Lost City's Guide to Red Hook

The once-bustling waterfront community of Red Hook has lost a great deal of its original life. Nearly all, really. Van Brunt, Conover, and Richards Streets are lined with the ghosts of formally vital storefronts. If you want to know what life was like in the shipping days, when work was plentiful for Irish, Italian and Swedish laborers, and street life teemed with pushcarts and stickball, you'll have to talk to the old-timers still hanging on, because there's not much evidence of it on the streets themselves. Unlike other nearby neighborhoods, the recent gentrification has not been hung on a few enduring businesses and institutions, but built from the ground up. If I wished to tell you what used to be in Red Hook, this guide could go on and on. As it is, the tracing of Red Hook's living history is a much short affair.

DEFONTE'S: This sandwich outpost at Columbia and Luquer Streets, near the north end of Red Hook, is about as old as surviving businesses get in Red Hook, to my reckoning. Somehow, the 1922 eatery has survived in the middle of absolutely nowhere for decades. The mint-green building with all the upper windows boarded over is pure Hopper, sitting lonely on its blighted corner. It's family-owned, founded by a immigrant from Mori di Bari (the hometown of so many of the local Italian families). The sandwiches are big, good and cheap. They recently opened a Manhattan branch, so they must be doing well.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: Walk south down Columbia and then Dwight Street to Verona. Turn right along the north side of COFFEY PARK. The dark forboding Roman Catholic Church of the Visitation dominates this central green of Red Hook. The church was established in 1954. This building is the second to stand on the site. A former structure, erected in 1878, was destroyed by fire on July 12, 1896. The present Gothic affair was built in 1896.

THE "R" SIGN: Look above at the abandoned billboard atop the building at Richards and Venona. This used to belong to paper goods manufacturer named E.J. Trum. When John Turano & Sons Furniture took over the address in 1978, they tried to tear down the Trum letters. All but the stubborn "R," and a period, were removed. There they remain. Let's just say it stands for Red Hook.


RED HOOK POOL: Walk back to Dwight, turn right, walk down to Lorraine. Turn left and walk to Clinton. Turn right to Bay Street. The Red Hook Pool, officially know as the Sol Goldman Recreation Center and Pool, is a gem of a relic from the WPA area, a gloriously huge pool and in great condition. It's an attraction of constant popularity in the summer, fostering a wonderfully democratic picture of community summertime fun.

RED HOOK BALLFIELD VENDORS: Kitty-corner from the pool, in Red Hook Park, during the summer months, are a gathering of Latin food purveyors collectively known as the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors. From these carts, offering the best local versions of delicacies from El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, you will receive some of the best street food in all of New York. The vendors have been working their magic for 20 years or so, and though they are singularly unappreciated by the City or the Parks Department, they are beloved of New Yorkers.


ERIE BASIN PARK: Walk west on Bay to Otsego. As you go, look south to the rusted-out behemoth of the PORT OF NEW YORK GRAIN ELEVATOR TERMINAL, standing starkly again the horizon like some accursed post-industrial City of Oz. Turn left on Otsego to Beard Street. I haven't brought you here to admire the new IKEA, but Erie Basin Park, which IKEA built as a sort of olive branch to the community for tearing down the historic Todd Shipyards. They did a fairly excellent job, and the expansive collection of piers, greenery, walkways, bike paths and maritime paraphernalia nicely captures the spirit and air of old Red Hook.

BEARD STREET: As you walk west on Beard toward Van Brunt, take note of he Belgian Blocks on the road. These can be found all over Red Hook, as well as remnants of old trolley tracks.

FAIRWAY: Again, I didn't bring you hear to appreciate the produce, but to take a look at the pre-Civil War coffee warehouse Fairway renovated as its Brooklyn home. It's an undeniably handsome object. Inside, head to the back patio. There, you can enjoy unadulterated views of Staten Island, the Statue of Liberty and the water traffic in New York Harbor. To the left are three old TROLLEY CARS, the sad testimony of Brooklynite Bob Diamond's doomed effort to bring trolley service back to Red Hook.

BEARD STREET WAREHOUSES: Across Van Brunt from Fairway, and continues south along Erie Basin are the long, red-brick Beard Street Warehouse, simply one of the most beautiful and beautifully situated industrial structures in America. Catch the Civil-War-era buildings at sunset for an unmatchable sight.

WEIRD MARITIME BUILDING: Walk west on Reed Street, just in front of Fairway, to No. 20, a curious two-story black building that looks like it's auditioning for the part of Old Maritime Building, covered as it is with plastic fish, life preservers, ship wheels and flags. It's actually just a building some guy uses to work on his old cars and have a few beers with his buds. Adds local character, though.

