Red Hook is a quiet waterfront neighborhood that blends industrial grit with small-town charm. Known for its artsy vibe, creative community, and views of the Statue of Liberty, it offers a slower pace than busier parts of Brooklyn. Located on a peninsula in New York Bay and bordered by Carroll Gardens and the Gowanus Canal, Red Hook is somewhat isolated with no direct subway access, which has helped maintain its close-knit, village-like feel. With historic row houses, converted warehouses, and new developments, the neighborhood is growing while keeping its quirky, resilient spirit.
Key facts about Red Hook
- Total population: 11,467
- Median age: 35.8
- Race demographics: 39% Hispanic, 21% White, 30% Black, 5% Asian
- Total households: 4,454
- Family households: 2,624 (59% of households)
- Median household income: $36,727
- Average household size: 2.4
- Brooklyn’s priciest neighborhood for real estate sales in 2024 was Red Hook at $1.98 million, the result of an 11% Y-o-Y increase. Read more here!
Kid-friendly institutions:
- Pioneer Works is a nonprofit cultural arts center in Red Hook, located in a 150-year-old former ironworks factory. Once a month on Seconds Sundays, they offer family-friendly art programs, music, plus great with scavenger hunts and garden fun for kids. The center and its garden recently underwent a $12.7 renovation to become fully ADA accessible and expend programming. 20,000 square foot garden. Pioneer Works offers free programming in visual and performing arts, music, and science, and hosts workshops, continuing education classes, and K-12 STEAM programs.
- The Mary A. Whalen is a historic oil tanker that is docked at Pier 11 near the Atlantic Basin NYC Ferry stop and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The tanker is home to the non-profit PortSide that offers free programs for all ages.
- Kentler International Drawing Space is a nonprofit drawing gallery that offers a variety of educational programs for kids, including their free Drawing Together family program on the first and third Saturday of each month (10-11am) for ages 4+ with a caregiver.
- Cora Dance is home to a professional dance company and a pay-what-you-can dance education program, with classes in Modern, Hip-Hop, and Creative Movement. They also have a pre-professional touring company for advanced dancers.
- The Waterfront Museum is a floating museum aboard the historic Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge No. 79, built in 1914. The museum has exhibits on the harbor’s past, and hosts arts performances including theater, music, and circus acts. Open Thursdays from 4-8pm. and Saturdays from 1-5pm Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $7.
- The new Red Hook Interim Library on Van Brunt is serving the neighborhood while the permanent Red Hook Library is undergoing renovations, wrapping up in 2025. Read more here!
- The Red Hook Arcade is located at 499 Van Brunt Street, and open weekends from 1-6pm with vintage and new video games.
- IKEA Brooklyn has children’s play area where you can drop them off while you shop!
- Shipwrecked has indoor miniature golf, arcade games and immersive mini escape rooms. The mini golf course is $16.99 for ages 3-12 and $21.99 for ages 13+. Escape rooms start at $15.99. Arcade games are pay per game with rechargeable game cards. They also offer Sensory Nights now with sound effects off, lighting dimmed, and other sensory-friendly accommodations and amenities. Shipwrecked is open Thursday-Sunday, 11am-10pm.
Best drop-in indoor fun in Brooklyn by neighborhood here.
Parks and sports:
- Louis Valentino, Jr. Park is a beautiful park on the water with view of Statue of Liberty: the perfect spot to watch the sunset, or catch an outdoor movie in the summer. Red Hook Boaters also offers free kayaking in the summer, with no lines as compared to the kayaking in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
- Valentino Pier juts out from Valentino Park and is a favorite spot for fishing, or just taking in the view. Save the date for the Red Hook Regatta at the pier on Saturday, May 31, where remote-controlled, 3D-printed, and DIY boats will take on an obstacle course.
- Coffey Park is an oasis of green in the city, with wide expanse of grass and trees perfect for picnics. There is a playground with swings, plus water sprinklers.
- Harold Ickes Skatepark is a newly renovated skatepark for skateboards, rollerblades, scooters and bikes with a proper half pipe.
