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City Living: Columbia St. Waterfront, Brooklyn

By Hesper Desloovere | Special to amNewYork

December 6, 2007

Columbia St. district Live Poultry Market (Lane Johnson, amNewYork / December 5, 2007)

The Dutch dubbed it Red Mills, old timers call it Red Hook, real estate brokers describe it as "Carroll Gardens West," and newcomers have given it the clunky designation, "Columbia Street Waterfront District." Whatever you call it, this little (literal) slice of South Brooklyn can't quite be thrown in with its neighbors to the south or east.

Throughout whispers about a Smith Street-style renaissance and mutterings about development that never transpires, the district has retained its character as a sleepy strip in the shadow of industry. "It's always being spoken of as the next big thing, but it's hard to make things happen here," said resident Geoff Wiley. "It's still the hinterland. " Since the advent of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in the mid 1940s, one massive construction project after another has clogged the few arteries that lead to the waterfront district, effectively isolating the enclave from the surrounding areas.

Today, the BQE continues to be the major barrier to and from public transportation in neighboring Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill. Erik Courson, resident and owner of Go Fish! Brooklyn, explained: "Transportation is obviously an issue, but you know that going into it."

The noise, traffic and general blight of the highway separating the area from adjacent communities are an additional impediment to growth. Even the waterfront -- occupied exclusively by the Red Hook Container Port -- is indefinitely inaccessible to pedestrians.

Newcomers who venture across the BQE will most likely be pleasantly surprised by the calm pace and open feel of the tiny strip between Hamilton and Atlantic streets. "Being situated where it is, it's its own little small-town community," described Courson. "It's a kind of laidback environment you don't find a lot of in this town."

Columbia Street's handful of chill restaurants and boutiques enjoy an unmatched view of the downtown Manhattan skyline -- if you can see over the constant cranes and construction equipment camped out at the waterfront.

Most storeowners are all too happy to chat with visitors, as they can be few and far between. "We're a little off the beaten path," Courson conceded. "But neighbors are very supportive. Some of our best customers live a few blocks away and poke their heads in just to say hello."

Despite an unlikely blend of occupants -- old-guard Italians, Puerto Ricans, artists and young families -- the district is marked by a strong sense of community and mutual tolerance. "When I lived in Chicago, I said hello to people and no one ever responded," lamented Wiley. "When I moved here, everyone was friendly -- everyone said hello."

A walk down the main drag turns up remnants of the neighborhood's past, from defunct poultry plants to obstructed docks. Considering how prime the strip is for waterfront activity, the city has been slow to repurpose the edge of the bay for increased business or recreation. Part of the profitability of building up Columbia Street depends on greater access to the area, which has motivated talk of decking over the BQE and building housing along the length of Hicks Street from Woodhull to Kane streets to create unfettered access to the waterfront district.

Until the city's big plans show any signs of materializing, Columbia Street Waterfront District residents are content to keep living in the oasis of calm and quiet (apart from the construction) that isolation provides.

Find it
The Columbia Street Waterfront District is bounded by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to the east, the Upper New York Bay to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north and Hamilton Street to the south.

TO EAT
A healthy variety of restaurants line Columbia Street, with a few spilling over onto side streets to the east. Neighboring Carroll Gardens is a restaurant mecca, so you can always cross Hicks Street for more options.

Schnack
Step 1: Choose your burger size (single, double, triple or quad). Step 2: Choose your toppings (from Aho to Fighter Pilot Chili). Step 3: Wait (it's not actually fast food).
Step 4: Enjoy with a beer milkshake (better than it sounds).
122 Union St. 718-855-2879

Alma
Alma could serve up cold brussels sprouts and it would still be worth the trip for the knockout views from the roofdeck -- the tasty haute Mexican food is an added bonus. Hit up Alma for brunch for better prices and exotic options.