4th of July in Red Hook

Dusk on Valentino Pier in Red Hook about 30 mins before
the Macy's fireworks show began.

After a relaxing day spent working on projects for the small guide site and hanging out at home on July 4, the gf and I headed to Red Hook to check out the Macy's fireworks show. I got the idea from a student who mentioned it in class the day before. I have to say I was slightly concerned about the area--Red Hook being known to be an unsafe neighborhood--but things have definitely changed, not that I'd ever been there before, but based on tales of rundown, dilapidated buildings and crime on the news, we could see that gentrification was definitely well underway. Renovated townhouses with well-kept front gardens, hip-looking restaurants, & tree-lined streets that could rival the ones in Brooklyn Heights. 

Then there's Valentino Pier, our destination to view the fireworks. Safety concerns completely disappeared once we got there, seeing families with kids running around, groups on picnic blankets, and a new concrete pier that jutted out into the water--a nice place at dusk to end a hot summer day. ... and it wasn't crowded! I thought if the fireworks were going to be visible at all, this would be the perfect spot to watch. With some people already lounging on their lawn chairs, it seemed like it was going to be a nice spot that not many people had known yet. I was definitely excited.

Visible and audible but not the best vantage point.

Unfortunately, the show itself from our vantage point wasn't worth writing home about. We could hear the fireworks explode, but they were noticeably too far, and we could only see the southern end of a show that actually stretched several blocks north. Add to this the fact that the narrow walkway became increasingly crowded as more and more people walked into the pier when the show started then with people walking out--us included eventually--as the excitement waned and it got kind of difficult to see with all the people moving in front of us. Would I go back there on another 4th of July? Probably not. However, I would definitely like to return for another walk on the pier at dusk, with the waves gently crashing underneath, and definitely check out the neighborhood to see what it now has to offer.