SUNNY'S BAR: Walk to Conover and turn right. Sunny's Bar is one of the few holdouts from the old days. In the Balzano family since the 1930s, it is now opened only occasionally, whenever Sunny feels like it. The well-preserved interior is well worth a looksee.

Previous Lost City Neighborhood Guides

City Tells Red Hook Vendors to Do This, Do That

The City health inspectors are done with their drawn-out inspections of the beleaguered, harassed Red Hook Ballfield food vendors, who can't catch a fucking break from City Hall these days. And there's good news and bad news, according to a report on Gowanus Lounge.

Cesar Fuentes, who heads the Red Hook Vendors Committee and negotiates with the city, sent out a state-of-the-vendors update, saying the City is willing to let the vendors stay through the season. But the sellers still have to jump through several dozen flaming hoops. Fuentes writes:

DOH inspectors have been assigned to come down and observe our operation every weekend since these meetings took place. They have done so religiously, inspecting every stand and making on-the-spot corrections (about food prep. & handling) to each vendor as needed. A temptative agreement was reached between DOH and our committee, by which DOH would allow our operation to continue until the end of the season, provided all vendors(and their assistants) take a 2-day, 8 hour food protection course and be in compliance of the critical issues mentioned above. All vendors & assistants committed their time and effort to attending this course, which was set for 8/20 & 8/21. I am proud to report 60+ people attended & passed the required test.

And further on:

In complying with DOH regulations, these artisan vendors are now faced with the difficult task of adapting tradition in order to meet these standards. While some of these regulations are common sense and easy to comply, such as licenses & permits, some others--such as a possible requirement of heavy mobile equipment or push-carts for each vendor, or the provision of permanent running water--will be more difficult as it may require major capital investment that the vendors or our committee cannot afford. In addition, and provided we are successful in winning the Parks permit which would grant us right to operate our affair for seasons to come, DOH won't allow our affair in its current form and without every vendor and their assistants being fully licensed.

The running water thing bugs me. What hot dog or falafel vendor in NYC has running water? Why are the Red Hook vendors held to a different standard? This whole affair stinks. It has from the start.

Vendor Delay

I am sad to see that the return of the beloved Red Hook Ballfield Vendors—rumored to be set for Memorial Day weekend—did not occur as, uh, rumored.

Instead, we may have to wait until mid-June. Porkchop Express reported the following, per RHBV leader Cesar Fuentes...

The good: Several vendors will be operating satellite stands at the Brooklyn Flea (market) in addition to Red Hook. Starting this Sunday (May 25th), the Vaquero, Hernandez and Soler stands will be selling elotes preparados, huaraches, pupusas, and etceteras. So get your fix here until Red Hook is up and running.

The bad: Speaking of which, Red Hook is NOT up and running. Per Cesar, “We cannot start until the city approves our permits [and these are] being processed as we speak. Unfortunately, that can still take a couple more weeks before we are given a go. Realistically speaking, we can probably expect to open Mid-June.”

The City. The freakin' City. They just have it in for these poor people.

Red Hooks Vendors Challenged by Cowardly Anonymous Weasels

What the hell it this?

According to the Brooklyn Paper, the Red Hook Ballfield vendors met at Red Hook Park with members of the Parks Department for a "tour for prospective bidders," to make their intention that they want to return to their longstanding location next summer clear. They were the only ones there. But that doesn't mean they don't have competition! There are already "two unidentified groups [who] will also bid to run the thriving weekend food market."

I'm sorry, what? They're anonymous? This is OK, that the bidders can be secretive, back room entities vying for use of a public park, while the vendors expose themselves to every sling and arrow? It's OK that the other bidders don't even do the vendors and the Parks Dept. the courtesy of showing up? That smacks of rank arrogance and an assurance that they will win this (very expensive) battle.

The Parks Department has behaved like utter and complete scum in this whole affair. It's so patently clear that they never intended to give the vendors a fair shake and some deal was made with a large food concern way before the whole process began. I say, if anyone other than the vendors wins the bid, the boycott begins here.

And there's the sad fact that one vendor will definitely not return. "Victor Rojas, the ceviche man whose stand was usually the furthest west on Bay Street," wrote the Voice, "has decided to bow out already because of financial concerns." He was one of the best.

Red Hook Vendors to Make Belated 2008 Debut This Weekend!

Funny. I was just wondering today if the Red Hook Ballfield vendors would ever open their 2009 summer season. I was just about ready to give them up for dead, the victim of the willful animosity of the City's health and parks departments.

