Closing Bell: Soon, A Place To Buy A Mattress in Red Hook
[nggallery id=”21634″ template=galleryview] Red Hook’s waterfront was, as usual, perfectly serene this weekend, its steady harbor hum only interupted by the occassional passing car or another group’s chatter once the distance closed to about ten feet. This is pre-IKEA mania, scheduled to afflict New Yorkers June 18 (or, for the particularly touched, 48 hours earlier)….
[nggallery id=”21634″ template=galleryview]
Red Hook’s waterfront was, as usual, perfectly serene this weekend, its steady harbor hum only interupted by the occassional passing car or another group’s chatter once the distance closed to about ten feet. This is pre-IKEA mania, scheduled to afflict New Yorkers June 18 (or, for the particularly touched, 48 hours earlier). Still, there were already men guarding all entrances, some who proudly declared they have turned down temptation from even the most beautiful ladies offering phone numbers and best friendship in exchange for quick look inside. So, after snapping a few pictures through the fence of IKEA’s expansive but unremarkable (aside from the obvious GIANT BLUE facade) campus, we rode away down the empty street toward Fairway Market. Radio music could be heard from the old security station in front of Thor Equities’ somewhat dismantled Revere Sugar refinery, but it could have been a decoy, there wasn’t anyone in sight. Beard Street’s lonely weekends will be over once IKEA is open every day from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Above are some images of Red Hook pre-mania. If we can squeeze in without being clawed back, we’ll have opening day comparisons.
Will IKEA Be a Traffic Nightmare for Red Hook? [Brownstoner]
Broker Dreams Of Outlet Shopping At Revere Site [Brownstoner]
12:45, stop that. Impersonating The What now borders on sacrilege.
Biff, and what a beautiful Saturday afternoon it could be.
Though, as of June 18th, one could risk life and limb with any sort of stroll through the Hook, due to any one of the twenty bazillion new drivers racing through the once sleepy streets on their way to pick up a crappy table and chair set along with a couch and formica entertainment unit which will last a total of 2.8 years and then head straight to the curb where it will be picked up to take its place in the nearest landfill.
Van Brunt has already become something of a game of Frogger getting along and across. Can’t imagine what it will be like after the opening of this ginormous blue albatross.
Ah. I can’t talk about it anymore.
Except to say that I cannot believe people can’t come up with a better place to plunk an Ikea than here.
This is the WORST place for it. Unbelievable. I can just imagine the thought bubbles, “Just a bunch of poor project people and ancient fishing guys and drunks living in shacks on the edge of oblivion. F**k em. Let’s put it there.”
It might even be worse than all that. Although there will be 3 IKEAs in the area, Paramus is closed on Sundays (as I re-discovered this past Sunday). So uptown Manhattan and the Bronx (which I hear is soon to boom) is going to find this one their best option on Sunday. If only there were someone representing the indigenous peoples of Red Hook. Where’s Angel Rodriguez when you need him? Sincerely, AssHat.
I’m sorry, but most of us who don’t live anywhere near Redhook need to drive to Fairway unless we want to spend an entire day navigating the bus to get there.
They have 2 parking lots for that reason, but even on the busiest Saturday I’ve never had to wait more than 2 minutes to park in the near lot.
Like WalMart, Ikea should do fine in a recession as people trade down. The company’s foray into counters, cabinets, etc. may not do as well as people may not be fixing up their kitchens though.
I am still surprised how many people drive to Fairway (parking lot always a madhouse), so I am sure that Ikea will do the same…adding even more traffic to the larger streets and forcing drivers to then zig zag through the hood looking for shortcuts.
Huh? What? Did someone say bourbon? Nokilissa, beautiful post. You have put together the ingredients for one doozy of a Red Hook walking tour. And I would suggest the festivities occur in the exact order in which you listed them.
I am n ot an IKEA shopper but I can’t imagine this will hurt the Hook. Sorry for the earlier posters but where else would you put this place?
Well.. I’m not a Ikea fan. I think they sell crap to Asshats and call it furniture. The main point is how are stay open during this recession?
4.00+ Gas is going to BK some business, I hope it’s not Ikea..
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
The What, what do you think?
…scratching head…
Who loves Red Hook??
Are you serious?
Ever walked around? Taken in a pizza and a brewsky at O’Sullivans? Ever had a brownie and latte at Baked? Walked through the garden center and over to the park overlooking the statue of Liberty? Had a Key lime pie or a frozen Swingle (sp) at Steve’s? picked a fabulous, difficult to locate, bourbon or two at Nell’s? Watched the sun set over the harbor?
I already mourned the opening of Fairway, which brought a deluge of traffic onto Van Brunt and environs, though I have to admit after much conversation with locals and others that it is…sigh…good for the neighborhood. But I’m hard, HARD pressed to imagine the same of Ikea. Can’t do it. A giant, cheap-ass furniture and accessories emporium one must DRIVE to to accumulate more crap for our throwaway, gas guzzling selves. Woo hoo!
Have at it.