Hooked on nostalgia - with a yearning to be back

I can see the Statue of Liberty, and, in the far distance, Lower Manhattan. Standing at the Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City’s din seems to melt away even as I turn to walk towards my destination here: my aunt’s house.

As a regular visitor, Red Hook has become a second home to me. And as we wait in anticipation for travel to open up, I’ve been gripped by a yearning—both incessant and intense—to be there again. Pink Floyd opened their iconic song, Time, with the line: ticking away the moments that make up a dull day. I cannot help but sing that to myself—time does seem to stand still in Red Hook but things are definitely not dull. Days in Red Hook are the stuff languid dreams are made of. Cherry blossoms thrive in spring, everyone seems to know each other and it is a hub for artists and free thinkers. Collective bonhomie can be witnessed as the neighborhood boasts a thriving community farm: a feat commendable in a city that often goes against the notion of close-knit.

Not too long ago, Red Hook was a dilapidated and neglected industrial neighborhood. Today, the port side warehouses have been infused with a creative energy with distilleries, art galleries and museums now occupying them. I see a lesson in there: it is never too late to rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Much like my aunt, the neighborhood cajoles me in a comforting embrace. Baked is our favorite bakery (loved also by Oprah Winfrey) and mornings are reserved for its coffee and Red Hook Red Hot: a fluffy red velvet cake ensconced in cinnamon butter cream. Lazy afternoons are spent downing tarty goodness at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies. The Red Hook Lobster Pound is my go-to for unmissable Maine-style lobster. Another favorite is Brooklyn Crab. The pandemic has unfortunately turned this café-by-day-and-cocktail-bar-by-night Fort Defiance into more of a general store but it is still worth a visit for the interesting items on offer.

If I ever crave the mayhem of Manhattan, the NYC Ferry takes me there in a little over 20 minutes. While the MET and MoMA are the city’s premier spots for art junkies, Red Hook has a few in its kitty too. Pioneer Works, sprawled across 25,000 feet in a manufacturing warehouse is one such. Started by Dustin Yellin, it specializes in art research, educational programs and performances. Founded by 16 artists in 1978, the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition today has 400 members and showcases sculpture and scheduled art shows. The true essence of the neighborhood however is experienced at the Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge that feature nearly 100-year-old wooden barge and other maritime exhibits of the seafaring city.

New Yorkers are known to abbreviate the names of their favorite neighborhoods. NoLIta (North of Little Italy), DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), and SoHo (South of Houston Street) being prime examples. On an evening walk, my uncle quips with a delightful irreverence, “hey, I’ve been thinking of saying REHOO often enough for it to become a thing, what do you think?”—if that isn’t the most Red Hook-esque thing I’ve heard, then I don’t know what is!

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