But then Brooklyn Paper reports just in the nick of time that the Latino food sellers will return to the tray this weekend. Oh Fraptious Day! But the opening comes at a price, as the vendors have lost almost half of their regular season:

The financial costs of purchasing and retrofitting carts, combined with half a season of lost sales, have sent many vendors deep into the red.

“The losses are major,” said Marcos Lainez, who operates a Salvadoran papusa cart. “It’s going to take at least two and a half years to recover all the money we have lost.”

Lainez shelled out $35,000 to get a legal stand and upgrade it, and is rushing to get last-minute repairs made so he can pass a city inspection to start selling the bean–and–cheese filled tortillas this weekend.

The burden for other vendors is even heavier.

Pamela Martinez told The Brooklyn Paper that her father spent $45,000–$50,000 to ready his cart for Mexican treats like tacos and huaraches.

“We’re out three months of work,” Martinez said.

Like Lainez, he’s waiting for the green light from the Health Department.

Part of the delay for several of the vendors came from a Queens repairman who took many weeks longer than promised to overhaul their mobile units and bring them up to the newly tightened city requirements.

Everybody out there, do your part: Buy twice as much food as last year! Get these guys out of debt!

My First Visit to the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors

I made my first visit to the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors of the summer this past week. I'm a little tardy in getting to them this year, I admit. Got there early and had to wrangle with no lines. Had a chorizo huaraches from the Martinez stand (above). Also, tried something new from the Carello Guatemalan stand, which has slowly become my favorite of the stands over the years, for its variety of foods, cheap prices, cheerful service and the freshness and deliciousness of its products. It was a pacaya, a tropical forest palm found in Mexico. It's deep fried and served on a tortilla like a taco, with hot sauce and onions. It's wonderful, with a distinctly fibrous texture.

Final Visit to the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors of the Season

The Red Hook Ballfield Vendors will soon end their season hawking fine food (I believe next weekend is the last). I swung by last Saturday for what will probably be my final visit until next spring. Not having indulged in a ceviche all summer, I ordered a "mixto" from the Rojas Ecuadorian stand. The, for my finale, I tried something new: a Chicharon taco from the Perez stand. Chicharon is deep fried pork skin. Very crunchy. Impossible to eat as a taco, really. Best to treat is as a tostada.

Third Trip to Red Hook Ballfield Vendors

The line for the Martinez Huaraches stand is always the longest of the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors. I suspect this is because their bill of fare is the most familiar to the uninitiated: tacos, quesadillas, etc. This past Saturday, however, I showed up at 11:30 and the queue was doable. I ordered a chicken Huarache, got a lemonades from the Vaquero Fruit Stand kitty-korner, sat down, and enjoyed.

First Visit to the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors

I paid my first visit of the season to the Red Hook Ballfield Food Vendors yesterday—a rite of summer like few other for me. I enjoyed some chile rellenos from the Carrillo Guatemalan vendor, a lemonade from the Sosa Fruits vendor, and a beef-and-cheese papusa from the Lainez Salvadoran vendor. I liked it better when the vendors were on the field, instead of on the sidewalk, but the wonderful atmosphere is little changed. And, of course, the food remains peerless.

Trying to Play Ball

Just as I was thinking it was time to hear something from the Red Hook Ballfield Food Vendors, the Daily News prints a program report. And, little surprise, the news ain't that good.

According to the daily, City officials have begun seeking bids for selling food in Red Hook Park, just as they said they would. And they are welcoming a bid from the vendors, just as they said they would. But the bid rules apparently require that all applicants "use approved food-preparation carts or trucks, which vendors estimate will cost $15,000 to $30,000 per stand"—which is not quite what the City said they would do.

Anyone who's been to the park knows that conventional food-selling trucks and carts won't cut it for the specialized Latin sellers, many of whom who use long grills to prepare their tacos, papusas and huaraches. As one vendor said, "We're not just boiling hotdogs." The vendors also fear that the silvery vehicles will take away from the the rustic charm of the scene, which no doubt they probably would.

Applications are due Feb. 22.

The only encouraging thing in the article is a comment from the vendors' most high-powered friend, Sen. Charles Schumer, who last summer held a press conference in Red Hook Park. He said, "The city must work with the vendors to create a plan that benefits everyone involved, not just the city's bottom line." Nice sentiment, but, unfortunately, the past has shown that the Parks Dept.'s Adrian Benepe doesn't really give a damn what Schumer thinks. And certainly Mike "I like Subway-I eat Cheeze-Its" Bloomberg isn't paying attention.

