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| The Happenings Feature - A new monthly story about a Brooklyn event that is extra special! |
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A Queen comes to Kings
by Mark D Phillips
Looming out of the fog was the largest ship Red Hook has seen moored to its shore.
The Queen Mary 2 arrived in the wee hours of the morning on April 15, 2006, for its inaugural stop at the new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook.
For the county of Kings, and particularly Red Hook, the terminal is the first step in a revitalization of the long-neglected waterfront.
The ship was a sight to behold.
Nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall, carrying over 2,600 passengers and a crew of 1,200, she signifies the potential of Brooklyn as
New York's new tourist destination. Standing more than 200 feet above the waterline, the Queen Mary 2 filled the waterfront. Her 17 decks feature
9 restaurants, a Planetarium with virtual reality rides through the galaxy, lectures and programs organized by University of Oxford, and a 20,000-square-foot
Canyon Ranch SpaClub.
The Queen Mary 2 signifies a new rebirth of Red Hook's maritime history. Arriving in Brooklyn on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic was a bit of trivia not
mentioned by many, but one man said he "hoped it was not a sign of Red Hooks' future with the cruise industry."
The terminal is located just below Hamilton Avenue in a section of Red Hook that seems totally abandoned. Two large buildings dominate the Red Hook skyline along Imlay Street,
both empty, one covered in a black shroud giving an eerie welcome to the well-heeled visitors from this grandest of all cruise ships.
Few plans were made to introduce passengers to the local neighborhood, but many feel that will change. As development increases in Red Hook, more attention will be paid to tourism.
Red Hook is already seeing an increase in nightlife. Restaurant and bars are gaining reputations, bringing new money and visitors. Van Brunt Street features 360, a French restaurant
with high marks from Zagat, newcomer Good Fork is gaining buzz, and Hope and Anchor, a diner with a unique menu catering to locals. The area close to the cruise terminal has
much potential for growth.
New York City is poised to pass the million mark in cruise ship passengers this year, thanks in part to the 40 ships Red Hook is expected to receive at the cruise terminal. In April 2004,
a historic agreement was signed between New York City and Carnival Corporation making Red Hook and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal its berth of choice for its Princess and Cunard Lines.
Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz led the gala welcoming Cunard and their flagship to Brooklyn, touting the economic benefits the cruise ship
industry will bring to Red Hook. The new 182,000 square foot terminal is the first in New York to be designed specifically to accommodate the largest cruise ships in the world.
The $56 Million project is part of the Bloomberg Administration's plans to expand the cruise industry in New York City. The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal created 290 new,
permanent jobs in Red Hook. By 2012, the cruise industry is expected to support about 5,000 jobs citywide.
Red Hook's location is perfect for tourism from the cruise ships. As someone who has used the cruise ship terminal in Manhattan, the flow of traffic out of the Brooklyn
Cruise Terminal was amazing. In Manhattan, the battle for transportation was just that - mind-numbing and completely disorganized, with one narrow ramp leading on and off
the West Side Highway. From Red Hook, the Battery Tunnel is just moments away. The only thing missing is a link to public transportation.
For Red Hook's 13,000 residents, public transportation has always been a sticking point. The area, known for light manufacturing, has always been a driving or biking destination. Traffic could
become a problem when Red Hook's two other new residents, Fairway and IKEA, begin operation in the neighborhood.
Fairway Market, a premier food chain, is poised to open its 52,000 square foot location at the end of Van Brunt Street, less than a mile from the terminal. Occupying a former coffee
warehouse, the store will occupy two floors of the structure, with the top four floors featuring luxury rentals.
IKEA will replace Beard Street's Shipyard Container Building with a state of the art store and complex right on Erie Basin. The loss of Todd Shipyard, which was a working drydock until
February 2005, and its associated Civil War era buildings, is a loss that many local residents feel is not worth the price of progress. The graving dock will become a parking lot in
IKEA's complex.
The Queen Mary 2 returns to Brookly on the following dates:
May 23, 2006; June 9, 2006; June 27, 2006; July 3, 2006; July 8, 2006; July 24, 2006; August 17, 2006; September 2, 2006; September 6, 2006; September 30, 2006; October 12, 2006; October 24, 2006; November 5, 2006 |
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Access our Story Archive:
William Wegman surprises and amuses
The Changing Face of South Brooklyn: The Gallery Players bring Broadway to Park Slope
The Changing Face of South Brooklyn: Montague Street Roulette
Manufactured Landscapes: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky
The Sopranos invade Brooklyn
150 years of tradition ends in Cobble Hill |
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| Visit our HAPPENINGS page to see more events taking place in South Brooklyn. |
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Produced by
SouthBrooklynInternet. All material ©2006. No reuse without permission.
All photographs ©Mark D Phillips - southbrooklyninternet.com |
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