Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Broke and in Love? Try a Cheap Summer Date in Red Hook

By Nikhita Venugopal | June 29, 2015 6:05pm | Updated on June 30, 2015 7:41pm
 Dive bars, waterfront views, movie screenings and more in Red Hook.
5 Inexpensive Dates in Red Hook
View Full Caption

RED HOOK — Love runs deep, but your pockets may not.

However small your budget might be, there’s plenty to do in Red Hook, from visiting romantic spots with panoramic waterfront views to enjoying laid-back bars and outdoor movie screenings.

You can even treat your date to (arguably) the best dessert in New York City.

DNAinfo has rounded up five inexpensive date ideas to help you start exploring the neighborhood:

► Sit back or watch a movie at Louis Valentino Jr. Park

Grab a blanket and head to Louis Valentino Jr. Park and Pier, a popular green space at the end of Coffey and Van Dyke streets with views of the waterfront and the Statue of Liberty. You can also check out the neighborhood’s free outdoor movie screenings that begin next month.

And if you have a sweet tooth, be sure to stop by Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies, known throughout the city for its tart treats.  

► Summer BBQs at Fairway Market’s outdoor cafe

The open seating area behind Red Hook’s Fairway Market is filled with great food and gorgeous views during summer weekends.

The grocery store hosts its weekend barbecues every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. through Labor Day weekend. Its menu changes regularly and has options like BBQ chicken, ribs, cheeseburgers, grilled lobster and an array of sandwiches.  

► Take a tour or do a tasting at the local distilleries, winery and chocolate factory

Cacao Prieto, both a factory and distillery that produces bean-to-bar chocolate, liqueurs, rums and whiskey, hosts one-hour walk-in tours on weekends at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The tours are priced at $15 per person.

The Red Hook Winery offers daily tastings from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting at $8 and going up to $35.

Van Brunt Stillhouse is open every weekend from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. for tours and tastings. Distillery tours are priced at $10 per person and must be booked in advance.

► Good food and music at Red Hook’s dive bars

Red Hook is home to some of the city’s most iconic dive bars. The legendary Sunny’s Bar, located at 253 Conover St., hosts a weekly lineup of musicians in its back room.

Take in the eclectic ephemera and taxidermied animals on the walls of the beloved Red Hook Bait and Tackle at 320 Van Brunt St or head over to the Brooklyn Ice House, 318 Van Brunt St., another well-known neighborhood spot with a great backyard and delicious bar food.

► Cruise to Brooklyn

For $5 per person, take the Ikea ferry from lower Manhattan to Erie Basin Park, a sprawling green area behind Red Hook’s Ikea with deck chairs and tables that are perfect for the penniless. And goats.