City Continues Evil Persecution of Red Hook Vendors

What the hell is wrong with City Hall? Does it hate good food, intrinsic culture and The American Dream?

Are they now doubly pissed at the poor, hard-working, great-cooking Red Hook Ballfield food vendors, because the Parks Commissioner's plan to unleash the field's concessions gig to open bidding was met with wide public opposition and gave the City a big bad-press black eye? (The people assert their will? How dare they?)

According the Porkchop Express, the City has now sicked a new agency on the vendors, in the form of a sudden inspection by the Department of Health. "Hey, if we can't shut them down one way, we'll try another!" Well, the raid didn't work, at least for now:

Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez was alerted. She immediately called the Mayor's office, and arrived to monitor the inspection in-person. In so doing, she defused a potentially big bomb. Rather than threatening closure, the DOH simply offered a list of "suggestions."

Foremost amongst these: no running water at the fields. So today (Tuesday) at 5:15 pm, Cesar was contacted about a "big" meeting Wednesday with the Deputy Commissioner of Health. Pressure has intensified, City Officials are again flexing muscle, and the implied bottom-line is rough. Worst-case scenario, the Vendors will have to shut down operations stat to comply with DOH mandates. But we wont know anything until tomorrow afternoon.

Next up: a surprise visit from the Fire Department to check for fire hazards ("Hey, they're using fire to cook the food!"), and the Police sweep the area looking for any illegal immigrants ("Those vendors look like they were born in another country!"). A goverment of petty putzes.

UPDATE (Aug. 9, 10 AM): According to reports this morning, re Eater and Porkchop Express, by Sunday August 19th the vendors must:

· store more ice in coolers
· acquire portable hand washers/sanitation units
· wear sterile gloves and change said gloves regularly
· have a source of running water to wash hands, tacos, etc.
· rent commercial grade kitchens to prep food, or prepare everything on-site

And, "Most significantly, The Powers That Be want everyone who works at a stand to be licensed. Anyone associated with a tent – from corn shuckers to pupusa stuffers – must undergo a training session to obtain a mobile food vending license. At present, only 12 tent operators are licensed; this number will (must) more than quadruple."

Sigh.

More Depressing News About Red Hook Food Vendors

Reason it out however you like. You won't convince me. This last report of the Department of Health's behavior regarding the hapless, increasingly hopeless Red Hook Ballfield Food Vendors confirmed my growing belief that the City isn't out of to enforce health laws or make sure there's an even playing fields where park concessions are concerned. No, the DOH and the Parks Department have painted a target of the collective back of these Latino vendors. They want them out. This, my friends, is not bureaucracy. This is a hit.

Think I'm irrational? Well, read this piece in the Brooklyn Eagle (brought to my attention by Gowanus Lounge) and then talk to me. If I had a hundred thou, I'd hand it over the Cesar Fuentes, exec director of the Vendors, so he could buy the countless things the DOH are insisting the foodsellers buy, plus extra money to hire a lawyer and a publicist to sue the City's ass for harassment.

P.S.—As for the much-discussed need for running water and portable sinks, I was there today and spied at least four of them. They're plastic, they're ugly, they're there. Choke on 'em, DOH.

A Perfect Combo

A dip in the Red Hook community pool, and then a meal courtesy of the Red Hook Park food vendors. This has to be one of the most blissfully perfect and unassailably authentic Saturday set-ups New York City has to offer. It's just ur-Gotham.

First of all, the 1930s-era, WPA pool is free to all comers and kept in fantastic condition. The rule-heavy administration and the whistle-happy lifeguards put a bit of a damper on things, true. On the other hand, they keep the experience exquisitely elemental. No pool toys, no flotation devices, no boom-boxes, no food. Just you, your swimsuit and the water.

After you've had you fill of watery fun, the Red Hook vendors are just a kitty-corner away. I tried the Carello Guatemalan stand for the first time and, damn, if they didn't zoom straight to the number one spot as my favorite vendor. The chili relleno taco and fried, cylindrical chicken tacos are out of this world.



I couldn't find ballfield boss Cesar Fuentes anywhere. I asked a few vendors if there was any new news about the loathsome Parks Commissioner's attempt to push the mom-and-pop shops out of the park and yield up the concessions to open bidding, but could find out nothing.

It's been somewhat disappointing that way the press, on the web and off, has rather dropped this story after beating the drum so hard there for a while. Let's not give up on these guys! I mean, I'm sorry, but that chile relleno taco was just too good. And I don't want to have to settle for an Italian sausage or a Krispy Kreme after my pool time.

So Long Red Hook Vendors; See Ya Next Year?

