $300-500 million dollars to its clean-up.
The narrow strip of wetland is contaminated with heavy metals and other pollutants. Sometimes Mark and I drive over the canal, which is a scary greenish-brown color. Piles of trash lie on the banks.
Friends of ours live in a big building nearby, and though the label of 'Superfund site' is not a good one, they are happy. It means their neighborhood will stay small, the view from their windows won't change, and someone is finally taking responsibility for the mess.
It's strange to think of New York, and specifically, Brooklyn, as an industrial area. Right now it's most known for gentrification and rising real estate prices.
Click here for an article about the Gownanus Canal in the Times.
Related posts: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, The Gowanus and Something Old, Something New.
Read more...
Monday, October 5, 2009
Playing Ball, in Red Hook, Brooklyn
Photo by myself in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
The ball fields in Red Hook are located near warehouses and abandoned factories.
New York isn't all about stickball and hoops. We have our fair share of public tennis courts, swimming pools, soccer fields and baseball diamonds.
Mark and I were in Red Hook this weekend, where a mostly Hispanic baseball league was enjoying a bit of Indian Summer. It was beautifully sunny, and entire families were out, watching the games.
The fields were nowhere near perfect, but New Yorkers are a tough bunch. We make do with what we've got.
Related posts: More on Sports, Running Down the Streets of New York and No Hair at the West 4th Courts.
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Chez Ralph in Red Hook, Brooklyn
Photo by myself in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Just a street away from Fairway supermarket stands an incredible house filled with memorabilia. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the ground floor Monday afternoon, by the owner.
I'd always marveled at a particular house in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Its quirky facade is adorned with nautical items and a homemade tribute to the World Trade Center.
Monday both Mark and I had the day off. Passing by, we saw the garage door to the house was open. I took some photos and a man walked by with his dog.
'Ralph's inside,' the man said. 'Go on, he'll give you a whole tour.'
The man was right. I got the grand tour from Ralph, and I was astounded.
I'm not alone. Ralph had his property featured in the New York Times. A lifelong resident of Red Hook and former member of the Parks Department, he remembers when the street outside was a dirt road. He's seen the neighborhood change from a center for ship repair to what it is now - an eclectic home to artists and superstores, like Fairway and Ikea.
Ralph was kind enough to let me wander around the ground floor, which was enormous. Collectibles of all sorts were artfully arranged on the walls. Hats lined the rafters. There was a horse carriage and a gorgeous car. And a pool table below a skylight.
Something about the entire scene was beautiful. I can't put my finger on what it was. The colors? The history? The sheer amount of stuff?
Ralph himself lives a few blocks away. He opens up the garage door so he and his buddies can spend time with each other. It seems everyone knows Ralph, and Ralph knows everyone - as people passed by on foot, they would holler hello.
As I was leaving, Ralph asked me where I lived. 'Park Slope. It's changing so quickly.'
'Everything's changing,' Ralph said. 'It's all changing.'
Related posts: You Can't Take it With You, Parked in Park Slope and Still Life, Antique Store.
Read more...
Friday, May 8, 2009
Happy Hour, 12-8
Photo by myself in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
A couple of chums just hanging out on the street.
The sight of people just biding time is restful. I especially like the illustrations of pigs, and that happy hour spans from 12-8.
TGIF everyone!
Related posts: A Call for Help, Now on Sale, in Midtown and Talking About the Weather.
Read more...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Brooklyn Ice House, Red Hook
Photo by myself in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Red Hook is a slightly gritty, quirky neighborhood. It's located on the edge of Brooklyn by the water and unfortunately does not have direct access to the subway.
There's an article in the Times this week about how little New Yorkers get in unemployment benefits.
Despite the high cost of living here, New Yorkers get much less per week than other cities - $430/week here, versus $540/week in nearby Trenton or Boston. When you consider how much rent is, it's no wonder that many young single people are moving out of the city.
I had drinks with two unemployed friends on Friday. One told me about taking his 4-year old daughter to see the circus. Snow cones there cost 15 bucks a piece!
Did he get his daughter the expensive snow cone, you ask?
No way. But he did re-enroll her in her favorite dance class instead.
For the article about unemployment in the Times, click here.
Related posts: Cheers, Lure Fish Bar, Soho and Reflections Apres Happy Hour.
Read more...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Shipping Out from Red Hook, Brooklyn
Photo by myself from the coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Shipping cranes in the distance remind us that New York once relied heavily on its harbors. I'm sure the cranes are still being used these days but I have never seen them in action.
