Red Hook is Brooklyn’s Small Town in the Big City

Red Hook isn’t your average Brooklyn neighborhood. On any given day in this quirky waterfront village, you can visit the whiskey distillery, Widow Jane , watch the sun set over the Statue of Liberty, get a banjo lesson at Jalopy Theatre , enjoy chicken liver pâté at beloved gastro pub Fort Defiance , or attend a lecture on winter survival skills from an artist camping out in his backyard at Pioneer Works . Widow Jane, Cacao Prieto Distillery Before major businesses such as Fairway and IKEA showed up, in 2006 and 2008 respectively, and brought attention to Red Hook as another Brooklyn neighborhood on the rise, artists and residents quietly lived and worked here, and there’s an inherent respect for those who’ve been here all along. But there’s also major development in the works, and this moment feels like a crossroads in the history of this gritty, groovy and decidedly storied place.   Old Becomes New Again Plans to adapt the massive piers along the water into a neighborhood twice the size of Hudson Yards , as well as additional ferry and subway service from here to Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn will undoubtedly change the face of a neighborhood that, despite the slow roll of gentrification over the past 20 plus years, has mostly enjoyed staying out of the spotlight. New luxury apartments at 160 Imlay, the site of the former New York Dock Company building Several new luxury residential buildings are underway, sold out soon after they’re announced despite record-breaking asking prices per square foot for the area. Remaining true to the neighborhood’s roots, developers are transforming existing, out of use manufacturing buildings into luxury apartments. One such redevelopment is   160 Imlay in the original 1910 New York Dock Company building. “160 Imlay offers  panoramic views of New York Harbor including Governor’s Island, Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Downtown Brooklyn. Red Hook is the last waterfront frontier and it’s only ten minutes from downtown Manhattan,” says Douglas Elliman broker Patty LaRocco who’s leading the sales effort. The former Golten Marine Terminal on Van Brunt Street, another beautiful old warehouse, for years was recognizable by an iconic red-lettered Red Hook sign on the side of the building. When Tesla Motors moved its showroom into the 40,000-square-foot space the sign was removed for building renovations. As a piece of Red Hook history,  locals quickly organized to bring the sign back —and Tesla did. Redevelopment in Red Hook extends beyond residential and commercial spaces.  Pioneer Works is a beautifully restored, massive manufacturing warehouse that now serves as a gallery, educational center and event space for the arts. Founded in 2012 by artist Dustin Yellin , the center offers a rich range of projects that span visual arts, film, music, science and education. The building is breathtaking—like a painstakingly refurbished barn, with beautiful wood, brick and exposed beams throughout. A Local Perspective As writer Mallory Kasdan  learned when she spent some time exploring the area for  Elliman Magazine , residents and business owners describe Red Hook as a small town where people know one another and prioritize helping their neighbors. There’s a real sense of community here. Red Hook has an attitude, a point of view, soul, just like the residents—new and old—who call the neighborhood home. Search for your next home in Red Hook !