It was with some hesitation that I left town this past weekend, because I knew it was the final hurrah this summer for the Red Hook Ballfield food vendors, whose fate still hangs in the balance, waiting the thumbs up or thumbs down from both the Parks Department and the Department of Health.

I was glad to hear, however, that people took full advantage of the finale, with lines for the tents reaching record proportions. The pupusa and huarache lines were longest. (They always were.) Regroup, my friends. Don't give up. We want you back.

No Red Hook Vendor News Yet

Gowanus Lounge reports that the meeting between the Parks Commission and the Red Hook Ballfield food vendors, whose continued existence has been threatened by the specter of an open bidding war for concessions at the fields, has been postponed. It was supposed to happen yesterday, but will now happpen Friday. GL thinks this is a good sign. Let's hope so.

While you're at Gowanus Lounge, check out this interesting item about the fight to rezone Carroll Gardens and enlarge its dinky history district. Lost City has said before that such moves are long overdue, and the fact that CG has such a tiny historic district (basically Carroll and President streets between Smith and Hoyt; two small blocks) is criminal and suspicious. I've heard from oldtimers a number of times that the reason the district was kept so compact is local residents did want their building options hemmed in by having their homes landmarked. The usual short-sightedness, greed and selfishness. Let's hope more broad-minded heads prevail in the future. First on the list should be 1st Place through 3rd Place between Clinton and Henry. Beautiful, pristine blocks of handsome homes.

GL also mentions that Long Island College Hospital, which seems to own almost every large building in the area, has put the Longshoremen's Association Building property, on Court and Union, on the block. Under current zoning, a 13-story tower could go up there. Yikes.

A Talk With Cesar Fuentes

Pork Chop Express this week published a lengthy interview with Cesar Fuentes, the spokesperson for the Red Hook Ballfield Food Vendors, which went through so much tsuris last summer at the hands of the City. The Vendors have not yet returned to the park, though it's hope their south-of-the-border delectables will be back by the end the June.

The saddest news to come out of the interview is that the vendors appearance will have been sanitized. The will operate out of city-mandated mobile food vending trucks, and the blue tents will go bye-bye. No doubt this will created a more sanitary environment. But the special flavor of the set-up will be gone. As Fuentes says, "The physical, unique aesthetic - weather beaten tarps, an old world food bazaar and unique 'mercado' feel - couldn't be kept despite our appeals for its preservation. And the operating costs for each vendor to continue selling in the park may be prohibitively high for some."

Read the entire interview here.

Second Trip to the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors

Had an enchilada at the Carrillo Guatemalan vendor. Doesn't look like your usual enchilada, does it?

Some Stuff That's Interesting

The economy changes everything: Maybe the Hotel Pennsylvania won't be demolished.

A foul-mouth idget blogger defamed Dominic De Marco of Di Fara's and Grub Street defamed the blogger in return.

Rich folks can't afford for Bloomberg to lose his job.

Porkchop Express reports extensively on the changed look of the Red Hook Ballfield vendors.

Cool pictures of Staten Island's Ship Graveyard.

And, as usual, the MTA sucks.

Fourth Trip of the Summer to the Red Hook Ballfield Vendors

Fried tacos from the Carrillo Guatemalan vendor. I seem to like Carrillo, don't I? What can I say? There's never a line and the food is good.

Chumley's "Operating on Faith"

There's an update on the Chumley's situation in the New York Post today and—surprise—it's not very encouraging.

As last reported, the former speakeasy was supposed to reopen Oct. 1; it was closed after the old chimney separated from the wall last spring. The owners of the bar said the delays are due to several "surprises" found by the engineers. Among them: asbestos and the erosion of the foundation.

"We're all working together to try and get it done," Chumley's owner Steve Shlopak told the Post. "Just how we're going to get it done, though, is unclear. At this point, we're kind of operating on faith." Not what I'd call a confidence-inspiring quote.

Despite the above, Shlopak also said he hopes to have Chumley's open by Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. 37 days away! Has he even looked at the building?

Most heartbreaking story of the year? Not Coney Island. There's been plenty of protesting to Thor's plans down there, and some movement in the right directions, such as Astroland staying around a little longer. Not the Red Hook Ballfield food vendors. Again, there has been plenty of hue and cry, and the vendors at least have a sporting chance of returning next year. No, it's Chumley's. This is an irreplaceable national landmark (not just citywide, but national; historic bars like this just don't exist anymore), and nobody's stepping up to the plate. No noise from City Hall. No rallies. No real push to get this property away from its monster landlord and into the hands of the restaurant owners. Just apathy and resignation. Even the Save Chumley's blog hasn't been undated since July 6.