Red Hook is an excellent location and the house is in a particularly good spot. If you wish to stay away from the noise of the city, yet in 45 minutes walking distance from Dumbo this is the place. The ferry is 5 minutes from the house and takes you to Dumbo or Manhattan in 5 minutes, the bus is right at the corner and the train (metro, for Europeans) is a 20 minutes walk which you will get used to easily. Don't worry about safety, this part of Brooklyn including the shadier looking blocks nearby are perfectly safe in effect. We spent 3 weeks here in 2018 and 2019 and never had a bad experience, unlike in some other parts of NYC. There is an excellent market (supermarket, for Europeans) called FairWay nearby, restaurants, book shops, music shop, chocolate factories, whisky distilleries, a famous pie shop, and whatnot. Union street and Smith street are at a close distance with all kinds of shopping possibilities and bars and food. Anthony's place itself is basic but gives virtually anything you need and for a nice price. If you want fancier, pay (a lot) more and/or stay in a hotel.