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If they somehow managed to build a subway station in Red Hook, it'd be full of yuppies by the end of the week. Transportation is the real issue out there... that, and I guess, the biggest concentration of projects in South Brooklyn.
To pick up some stuff at the new Ikea. I have never been to Red Hook and don't know much about it but I was looking forward to going to the new Ikea. I was pretty shocked at what I saw.....in order to get to Red Hook, at least according to the mapquest directions, you have to drive through housing projects, and a pretty abandoned industrial area. When you arrive at Ikea it seems like the Mother Ship of an Alien Spacecraft had just landed...lots of strange lights and just huge. The Ikea itself was nice, and clearly they recruited almost exclusively, all their workers from the housing projects (which I am sure was required in order to allow Ikea to open there). I was just surprised that they chose that location, as it is not only in a very desolate area, you must also cross through dense housing projects that were not good in any sense of the word. It reminded me of Hunts Point, except Hunts Point has no housing projects. Anyone else agree/disagree? Am I way off base here?
How did you know that the employees were from the projects?
it is really a barren place filled with industrial blight and housing projects..Ikea really needs to step up and beautify more of the area.
They actually did some beautification, but it is all on the other side of the building, along the waterfront. There is a cafe and an esplanade.
There is one other destination in Red Hook: Fairway -- IMO the best grocery store in Brooklyn. What I like about it is that you can get your organic veggies AND a box of Cap'n Crunch if you please, plus all kinds of gourmet stuff and unique brands. It too is on the waterfront and has a cafe. It's on the "good" side of Red Hook, at the end of Van Brunt Street.
Bama: I live surrounded by towering housing projects in Mott Haven which are no different than the housing projects in Red Hook. Go to Ikea and look, observe, and interact with the employees there and then report back to me.
Bama: I live surrounded by towering housing projects in Mott Haven which are no different than the housing projects in Red Hook. Go to Ikea and look, observe, and interact with the employees there and then report back to me.
I am highly ofended by your generalization SobroGuy. The people in the Projects do not have a "look."
I have many great friends that live in Housing Projects throughout the city, i once lived in the projects myself.
Really poor taste in my opinion.
Heh...okay you are right...people in the projects do not have a look or anything in common .....they can easily be Titans in Wall Street, European Fashion Designers, former Presidents and Cabinet Members, etc. I was clearly wrong and know nothing of what I speak.
Heh...okay you are right...people in the projects do not have a look or anything in common .....they can easily be Titans in Wall Street, European Fashion Designers, former Presidents and Cabinet Members, etc. I was clearly wrong and know nothing of what I speak.
No there are not super rich, but come on Sobro, Really?
Actually my friends in the projects (some in red Hook) are graphic designers, union painters, after school program councelors, recording artists, electricians, social workers.
I agree that those people are residents of housing projects....but do they represent the average person in the housing projects? NO. Do you know the demographics of the average housing project resident? Any clue? The point being, you should actually GO to the IKEA and interact or observe the employees and you will understand why I say they are clearly from Red Hook. Furthermore, Ikea was allowed to open there contingent on them hiring from the neighborhood (housing projects). When you return from Ikea, we can reconvene this conversation.
I agree that those people are residents of housing projects....but do they represent the average person in the housing projects? NO. Do you know the demographics of the average housing project resident? Any clue? The point being, you should actually GO to the IKEA and interact or observe the employees and you will understand why I say they are clearly from Red Hook. Furthermore, Ikea was allowed to open there contingent on them hiring from the neighborhood (housing projects). When you return from Ikea, we can reconvene this conversation.
you are correct not everyone in the projects has a great job like my friends, but you can't just prejudge everyone and assume. It is limiting to a persons ability to achieve success. Negative stereotypes and false assumptions are very damaging to people on both sides.
I don't shop at IKEA, I thing its terrible for Brooklyn. But I did work at the Fairway in Red Hook if that counts for anything. I didn't assume that the staff was from the red Hook projects. I simply asked my fellow workers where they lived, Some lived in Red Hook, but most of the staff lived all over Brooklyn.
Fairway treats their employees like crap by the way.
I just want to say that I love Red Hook, it is such an interesting neighborhood with a great history. Next time anyone goes out to Red Hook to go to Ikea, I have a suggestion for them, skip Ikea and just walk around the neighborhood. Check out the park that Ikea built (The Park IMO is the best thing about Ikea being built , well that and the jobs created). Go to the Fairway, check out those old trolley cars out behind the store. Go to the nurseries. Check out the waterfront museum on the old barge. Get a key lime pie. Walk the somewhat desolate, but certainly not scary, cobblestone streets over to the Valentino Pier and check out the view of lady Liberty @ sunset. Walk Van Brunt and check out the art galleries,restaurants and shops, just walk and look @ all the street art around and that "blight" is nice too, enjoy it before its gone for another Ikean-like box. Check out the Queen Mary 2. Walk out to the Columbia Street pier, see if the fishermen are catching anything, check out a baseball game @ Red Hook Park, Go to the Red Hook Farm. I could go on and on -- Red Hook Rocks -- Don't visit Ikea and straight up call the place a ghetto -- That's just not fair.
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