red hook.

February 3, 2012

rh1 rh4 rh3 rh5 rh7 rh8 rh10 rh13 rh12 rh11rh18 rh16 rh17 there is this to know: all walks to the sea are not equal. in one place reaching the sea means scrambling over wooden wharfs and down along craggy rocks, skinning the bottoms of your bare feet on barnacles. in another place it means crossing a highway, wending your way down concrete sidewalks, past hollowed-out factories and quiet ports until the asphalt gives way to cobblestones and you know that you’re on to something good. different, maybe, but good, still.

for me these walks to the sea have been a life-long habit. when there hasn’t been the sea, there have been rivers and in those places the way the sun glints off the water has been enough to set things right.

on tuesday, my walk was to red hook, brooklyn. on that walk it was the air, mostly, that let me know i was close. that perfect glow of salty sunlight that only the sea can produce. along the way there was a dear friend and at the end of it, a brooklyn brew and the setting sun.

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20 Comments

  • Reply Carrie February 3, 2012 at 2:33 pm

    I feel as though I was transported back in time while looking at this post. I love your adoration of buildings and old time city relics that are otherwise ignored.

  • Reply riva. February 3, 2012 at 2:56 pm

    I agree with Carrie up above. Beautiful post. I know exactly where this is. šŸ˜‰

    RivaFlowzDOTcom

  • Reply Katie (Mama May I) February 3, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    Soulful prose and contemplative photography. Loved this post with my morning coffee. Happy Friday!

  • Reply ABBY February 3, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    lovely pictures. looks like time well spent.

  • Reply Bonbon Oiseau February 3, 2012 at 3:27 pm

    beautiful post Erin. I love the way you captured Red Hook in all it's salty old doggedness…

  • Reply RetreatingAndAdvancing February 3, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    Lovely pictures! I wish I could be by the sea right now..

  • Reply Norma February 3, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    I was raised on a So. Calif. beach so ours was a bit different but the same affect. There's peace in the familiarity of the smells, air and water. This was lovely, thank you.

  • Reply d&d February 3, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    beautiful images. i feel like i'm in a different time when i visit red hook. if i ever migrated back to nyc, i'd certainly like to live there.

  • Reply Julie-White Tapestry February 3, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    I love that fox door handle/knocker. This is really a great eclectic mix of photos…love.

  • Reply Cindy February 3, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    yes, i love all the textures and grit in red hook. love your photos and really must get my seaman (husband) to take me there. enjoy your weekend!

  • Reply John T. Shea February 3, 2012 at 6:43 pm

    good post, good post. xx

  • Reply Katherine McAdoo February 3, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    love. really, really, beautiful photography. i love the cobblestone photo the most.

    i myself have only ever lived by river.

  • Reply Lucent Imagery February 3, 2012 at 9:20 pm

    I love some of the warm tones of the old buildings. I can't live without water near me, whether it be a river or a beach. There is something so perfect about being able to wander along the water with a camera, dog and husband!

  • Reply Rachel February 3, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    Love that last shot in particular. On our last trip to Red Hook, we may have managed to eat an entire Key Lime pie in one sitting.

  • Reply Doe February 3, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    yeah, for sure. we are water people, methinks.
    and I so love that foxy hardware….
    xxo

  • Reply Doe February 3, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    so too love that midwinter slant of light on those cobbles…

  • Reply Mary February 4, 2012 at 3:41 am

    Love this post! Your photographs are wonderful. šŸ™‚

  • Reply Alexa February 5, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    Beautiful. Some of your very best words and photos yet, I think.

  • Reply Sonja Bee January 22, 2018 at 11:33 am

    Redhook has my heart. If only I could live there. I would love to see what the places over the Fairway Market look like (although I haven’t a hope in hell of ever having enough $$$$). Whenever I come to NYC I have to spend at least one day wandering around Redhook.

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