Waterfront ’Hoods in NYC

On the water front

EAT AND DRINK YOUR WAY THROUGH NEW YORK CITY’S REBORN HARBOR NEIGHBORHOODS.

BY NANCY DAVIDSON

LIKE MOST CITIES, New York grew up around the water, with commercial activity in the 18th and 19th centuries circulating around ports supported by wharfs, docks, warehouses, stables and refineries. But in the 20th century, the waterfront was neglected, abandoned and, in some places, downright debauched. In other cities, life revolved around the water, while in New York, the waterfront became a place to avoid.

But with the revitalization of the Big Apple’s waterfront neighborhoods, that’s all changed. Now you can get a flavor of New York’s history, and a taste of its most exciting communities and fabulous views by visiting bars and restaurants in the areas around New York Harbor.

THE SEAPORT AND HISTORIC FRONT STREET

South Street Seaport (www.southstreetseaport.com) was once the most prosperous port in New York, home to President Washington when the city was the nation’s capital.

It was the site of mansions, fish warehouses, watering holes and the Fulton Street Fish Market.

With the relocation of the fish market, a landmark restoration project transformed the 18th-century buildings of Front Street between Beekman Street and Peck Slip into a charming strolling area reminiscent of Boston’s Quincy Market. The streets echo with a sense of history, while the restored buildings vibrate with the lively energy and independent spirit of new bars and restaurants.

Charming Carmine’s Italian Seafood (212-962-8606) is a red-sauce holdover from the old days, serving classics like calamari marinara with a side of spaghetti. It now has some competition for the Italian vote from the sleek new Bin No. 220 (www.binno220.com; 212-374-9463), a wine bar featuring panini and salads, and Barbarini Alimentari (www.barbarini.net; 212-227-8890), an espresso bar and grocery straight out of Italy, with lovely pastas and prepared foods.

At Stella Maris (www.stellamarisnyc.com; 212-233-2417), the raw bar pays tribute to the fish market past with a daily-changing menu of oysters and other crustaceans. Irish-born chef Darren Pettigrew’s gastrobar draws on the best of local ingredients to create innovative food that wows without being fussy. Dinner selections include pan-roasted halibut with braised lettuce or sautéed gnocchi with morel mushrooms and fresh peas. Make sure to pair it with excellent wine from a selection of French, Spanish and Italian bottles. Also, don’t miss the weekend brunch menu; try the crispy egg (a medium soft boiled egg wrapped in bread crumbs) with pancetta and hash browns.

There’s a great selection of international beers at Stella Maris, but if you’re more comfortable in a grungy saloon, make your way to Jeremy’s Ale House (www.jeremysalehouse.com; 212-964-3537), a vast, no-frills watering hole specializing in quart-sized Styrofoam buckets of beer. Once a fishmonger’s hangout, the bar has been in the area in one location or another since 1974. Here, frat boys-turned-Wall Street bankers, police officers and locals all chug beers and eat fried seafood under rafters decorated with castoff ties.

The fabulously chic Pasanella and Son Vintners around the block (www.pasanellaandson.com), on the site of a former frozen fish warehouse, is worth a visit, if for nothing more than to check out the design, which includes a vintage Ferrari parked in the middle of the store. The staff will steer you toward excellent bottles and, if your timing is right, you’ll happen upon free, informal wine tastings.

NEXT STOP, DUMBO

In the mid-1600s, ferries traveling between Manhattan and Brooklyn docked in this area, previously known as Fulton Landing. Its heyday as a commercial center began in 1814, when Robert Fulton’s steamboat service made more than 1,000 crossings a day. But with the building of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, ferry service became obsolete.

In 1898, Brooklyn went from being an independent city to a borough of New York City. And as in many of New York’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, it was pioneering artists looking for low rents and high-ceilinged loft s who revitalized Brooklyn’s DUMBO (“Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”) beginning in the 1970s.

But it isn’t just artists who transformed the neighborhood; restaurants have also paved the way for residents. Th e River Café (www.rivercafe.com; 718-522-5200), known for its New American cuisine and romantic setting, is located just off the pier with a great view of the bridges.

