Rattle along on your CitiBike over Red Hook's cobblestone streets (rivalling some of Paris' best, for bumpiness and beauty), past seafood shacks and longshoremen's bars (all now reshaping Red Hook's reputation), past the 'under reconstruction' playing field (reconstruction, because it sits atop a recently remembered toxic dump), over the Gowanus Canal (one of the most contaminated places in America), so that when you find the point which seems to be as close as you can get to the Statue of Liberty there you'll find Key Lime Pies.
In 2007, a baby Minke whale swam into the canal. Its health deteriorated rapidly and it died after a few days. This year, a dolphin swam into the Gowanus and perished perhaps because fecal matter, measured in parts per million, is measured in parts per hundred in the Gowanus.
Paraphrased from Popular Science: "Real estate developers now see dollar signs. Among Red Hook investors is Kushner and Company, owned by the family of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his father, a convicted felon."
Pies owner Steve says making a great key lime pie isn’t rocket science. So why is finding an authentic key lime pie such a difficult task?
Too many bakeries and bakers cut corners, using a pre-made crust or bottled juice from concentrates, mechanizing production to maximize profits, or because a key lime pie is just another offering in a long line of products.
Here, you get lime juice squeezed from a lime and organic milk for your coffee. Steve cares.
Find your way with 301 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
Games of Professional Baseball in New York doesn't just mean watching the Yankees play and paying 100s of dollars: watch a Class A game for much cheaper!
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"Rubenstein Atrium" in New York's Lincoln Center has a free performance every Thursday night. I recommend you try to arrive around 18:30 to catch a seat.
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"Revson Fountain" at the Lincoln Center in NYC is one of the results of the renovation that started in 2006. It's spectacular and a must-see!
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"Gray's Papaya" in New York equals classic hot dogs. This place has been here at least 45 years, and it's easy to see why. Great people-watching spot too.
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"Paris Cinema", est. 1948, is the last single screen cinema in NYC today; what irony that it was saved from closing by Netflix itself...
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The White Clam Sauce linguine is classic. So much is served that what can’t be eaten on the spot can be taken home and easily reheated the next day,
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At the "American Legion Post 398" in New York City I get to hear jazz played the old fashioned way, Harlem in the '30s, '40s and '50s...
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"A Great Day in Harlem" is an important photo of 58 jazz greats taken in 1958 in NYC. The building on 126th Street where it was taken is still there...
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The 13-mile Hudson River Greenway in NYC, which begins at the George Washington Bridge, is the most heavily used bike trail in the USA...
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"New Plaza Cinema" in NYC has one mission: to show independent, foreign and classic films. It is run by a grassroots group; how long will it survive?
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"Manny's Bistro" is a French bistro in my neighborhood in New York. Susan & I prefer to sit at the bar, which makes us belong & contribute to the scene...
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"The Elevated Acre" is in the middle of the Financial District in NYC, but you would never see it when passing by - this park is hidden above street level!
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301 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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