Red Hook will never be the "it" neighborhood and the people who are appreciate Red Hook appreciate it because it will probably never become the next Williamsburg. As for transportation, the MTA (busses and trains) is barely dependable everywhere in New York. Red Hook takes, strolling at an easy pace, 20 min. to the tip of Valentino Pier from Smith & Ninth. Most of the attractions on Van Brunt take 10-15 min. Red Hook is not that big of a place. Everyone I talk to acts like this is some marathon trek. I think it is more like an addiction to convenience, perhaps laziness or maybe fear. By the way, New York is littered with project housing to the point that it is an unavoidable reality of living here. The crime around the Red Hook houses has declined rapidly over the past three years that I have lived here. I live one block away from the projects and every weekend I walk right through them to go to Red Hook park & I have never had anyone bother me. If you can't find value in the realities of a beautiful neighborhood that may never change from its old new york city ways but will always be an intresting & comfortable place do us all a favor and don't move here and don't complain about the petty stuff.

Anyone who was so dumb to actually buy into the Red Hook hype should not be allowed to have children for the sake of humanity. The place is a dump that is impossible to get to. Corcoran group revealed itself for what it is, a real estate propoganda machine trying to push fantasy to morons to make a dishonest buck.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to the hype finally being over - I am sick of living in fear of my rent being jacked up, or huge condos filled with yuppies going up across the street from my building - I love the neighborhood for its isolation and small town feel. Please do not bring NYC to the only livable part of this city.

I just took a long drive through the streets of Red Hook this afternoon. I hadnt been back there in a very very long time. The overall sense you get is that the area is not even close to changing. I dont know what it is about Red Hook, but you always get the feeling of being isolated out in the middle of nowhere. Its like your in the middle of some surreal dream. I personally love that feeling,as I just love the feeling of getting lost in nowheresville but Im sure some people dont. The housing stock remains very run down with virtually no serious new construction. The streets look exactly the same as they did in the 1970's 80's 90's. The piers and parks are cool and the new businesses are needed. The housing project still remains a problem from what I understand.

I dont know if crime is an issue, I felt totally safe. You dont feel like your in the middle of a ghetto like you do in Bushwick. I dont know what the future hold for Red Hook, but for now, I just dont see the kind of changes we are seeing in North Williamsburg/Greenpoint, not even close.

That's a gud thing in my mind ! This is one neighborhood that won't be easy to gentrify ! Which means that the poor folk currently living there will have the chance to say there a little longer . With no direct Subway Routes Red Hook is cut off from the Gentrifying Affect that's occurring all over the Borough ! They can add as many buses as they want to both the B[61], & B[77] routes it's not going to matter . Red Hook is a dead end with no real market for Retail space . The Phrase "Build it & they will come " Doesn't apply here ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"

The main problem with Red Hook is that it's way too easy to stay out all night drinking there. You get used to how much the B61 sucks surprisingly quickly, but going to work on a Tuesday morning with a hangover on four hours of sleep is another matter.

The biggest recent loss as far as most of the current residents I know are concerned are is Pioneer. 360 having shuttered is certainly a shame, but Pioneer was for many a cornerstone of the community: It was a fun place to hang out, presented a decent and reasonably priced mid-week food option, and the garden and pool table are sorely missed. What I believe pisses people off most of all though was that the folks who worked hard to make Pioneer what it was deserved better treatment from the ownership.

As was pointed out in the Brooklyn Paper article, it seems that certain Red Hook landlords and investors have bought into the hype about its being the Next Big Neighborhood to such an extent that they're falling over themselves to push out the tenants and businesses that made it hyped in the first place in the hopes of getting something better...

Red Hook Never spread to Smith street, the "hook" refers to the penninsula, that whole area (boccoca as the tourists call it) was simply called "South Brooklyn"...Carroll Gardens was named after Charles Carroll, the only Italian to sign the Deaclaration of Independence. Its been called that easily since the late 60's early 70's.Not sure if a realtor was smart enough to do their research like that, but its been called CG for 30 years at least.

