VINEGAR HILL

VINEGAR HILL

One of the advantages of being a tour guide in New York City is knowing about neighborhoods that most New Yorkers have never been to let alone are not even aware they exist. One such place is Vinegar Hill (no, they don’t make vinegar there). It is in Brooklyn by the East River between trendy DUMBO and the Brooklyn Navy Yards. It once encompassed a larger area but the construction of public housing and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway narrowed it down to what is now six-block area with mainly Federal Style and Greek Revival homes. In fact, it still retains some streets with cobblestones.

The name Vinegar Hill gets its name from the Battle of Vinegar Hill in Ireland which occurred during the 1798 Irish Rebellion. The area was settled originally by Irish Immigrants, thus the name. Despite all the development in Brooklyn recently, Vinegar Hill still looks like a hamlet within New York City. The Brooklyn waterfront, once upon a time, was seen as a place where artists and artisans lived and worked, basking in cheap rents, old architecture and isolation. But lately that reality has changed. Market-rate condominium towers and luxury conversions telegraph a need for a higher income bracket.

Vinegar Hill is not trendy. In fact it was only in 2008 that the Vinegar Hill House on Hudson Avenue, a restaurant, opened in late 2008. It draws local patrons as well as from the rest of Brooklyn and the City.

One of the biggest secrets within Vinegar Hill is the Commandant's House overlooking the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Built early in the 19th century, the big white house, formally known as Quarters A, is the yard's oldest surviving structure, with exquisite Federal-style detailing.  It was built in 1806 and local lore has it that the oval dining room has the same proportions as the Oval Office at the White House. Matthew C. Perry was commandant for two years starting in 1841. He left 10 years before the signing the treaty that opened Japan to foreign trade. The commandant of the yards oversaw the constructions of such famous navy ships as the USS Maine in 1890, the USS Arizona in 1916 and the USS battleship Missouri on which the final surrender of World War II was signed in Tokyo Bay.

While Vinegar Hill is in walking distance of DUMBO, you may not be familiar with how to get there and what to look for. A tour guide like Ben Bagel knows these neighborhoods and can give you the lowdown on the history and sights of this hidden gem. If you are up for a guided walking tour of New York either in Vinegar Hill, Dumbo, Brooklyn or Manhattan, he is the one to contact.

And remember, all tours start with a hot fresh bagel!