[4] The village was settled by Dutch colonists of New Amsterdam in 1636, and named Roode Hoek, after the red clay soil and the point of land projecting into the Upper New York Bay.

[7][8] A couple of decades after the birth of his daughter Sarah, Joris Jansen Rapelje removed to Brooklyn, where he was one of the Council of twelve men, and where he was soon joined by son-in-law Hans Hansen Bergen.

Maps from Sproule and Bernard Ratzer show that Red Hook was a low-lying area full of tidal mill ponds created by the Dutch.

On July 5, General Nathanael Greene called it "a post of vast importance" and, three days later, Col. Varnum's regiment joined its garrison.

On July 12, the British frigates Rose and Phoenix and the schooner Tyrol ran the gauntlet past Defiance and the stronger Governor's Island works without firing a shot, and got all the way to Tappan Zee.

Samuel Shaw wrote to his parents on July 15: General Howe has arrived with the army from Halifax, which is encamped on Staten Island.

On Friday, two ships and three tenders, taking advantage of a brisk gale and strong current, ran by our batteries, up the North River where they at present remain.

So great was their hurry, that they would not stay to return our salute, though it was given with much cordiality and warmth; which they seemed very sensible of, notwithstanding their distance, which was nearly two miles.Almost the entire New York metropolitan area was under British military occupation from the end of 1776 until November 23, 1783, when they evacuated the city.

[16] By the early 20th century, Red Hook had gained a reputation of decay, with organized crime having started to develop in the area.

[4][17] From the 1920s on, many poor and unemployed Norwegians, mostly former sailors, were living in the area in what they called Ørkenen Sur ("The Bitter Desert") around places like Hamilton Avenue and Gospel Hill.

[21] In the 1990s, Life magazine named Red Hook as one of the "worst" neighborhoods in the United States and as "the crack capital of America".

[24] In 2024, the New York City government took over about 120 acres (49 ha) of land on Red Hook's waterfront, with plans to redevelop it.

Red Hook is the only part of New York City that has a fully frontal view of the Statue of Liberty, which was oriented to face France.

[30] The park is in the vicinity, if not the exact location, of where the celebrated Civil War era baseball team Excelsior of Brooklyn played many of their home games.

Opponents cited concerns including traffic congestion, a decrease in property values and destruction of this transit-oriented neighborhood and historically significant buildings in the area.

[33] Brooklyn artist Greg Lindquist exhibited a group of paintings in February 2008 in New York City that depicted the IKEA site in process, juxtaposing the maritime decay with the new construction.

[37] The overall demand for the ferry by shoppers and non-shoppers was so high that the following year a $5 fare was charged for the service on weekdays, except for passengers that spent more than $10 in the store.

[39][40] Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of the Carroll Gardens/Columbia Street/Red Hook neighborhood tabulation area was 38,353, a change of 26 (0.1%) from the 38,327 counted in 2000.

According to a 2016 U.S. Census estimate, Red Hook's population was 31% white and 35% Black; in addition, 44% of residents identified as Hispanic or Latino of any race.

[62] The study ultimately found that the streetcar was not feasible because of high costs, potentially low ridership, and physical constraints like narrow streets.

[64] The private results of the study estimated that the streetcar's construction would cost $1.7 billion and would serve 15.8 million annual riders by 2035.

[64] In February 2016, the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would begin planning work for the streetcar line.

[72] Red Hook is connected to Manhattan by the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel, whose approaches separate it from Carroll Gardens and Columbia Street to the north.

The Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival[75] is an annual summer kick-off held in Louis J. Valentino, Jr. Park & Pier featuring dance, music, and spoken-word poetry.

Dance Theatre Etcetera, the producers of the event, concentrate local resources for residents and bring in community partners with activities for the whole family.

Red Hook Crit[76] is an annual, unsanctioned bicycle race held on a springtime night on track bikes.

"[77] The Brooklyn Street Circuit is located in Red Hook and hosts the annual New York City ePrix.