NYC 1 Day Adventure: South Street Seaport, IKEA and Red Hook

Haunting brick warehouses from the 19^th century, empty streets with wooden houses, charming little cafes, biker rallies…in my 36 years in NYC I never thought I would visit Red Hook, until I discovered this is ALSO where IKEA is and then, well…consider me sold! Not only that—the IKEA ferry from the South Street Seaport is FREE!

We first took the #1 to Fulton Street and walked to South Street Seaport, which, since Hurricane Sandy, has been renovated and upgraded with interesting restaurants, cafes, bars, and even a rooftop concert venue and pier-parks where you can hang on near the water and sun. (We also saw a lot of people sitting along the pier-parks with their laptops). We walked around and I got an iced coffee from Starbucks—then we checked the ferry times to IKEA online and took the next ferry there. It was in short—for a water lover like me – divine. The sun, the wind, the water—the last time I felt that exhilaration was on a ferry in Greece. Funny to say a trip to IKEA opened my heart but—it did.

Once we docked in Red Hook, we spent a lot of time at IKEA people-watching and checking out the furnished rooms, then walked a few blocks west to the main “downtown” area of Red Hook—which is Van Brunt St. There were a couple cute cafes, but we didn’t go in. We ran into a biker rally and I took in the vast edifices of the brick warehouses and I couldn’t help but imagine some of the tragedy these places had seen in the past, but they were still hauntingly beautiful—a mystery that is comforting simply because it is a mystery. Nostalgic, without any reference.

You can have a lovely lunch at IKEA believe it or not—their food is fresh and clean, and we had meatless meatballs and two delicious pastries—a traditional Swedish marzipan cream cake and a Dajm cake (based on Dajm bars which are like Heath bars).

Then, the trip back on the Ikea ferry—check the schedule but it runs about every 45 minutes.

At South Street Seaport, you can have a drink at the Paris Cafe, which has been there since 1873--and do what we did: We went to a movie at the iPic cinema, which offers full meals served waiter style at your little table. You can also opt for the cheap seats and buy your own popcorn. Upstairs at the IPIC is a beautiful bar as well.

On this adventure we took the train home then. I was tired but happy. I had discovered the magic of NYC ferries and how it took me back to the place that makes my heart soar—the water.