PortSide is devoted to the revitalization of Red Hook. We research Red Hook history along a water theme and create cultural tourism products to teach residents and visitors about the colorful history of this peninsula, one of the first places settled by the Dutch. Our visitor guide  is part of this WaterStories cultural tourism project.

Red Hook is a rapidly evolving, mixed-use neighborhood. We have stunning waterfront views, a working waterfront that provides ship and tug viewing opportunities, a burgeoning artist colony, and quality artisanal food and craft emporia along the main drag Van Brunt Street.  We also have the freshest lobsters for sale in NYC and an urban farm!  Two large shopping magnets, Fairway and IKEA, now define the southern rim of the peninsula.  We are a destination for many reasons.

Red Hook's BlueSpace, or water space, with its varied working waterfront, is one of the defining features of our neighborhood; and PortSide continually seeks ways to turn our working waterfront into an educational and cultural feature and an involved neighbor. 

Red Hook also has NYC's second largest public housing projects, The Red Hook Houses, so we also have a large community of need. This inspires the programming of a diverse and creative array of locally and socially oriented non-profits, including PortSide. More on them below.

Getting Here:
B61 bus, IKEA ferry weekday and weekend, free IKEA shuttle buses

Special features: 
The Green: Red Hook has 70 acres of city park space, 3 garden centers, and publicly-accessible waterfront esplanades.  Red Hook Parks has one of the city's largest outdoor pools (occasionally enjoyed by local ducks), ball fields, leafy Coffey Park, the waterfront gem Louis Valentino Memorial Pier with one of the city's few designated boat launches for hand-powered boats (4th photo from top at left). 

Famous street food!  The Red Hook Food Vendors have garnered national attention and local foodie fans with their great Latin American street food near the soccer games in the park.

Red Hook's non-profits do much for the community and create many reasons to visit:

• Added Value youth program, urban farm, summer Saturday farmer's market. .

• BWAC, the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition pronounced bee-wack, is Brooklyn's largest artist-run organization, exhibits at the foot of Van Brunt Street.

• Cora Dance  The company strives to create access and interest in contemporary dance to communities which do not have a great deal of access to the arts.

• Dance Theatre Etc (DTE) Site-specific dance and events, art as civic engagement. DTE produces the youth-oriented annual Red Hook Arts Festival in June.

• Falconworks a dynamic youth program with "everyday people making theater."

• Kentler International Drawing Space small gallery with quality shows and our oldest--established 1990.

• Red Hook Boaters an all-volunteer organization which provides free kayaking in Valentino Park, promotes education about, and care for, the coastal environment and conducts beach clean ups in the park.

• Red Hook Initiative RHI provides residents with training and employment so they can then create their own programs and provide support services to their neighbors, family, and friends.

• Red Hook Rise provides sports, educational and physical fitness programs that empower and educate youth. Books & Basketball  read and then play ball ) is one of their signature programs.

• Waterfront Museum Barge an antique and atmospheric wood barge, the Lehigh Valley 79 is named for the railroad which operated it. Programs include Circus Sundays, summer exhibits, school group tours by appointment. Open to the public every Thursday 4-8pm and Saturday 1-5pm.

Most of our bars also host bands, readings and special events. Find them on the Visitor Guide to Red Hook produced by PortSide.

our Visitor Guide to Red Hook

our portfolio of area photos

On The Waterfront

Red Hook has fantastic harbor views and several fishing locations. If you eat your catch, please see food safety info on our BoatBox page.

Valentino Park & Pier, great views of the harbor and Statue of Liberty, a fishing pier, boat launch for hand-powered boats. Permit required from Parks Department to launch

Red Hook Boaters offer free kayaking on many weekends inside the park

Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge

2 waterside gardens designed by Lynden Miller on either side of the foot of Conover Street near Fairway.

Fairway Cafe outdoor seating with basic eats and great views of the harbor. Enclosed and heated in winter.

IKEA's Erie Basin Park has a large lawn, varied seating, fishing pier, preserved gantry cranes (lit at night!), great views of tugs and barges. Water Taxi ferry stop.

Working Waterfront:

Over a dozen maritime support service businesses are located inland in addition to businesses below. 

Red Hook Container Terminal LLC operates the container port

Brooklyn Cruise ship terminal

Brooklyn Cruise ship schedule

Gowanus Industrial Park, subleases to other vessels, planned cement port

Hughes Marine, barge rental and operators of Erie Basin, home to subtenants Lomma Crane, Buchanan Marine, Bridge Construction, Sea G. Marine Repair, and others.

New York Water Taxi now part of Harbor Experience LLC, water taxi homeport

Reinauer Transportation, tug and barge port and co-owners of Erie Basin with Hughes Marine

Reinauer Tug Captain describes tug and barge work in Erie Basin

Vane Brothers from Baltimore now operates tugs and fuel barges at the original home of the Mary Whalen, the former site of Ira S. Bushey & Sons at the foot of Court Street.