Red Hook is a neighborhood located in Kings County in the borough of Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the Brooklyn Community Board 6. Red Hook is part of the area known as South Brooklyn, though it is northwest of the geographic center of the modern borough. It is a peninsula between Buttermilk Channel, Gowanus Bay and Gowanus Canal at the southern edge of Downtown Brooklyn.
The neighborhood is a forward-looking, constructive and universally beneficial agenda that seeks to keep the hallowed ground of human evolution at the vanguard where it belongs. Breukelen was one of the 6 villages established by the Dutch that later became Brooklyn. The land of today’s Red Hook was once part of Breukelen. Its historic streets are now part of a most rejuvenating face-lift. There are about 11,000 people living in the area.
As of 2010 census, there were 7,683 people residing in the area. The median income for a household in the village is $51,929. The latitude of Red Hook is 40.675N. The longitude is -74.01W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 7 feet.
In 1636, the area was settled by the Dutch colonists of New Amsterdam. The named “Roode Hoek” referred for the red clay soil and the point of land projecting into the East River. In Dutch “Hoek” means “point” or “corner” and not the English hook. The neighborhood is planned to be the site of a large IKEA location (346,000 square feet), which is replacing a historic 19th-century dry dock in the shadow of the Gowanus Expressway. IKEA is attempting to mollify critics with ferry service from lower Manhattan Island, increased and extended city bus service, as well as their own shuttle service to the nearest local Culver Line subway stops. Many residents in Red Hook worry though that the new IKEA will bring heavy traffic problems and development focused on attracting outsiders. They also concerns about the IKEA store will bring noise, sound, air, and waste pollution that decrease in property values in the locality. The MTA has promised to extend the B61 bus to the IKEA when it is open to the public.
There are several famous personalities living in Red Hook including Harlan Ellison (author), Ray Sharkey (actor), Tazz (ECW announcer), Carmelo Anthony (NBA Basketball player), Hell Razah (rapper), James McBride (actor), and Vanessa Ferlito (actress playing Aiden Burn). The Red Hook Park is a 58.503 acre public park in the area. The park contains a paved path, benches, a flagpole with a yardarm, a drinking fountain, handball courts, softball fields, picnic tables, the adjacent Sol Goldman Pool, and new trees and plantings.
The opening of the new Carnival Cruise Lines Terminal brings additional tourists to Brooklyn. Dining in Red Hook is also a great experience where everyone enjoys a mix of Japanese, Mexican, and Italian cuisines. There are innumerable instances of how the eastern United States has used its bounteous waterfront for sustainable commercial advantage. Red Hook has much to learn from this, for its views of the Atlantic must rank amongst the very best. The neighborhood is the only part of New York City that, on land, has a full frontal view of the Statue of Liberty, which was oriented to face Prospect Park.