You're right Toby, light rail would be cheaper, have less of an environmental impact and could open sooner. However, it won't take residents of the new luxury condos directly to Manhattan. At least the water taxi gets people across the East River. Easy access to Manhattan is the key here.

I can imagine how bad the traffic down there will be once IKEA opens.

A light rail line is way cheaper to build than a subway line and could be built much sooner than a subway line could. Plus it could get into places that subway lines can't and has less of an environmental impact when it is built.

long live the lido, sunnys and the bait and tackle -- if you want to drink where the best bartenders from the old pioneer and sunnys drink (and now work, in the case of the old pioneer) they can be found at the b + t, though the lido and sunnys are all stil worth the trip.

b-burg was not 'reinvented' in one year, having lived there in the 80s when it was a one gallery town, and i am sure red hook will be a big box store-"waterfront living" horror in due time. enjoy it while it still has a few kinks, then whine about the 'back in the day' later. ohnooo, a long commute on the bus, i might have to learn how to read.

well don't forget that caroll gardens was merely a relators marketing ploy, as red hook once extended to smith street.

personally i am pleased with the post's hilarious death throes story, maybe now i can afford to stay in the neighborhood and stop wondering where all those new faces at the bait & tackle are coming from.

viva la isolation.

the real estate speculating in this town is getting ridiculous. I remember the whole Red Hook is "it" talk last year around Memorial day. People were going ga ga over it, saying Brooklyn is the place, BABY!

I for one, am glad this bit those in the ass.

Oh, how much is the water Taxi fare? $10 one way, during peak?

The ball fields will be saved, that appears to be a neighborhood park and then you have your Softball league play.

"Hamilton Avenue and the Gowanus Expressway separate the Red Hook peninsula from the rest of Brooklyn"

newer transplants (10 years or less) have been calling Columbia street "Red Hook", cause it sounds cooler than Carroll Gardens, its Carroll Gardens

No.

You aren't supposed to spend a million dollars for an apartment in Red Hook, Brooklyn or Bushwick or even Williamsburg.

Next time you'll know better.

This may shock you but Brooklyn is a an outer borough,a second choice to living in Manhattan.

People choose to move to the outer boroughs for less expensive housing and larger spaces.

You guys are fucking up the program.

Red Hook is one of those neighborhoods in this city that will never become much more than it is today.

Unless two things happen, 1) the projects will have to be torn down and 2) The 2nd Ave. subway line will have to be extended to Red Hook with a stop at Atlantic Avenue to get people to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, without tons of tourists/city residents disturbing the quiet streets of Brooklyn Heights. I'm a long-time resident if you were wondering.

South Street Seaport station > Atlantic Ave./BBP station > Red Hook station

Forget light rail, people in this city want the subway nearby. It makes living in this city what it should be, convenient to get around as fast as possible.

The rumors of our death are greatly exagerated. Lido is NOT closed, nor are we closing. Except at 4AM every morning. Help a small business out and give us a call before you report we are dead. Better yet, come roll on in for Buckhunter Tuesdays, Friday night karaoke, Prog nights, Make your own Bloody Sundays and some good old fashioned booze during 2-4-1 5-8PM 7 days a week. We love The Gothamist, throw some back!!!

Yours

Molly Franklin

General Manager

Lido Bar

200 Columbia St.

718-858-9322

There are more vacant lots in Red Hook than people and more mosquitos than vacant lots....

LeNell should head back to whatever Podunk town she came from. Can't stand her!

As commenter 11 pointed out, this piece is full of mistakes, made worse by the fact that Jen Carlson couldn't even regurgitate the Post's story properly. (At least they reported correctly that LeNell's is losing its lease, not closing for good - big difference, Jen.) And as commenter 8 suggests, Sunny's has only been open on those three nights a week for ages.

With a little bit of your own reporting, you might have included a reference to Tini, the (newish) wine bar next door to LeNell's, the fact that the ballfields have been swamped by huge crowds this summer (crowds of people for whom Red Hook is obviously not that hard to get to), and the news that Neil Ganic of Petite Crevette is said to be opening a restaurant in the old Lillie's space.

red hook also floods like crazy