Louis J. Valentino Jr. Park and Pier

This Red Hook park overlooks Buttermilk Channel, which used to be one of the main waterways used by New York's shipping industry. The park has views of the Statue of Liberty, Governor's Island, the Manhattan skyline and Staten Island. During the summer, the Red Hook Boaters (redhookboaters.org) offer free, first-come first-served kayaking sessions, while Red Hook Flicks (redhookflicks.com) screen gratis outdoor movies. The park is named after a firefighter and NYC Parks lifeguard who lost his life while responding to a three-alarm fire.