Today was extremely cold.
Much too cold to stand outside with any skin uncovered for more than a second. With the temperatures as low as 9 degrees Farenheit, even the most intrepid New Yorkers are being challenged.
Above, a photo from my stash, showing the rosy skies at sunset, from Brooklyn.
Happy weekend, everyone!
Related posts: The View of Liberty, The View of Liberty and The View from Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Read more...
Monday, December 15, 2008
The View of Liberty
Photo by myself from Red Hook, Brooklyn.
In Brooklyn, parts of the water's edge are being developed into pricey condominium buildings, while other parts are in need of cleaning up.
Our first full day back home from vacation was spent running errands - unpacking, doing the laundry, picking up the dog and shopping for groceries.
Fairway, a large supermarket in Red Hook Brooklyn, was one of our stops for food. The sky looked bigger than usual and was layered with wispy, expressive clouds. In the distance, you could see huge cranes, the kind they use to haul cargo off ships.
And across the flat surface of the East River, there stood the Statue of Liberty.
Here's another photo that I took of the Statue from the same area, earlier this year.
Related posts: The Mother of All Supermarkets, Food on the Brain and Meat.
Read more...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
From The Sidelines
Photo by myself in Red Hook Brooklyn, at a pee wee football game.
Mark and I watched from the sidelines as these kids became warriors.
Related posts: Random Shots, Tomorrow's New York Giants, On The Superbowl and Fancy Living.
Read more...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Tomorrow's New York Giants
Photo by myself, at the soccer fields in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Not all city kids play stickball or basketball. There are public parks and fields ready for sport.
During a game of peewee football, these fellows looked like gladiators.
Mark and I revisited the food carts in Red Hook, unable to keep ourselves away from watermelon juice, fresh tacos and grilled chorizo.
In a nearby field, a peewee football game was starting up. Just above was the elevated highway.
There were crowds of adults, cheerleading squads and linespeople. Later as play started, there was serious yelling going on about an off-sides call.
This was a serious game, and it turned out that the players were only 8 years old. Mark and I were flabbergasted.
Tomorrow - a photo from New York's sister city, Budapest!
Related posts: On the Superbowl and Fancy Living, More on Sport and A La Carte.
Read more...
Sunday, August 24, 2008
A La Carte
Photo by myself, near the soccer fields in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
You can sample foods from various countries every weekend between May and November from parked food carts. Central American, South American and Carribean foods are represented: chorizo on a stick, roasted corn, ceviche, tacos, pupusas and various fruit drinks.
You can read an article about the weekly event, here.
Mark and I lunched with friends Saturday, in Red Hook. We sat out on the grass, sampling delicious foods from the numerous trucks parked nearby.
We wolfed down a couple pork tacos wrapped in fresh corn tortillas, a spicy red ceviche with shrimp, and a cool watermelon drink.
After a short break, we shared roasted chorizo on little slices of bread, and pupusas - fried pancakes, stuffed with pork and cheese, with a side of slaw.
Mark was so entranced with everything, he's pledged our next several weekends to return visits. Delicious!
Related posts: More is More, On Japanese Food and Fish and On The Menu.
Read more...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Cycle of Decay
Photo by myself in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Behind a series of warehouses near the water, there is a ruined building from a different time. There's a mysterious and sculptural air about it, like a Rube Goldberg contraption.
There's a community garden a few streets from us in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where members pay yearly dues to work a plot of land. People plant flowers and vegetables, landscape gardens and create little ponds with koi.
Most neighborhoods have a community garden. It seems as if there are quite a few in Red Hook for instance, for whatever reason. There are some prominent ones in the East Village, along Houston Street. You're welcome to wander off the street and walk inside, provided you stay on the paths.
As a city dweller it's great to be able to get your hands dirty or compost your food stuff. Mark and I feel like we're doing our little part.
We haven't joined the garden near us, but we're going there to compost. On weekends, we dump a week's worth of odds and ends into the bin. People are there constantly, shifting the heaps from one bin to another, then using the final, rich compost for their gardens.
Last weekend, I was in such a rush, I brought the wrong bag with me. When I emptied the bag in the bin, I was surprised to find a pair of shoes I was going to leave out on the stoop. Egad!
The woman tending the compost pile and I were both surprised. I made some sort of lame-o half-funny comment, then took the shoes and skedaddled. Read more...
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