Focus on Brooklyn: Exploring Red Hook

This is the first post in a four part series about Brooklyn and it is a partnership with Brooklyn-based retailer Focus Camera. All images were created with the Samsung NX1 which retails on their site for $2,498 currently.

Red Hook is a part of New York City that’s not under the radar for those in the know but it still has a feel of being “undiscovered” if you’re not well versed in everything about the City and current culture.

Because it hasn’t reached the same level of culture saturation places like Williamsburg have, I wanted to feature it in this series about the lesser known gems of the borough of Brooklyn. It was on my list immediately when Focus Camerainvited me to do this project.

For locals who live in New York City, Red Hook will probably be familiar to you as the home of an IKEA (a must for inexpensive apartment decor) and lots of places for great lobster rolls during the Summer.

You should also check out the Chelsea Garden Center. Even if the only space you have for plants is a windowsill, this wonderful store will inspire you to bring more green into your life. (I went nuts over the sunflowers and succulents.)

If you’re a visitor to the Five Boroughs, why should you visit Red Hook? These are my top picks and a few vignettes that I thought captured the flavor of the borough well.

Erie Basin Park offers lots of places to sunbathe or enjoy a walk along the water and it’s landscaped in a way that makes it feel very much like you’re not in the big City. Nearby Fairway offers options for a picnic in the park if you’re hungry.

Shop with glee at Foxy & Winston or Kempton & Co. The former is an all too lovely papergoods shop and gift store while the latter is a clothing and accessories boutique that makes their own custom bags.

If it’s summer, you will want to stop and rest your weary feet a while at Baked where a Cold Brew coffee and a treat will be the perfect break from sightseeing. I also love Fort Defiance and Hometown Bar-B-Que for something more substantial.

Stay tuned for the next three posts in this series and follow Focus Camera on Instagram for more about the other great partnerships and events they have coming up this year. Like…this travel photo contest!

Focus Camera is compensating me for these posts on this blog however, all opinions and words are my own. Including the decision to link to the Focus Camera website and social media accounts.