Red Hook Initiative Opens “Street Seats” with BBB Foundation Support

RHI is a community-based organization in Red Hook, Brooklyn, that has been operating for more than 20 years. Through an integrated model of youth development and community building, RHI gives young people and residents tools, resources, and opportunities to work toward a more equitable and hopeful future.

In 2023, the Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, awarded its Community Planning Grant to RHI in support of “Street Seats,” an expansion of RHI’s Open Streets program. Open Streets, an initiative of the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and maintained by the Horticultural Society of New York, works with community partners to transform streets into accessible public space and promote outdoor social interactions.

RHI’s Street Seats replaced several parking spaces in front of their Hicks Street headquarters with a safe, accessible outdoor area for community members to use and enjoy. In addition, the Community Planning Grant also supported the creation of “Farm Seats” at Red Hook Farms, a nearby community garden also operated by RHI.

“The BBB Foundation is excited to be part of this incredible project. We’re so inspired by your mission and the vision for this project—a small but powerful space that is going to impact this community, empower people, and enable all the programming that the Red Hook Initiative and its community partners do here.” – BBB Partner Neil Kittredge

As we celebrate the opening of RHI’s Street Seats, we encourage everyone to use it as a place to connect, to share ideas, and to continue building the strong sense of community that Red Hook is known for!