The Road to Red Hook, Brooklyn

So it's not easy to get there. And yes, I know, there's a Fairway on the Upper West Side, and yes, yes, you can get your fill of industrial landscape more conveniently in Dumbo.

But let me, for one second, try to convince you that a trip to Red Hook is worth the effort, that a $5 Water Taxi ticket is money well spent (or that taking a subway, walking a bit, and then hopping on a Red Hook-bound bus isn't as terrible as it sounds).

Five rewards for your journey:

1.) Amazing waterfront views--some of the best in the city. The Statue of Liberty is practically in your lap.

2.) Valentino Park, small and filled with flowers. It sits directly on the river and offers a multitude of grassy spots perfect for reading or sunning or gazing out at the boats floating by.

3.) The new and enormous Fairway supermarket (controversial gentrification alert: Ikea is set to move into the area next), where you can buy a sandwich big enough to feed two people for $5.95 (I order the Cajun turkey, which is about the size of a shoebox). Behind the supermarket (and on the water) is a breezy dining patio.

4.) The now famous Red Hook Ballfields, where you can score, among other tempting treats, fresh ceviche or a hot chicken tamale. Vendors sell straight-off-the-grill street food from their carts.

5.) Fresh key lime pie. According to Al Roker, Steve Tarpin's tarts are the "last genuine key lime pies in the US!" I'm not sure if I'd go that far, and next time I go, I'm skipping the not-very-good limeade, but for $4, the 4-inch tart is refreshing and share-able.

And there's more... I've been to Red Hook a few times this summer, and every time I go back, I discover something new, or at least new to me. Of course, cobblestone roads and aging warehouses serve as reminders that Red Hook isn't new; in fact, it's one of the oldest neighborhoods in New York. And that's its charm.

Bottom Line: Pack a picnic blanket, pack a book, pack a camera, and go! You won't regret the trip.

Red Hook, Brooklyn
Hopstop it to 480 Van Brunt Street. Take the NY Water Taxi, take the B63 bus from Borough Hall (M/N/R/W/2/3/4/5 lines), or walk from Carroll Street (F/G lines).