- PS 15’s playground has great play structures and basketball courts, and is located right in the heart of the neighborhood.
- Red Hook Pool, open in the summer, is an Olympic-size outdoor pool.
- Brooklyn Sluggers is a locally owned and operated sports facility with indoor batting cages and winter baseball and softball clinics for kids, plus birthday parties! They also fitness classes, TRX training, bootcamp, Zumba, and personal training for adults.
- Red Hook Soccer Fields, located at Bay and Clinton, have new and improved turf fields, with goals and some with lights!
- Future Stars Futbol Soccer Club is a year-round soccer program for ages 2-14, with indoor training and games in Red Hook. They also offer pickup from PS58, PS29 and PS8 for training on weekdays at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park!
Kid-friendly restaurants:
- Brooklyn Crab | Brooklyn Crab offers great seafood, drinks, & games. It’s the perfect place to bring the family, especially on a warm day when you can enjoy the roof deck, spacious patio with mini golf and games, and views New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.
- Hometown BBQ | Hometown BBQ serves Brooklyn style barbecue in their large open-seating space in Red Hook. Order easy-to-share pit-smoked meats and sides for the whole family. No reservations accepted; expect a lively line on the weekends.
- Red Hook Lobster Pound | Red Hook Lobster Pound is best know for its lobster rolls—served Maine-style (cold with mayo) or Connecticut-style (hot with butter). The menu also features lobster mac and cheese, fried oysters, and more.
- Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie | Celebrating their 25th anniversary, Steve’s sells key lime pies in all sizes large and small, made with fresh-squeezed key limes in a hand-pressed crust. They also serve “The Swingle,” which is their pie, on a stick, dipped in chocolate.
- Baked | Baked is a fantastic bakery selling delicious cakes, cookies, pie, brownies, and pastries. They also sell coffee, granola and dessert spreads.
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La Newyorkina | Serves handmade natural Mexican ice cream & sweets.
- BonBon | BonBon, the Swedish candy store, has a new warehouse location just off Columbia Street. Inside, you’ll find a candy shop that’s open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11am to 5pm. Plus, on Sundays, they’re serve Swedish hot dogs!
- Raaka Chocolate | The Raaka chocolate factory has a shop as well as tours and chocolate making classes!
Our overview of kid-friendly restaurants in Brooklyn by neighborhood here.
Restaurants for a date night out:
- Bar Mario | This cozy little nook in Red Hook is a perfect date night spot. Serving Northern Italian and Tuscan fare, menu highlights include Mario’s Caesar, the “Spaghetti Hangover,” agnolotti, and more perfectly made pastas. Don’t miss the cheesecake for dessert! Come for outdoor seating in the summer.
- Cafe Kestrel | Another tiny restaurant in Red Hook, Cafe Kestrel is a self-described “contemporary bistro with Southern European flourishes” with a rotating menu. It has just 20 seats, white lace curtains, and tablecloths. The atmosphere is that of a friendly neighborhood spot. You’ll find a selection of classic cocktails (such as the “V. Cold Martini”) wine, and beer.
- The Good Fork Pub | The Good Fork is a neighborhood restaurant that feels like home. The husband-and-wife owners live just down the block. Chef and co-owner Sohui Kim cooks new American cuisine with an Asian flair, and her husband Benjamin Schneider designed and built the restaurant’s interior. Enjoy their innovative Korean-inspired pub menu and drinks in the dining room behind the main bar, or in the cozy back garden.
- Lundy’s | A historic seafood restaurant in Sheepshead Bay dating to 1920, Lundy’s has a new home on Beard Street in Red Hook. “A reincarnation of a Brooklyn institution,” the restaurant continues to serve the famed “Shore Dinner,” a decadent prix fixe with a seafood appetizer and a choice of lobster, fish, or chicken, plus a butterscotch sundae for dessert. The menu features selections from the raw bar, seafood, steak, and more classics from the original Lundy’s. In the warmer months, diners are be treated to waterfront views.
