I recently made a trip to Red Hook, Brooklyn to finally check out the neighborhood. It is truly a special place with it’s very unique views of New York Harbor. It is the only place in New York City where you will get a full frontal view of the Statue of Liberty.

The neighborhood place to go for delicious eats is Fort Defiance. It was named after the fort constructed in 1776 during the Battle of Brooklyn. The fisherman lights give ode to the beautiful waterfront and industrial nature of this neighborhood. www.fortdefiancebrooklyn.com

As I am one who prefers to bike around town, the vintage Dutch style bicycles in the window across the street at Papillonaire Bicycles definitely caught my eye. I immediately found myself daydreaming about flying down the street on one with a baguette bouncing around in the basket. www.papillionaire.com

Just a couple of doors down on the same Van Brunt street, I discovered a charming boutique called Foxy and Winston (named after her parents) filled with organic printed textiles and paper goods amongst other things. The owner brings a touch of English whimsy to this lovely row of shops. Her napkins have already inspired the décor of my next spring dinner party. www.foxyandwinston.com

What else goes better with chocolate? Whiskey, of course. There are many great places to check out in Red Hook but another stand out was Cacao Prieto on a cobblestoned block. This chocolate and liqueurs factory sources its beans from the century-old organic cacao farm in the Dominican Republic. The smell of chocolate and whiskey combined with the grand scale of this new yet old lofty building is the perfect chocolate and whiskey storm. The interior was melting in my mouth just like the chocolate. www.cacaoprieto.com

Red Hook: I’m hooked.