Pastry Chef Jacques Torres, another early supporter of revitalized DUMBO, was already famous for his pastries at Le Cirque when he opened his chocolate shop in the then little-known neighborhood. Th e enticement of spicy hot chocolate and chocolate bon bons with exotic fillings have lured many to Jacques Torres Chocolate (www.mrchocolate.com). Up the block at Almondine (www.almondinebakery.com), you can purchase coff ee drinks, gelato and pastries, but perhaps the best off erings are the freshly baked breads.

Your visit to DUMBO should without a doubt include lunch at Grimaldi’s (www.grimaldis.com; 718-858-4300), famous for its coal-oven pizza. Be prepared to wait in line; don’t worry, it moves relatively quickly. Save some room for dessert from nearby Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (718-246-3963), where you can enjoy super-rich old-fashioned ice cream in classic flavors while strolling along the pier.

RED HOOK

One of the earliest areas of Brooklyn to be established (it was settled by the Dutch in 1636), Red Hook got its name from its red clay soil and hook-shaped peninsula. At the time when business was slowing down at South Street Seaport in the 1850s because of the invention of the steamboat, business started picking up at Red Hook’s Atlantic Basin.

Home primarily to dockworkers in the 1930s, this gritty, off-the-beaten path section of Brooklyn (while it isn’t near any subway lines, it is accessible by bus) was off the radar for most New Yorkers and visitors until recently.

Like DUMBO, Red Hook is an artistic community, speckled with independent galleries and glassblowers who have set up studios in converted warehouses along the pier.

Take a walk toward Pier 41 and follow the signs to Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies (www.stevesauthentic.com), housed in a scruffy warehouse. The only choice to make here is what size of the tangy pie to purchase, including a four-inch pie that is perfect for immediate consumption.

For greater variety, head to Baked (www.bakednyc.com), which has quickly become famous for its moist and delicious layer cakes with thick, gooey icing served in generous, hunky slices, as well as cupcakes, muffins, scones and biscuits made with fresh, seasonal fruits.

One of the newer additions to the neighborhood, Tini (www.bartinicafe.com; 718-855-4206) captures the frontier-like feeling of Red Hook. Despite its name and diminutive size, it’s a hugely comfortable café and wine bar, especially if you snag a seat on the cushy white couch. For nibbling along with a glass of wine, there’s a wonderful selection of cheeses, cured meats, pâtés and tarts.

If there’s a wine at Tini you particularly enjoy, you might find it next door at LeNell’s (www.lenells.com), a wine and spirit boutique. LeNell Smothers has not only made a name for herself for having one of the best bourbon selections in New York, but also for her overall cocktail prowess and weekend-long tasting events that last from noon to midnight. Inside the store, you’ll find a bathtub full of bottles of gin, a library of cocktail books, and open bottles of rare spirits not for sale. Among the things you can buy are well-priced wines and spirits from small batch producers, including the exclusive Red Hook Rye, made especially for LeNell’s.

With its moderate prices and the warm welcome from owner Ben Schneider, The Good Fork (www.goodfork.com; 718-643-6636) is a neighborhood restaurant that will make you wish you lived in Red Hook. The New American menu prepared by Schneider’s wife and partner, Chef Sohui Kim, includes Korean influences and highlights fresh produce—much of it procured from nearby Red Hook Farm.

Long-time locals grumble about gentrification and the invasion of the huge Fairway Market (www.fairwaymarket.com), but to the outsider, the large outdoor café along the waterfront is a boon (as well as an inducement for those considering relocating to Red Hook). Just inside the grocery store, you can purchase prepared salads, pasta and sandwiches made to order, and take them outside to the seating area along the pier for one of the best views of New York Harbor.

Some Red Hook residents may be resistant to change, seeking to hold on to the old character of the neighborhood, but the waterfront has always been a dynamic place, subject to the vagaries of economic development.

The New York waterfront will continue to change and grow—so seize the day and investigate the area at this particular moment in history.

>AirTran Airways provides daily, low-fare flights to New York City. Visit www.airtran.com for more info.

NAUTICAL NOVELTY SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM • MANHATTAN

If you’re interested in learning more about New York’s nautical history, South Street Seaport Museum (www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org) is an ideal place to begin. Actually a collection of galleries in different buildings, the museum offers a changing selection of indoor exhibits, programs and walking tours. Get information and buy admission tickets at 12 Fulton Street, Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm through October 31.

photo by Adam Leach and Kristen Elde