Red Oak is located in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Manhattan. Not surprisingly, Bay Ridge is situated at the southwest corner of Brooklyn, overlooking the Verrazano Narrows that shelter New York Harbor and the Upper & Lower New York Bays. Predominantly a middle-class, residential neighborhood, the area is steeped in the sort of ethnic diversity that makes Brooklyn far more colorful overall than its flashier neighbor, Manhattan. Bay Ridge used to share a naming scheme with Red Hook, until an outbreak of yellow fever among Dutch settlers made the name "Yellow Hook" a little less than savory. The area is home to several beautiful public parks and recreational hot-spot the 69th Pier.