Ikea To Make Red Hook More Accessible

The notoriously isolated neighborhood of Red Hook in Brooklyn is about to get a bit more accessible, compliments of Ikea. The furniture store is opening a new 22-acre site on June 18 and will launch a free water taxi, which will be operated by New York Water Taxi. The water taxi will leave from Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and go straight to Ikea's own dock, with boats leaving every 40 minutes. Additionally, there will be shuttles from three separate subway stations in Brooklyn: the Smith and 9th streets stop on the F and G lines, the Fourth Avenue and 9th Street stop on the R, and Borough Hall, which is a major subway hub. Ikea is also extending the B61 and B77 bus lines, which will reach the store. A spokesman for Ikea, Joseph Roth, said the new services would be available to everyone. "We are opening Red Hook up to all New Yorkers, not just the customers," he said.