- Red Hook Winery & Red Hook Cidery | Red Hook Winery offers curated tastings, flights, glasses, and bottles, with sweeping views of the water and the Statue of Liberty. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating for guests 21+ and are dog-friendly. A new addition, Red Hook Cidery, is now open, also with fantastic views and seating outdoors.
- Red Hook Tavern | If you and your date are craving a martini and a burger, Red Hook Tavern is your spot. The burgers are simple but perfectly made, with patties made by neighboring Hometown Bar-B-Que, with a pickle wedge and fries on the side. Try the shrimp cocktail as an appetizer, and for dessert, don’t miss out on their rainbow cookies.
- Seaborne | Tucked away on Van Brunt, Seaborne is a bar that was the last project-in-the-works of cocktail guru Sasha Petraske, who passed away before it could open. His partners opened it in his honor, and serve craft cocktails in a laid-back setting. Keeping with Petraske’s wishes, Seaborne has a unique feature: each booth has its own water faucet so customers can self-serve.
- Sunny’s Bar | Sunny’s is a great spot for live music! The bar dates all the way back to 1890, and has live music almost every night, featuring a lot of bluegrass music.
- Pitt’s | Red Hook’s newest restaurant comes from the team behind Agi’s Counter in Crown Heights, led by the James Beard nominated chef Jeremy Salamon. Pitt’s serves Southern food in the former space of Fort Defiance. Dishes include gouda pimento cheese, the cold meatloaf tea sandwich, Carolina grit rice with bottarga, and spiced fried chicken. Beers from neighboring Strong Rope Brewery, whiskey from Red Hook’s Widow Jane, plus an assortment of cocktails.
Our overview of romantic restaurants in Brooklyn by neighborhood here.
Shopping:
- Record Shop sells vintage vinyl and used books but is also a laid-back community spot where people gather for music jams, pop-ups, and more neighborhood events.
- Open Invite Boutique on Van Brunt is a great spot for home goods shopping, and sells art supplies for kids, too!
- Chelsea Garden Center is a fantastic nursery and garden supply store. Sprawling with a huge variety of plants and supplies, it makes for a fun family outing.
What you should not miss in Red Hook:
- Red Hook Open Studios in October is an annual free event where local artists open their studios to the public.
- Pioneer Works, the nonprofit cultural arts center in Red Hook, located in a 150-year-old former ironworks factory.
- Steve’s Key Lime Pie has become a local legend for a reason! Grab your pie and enjoy it on Valentino Pier, just steps away.
- Grab a beer at Strong Rope Brewery and take in the incredible view of the Statue of Liberty. It’s family-friendly, with food trucks from local spots like Red Hook Lobster Pound, with live music some weekends!
- Biking all along the waterfront! There are bike paths throughout the neighborhood that extend to the Columbia Street Waterfront and through Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Schools in Red Hook:
- Public schools: Located in District 15, Red Hook’s public schools include PS 15 and PS6 76 Harbor Middle School, which offers STEAM- and maritime-focused curriculum with hands-on learning for grades 6-8.
- Charter schools: PAVE is a K-8 charter school and Summit Academy serves grades 6-12.
- Private schools: BASIS has an Upper School campus serving grades 3–12.
- Preschools: BumbleBeesRUs, Learning Wheel Childcare
For more information about schools, download our school guides here.
Affording Red Hook (data by Peter Riolo | Compass):
- The median sale price for homes in Red Hook was $1.98 million in 2024.
Downsides of Red Hook:
- There is no direct subway access, which can make it challenging to commute to work or school outside the neighborhood.
- Some of the largest cruise ships in the world dock at Red Hook’s Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, creating gridlock traffic and pollution.
Meet a Red Hook family and founders of Future Stars Futbol
This guide has been contributed by Chloe and Sasha’mani Francois, founders of Brooklyn youth soccer non-profit Future Stars Futbol, long-time Red Hook residents and parents of two children. Since 2010, Future Stars Futbol has developed thousands of kids at all levels from ages 2-15, training and competing both locally and abroad. First and foremost a community endeavor, you can find FSF families on the pitch together most afternoons playing soccer at Pier 5 or at the Red Hook fields!
Photos: Julienne Schaer.
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Updated: April 2025.
