Been trying to do this without a car on Tuesdays and Fridays. After 8:30 the B61 westbound along 9th St just doesn't show. I'll wait at 5th Ave and the screen says '4 min,' then it flips to 'delayed,' then nothing. Meanwhile two B63s come by. Is it just me or does the B61 completely fall off the map at night? Do people just take the B63 and walk from the other side of the Gowanus? Looking for a move that doesn't involve checking my phone every 90 seconds.

Oh I have STRONG feelings about the B61!! The schedule exists but the bunching on Smith/9th is REAL. Sometimes you'll see two B61s heading the opposite direction while zero go your way for 25 minutes. The B63 is way more consistent but then you have to cross at Hamilton or 9th and the walk from the last stop to the Red Hook houses is dark and annoying. Have you tried timing it at the 4th Ave/9th St stop instead of 5th? The Brooklyn-bound B63 sometimes catches the same light as the B61 and you can hop the front door before the driver waves people off. Also the Transit app's live bus map is the only thing keeping me from losing it!!

Wait, I just moved near Red Hook a couple weeks ago and I thought the B61 was the only bus that actually goes into the neighborhood. So you're saying the B63 is the better one to take from Park Slope? How far is the walk from where the B63 ends? I tried the B61 once at like 9:15 and I was starting to think I was standing in a fake bus stop because the countdown clock was frozen. I'm still learning which apps actually know where the buses are. Thanks for this thread.

B61 used to be my go-to when I lived off 5th. Now I just factor in a 15 min buffer or I walk to 4th Ave and take the R to 9th St then the B61 one stop. Sounds dumb but the train is the reliable part. If you're heading to the back of Red Hook, the B63 to the BQE-adjacent stops and a walk beats waiting on a bus that might not come. Check the My MTA app but don't trust the 'scheduled' times, only the little live icons.

Good looks. I'll try the 4th Ave stop and see if the train-one-stop hack saves time. The frozen countdown clock at 5th is exactly the problem. One thing I noticed: when a B61 finally comes, it's usually crush-loaded and then another one pops up two blocks behind. They'd rather run a parade than a bus. MurrayHill_M, you're right about the scheduled times being fake.

I had this exact experience on Saturday! I was at 9th St and 3rd Ave trying to get to a friend's place near Coffey Park. My phone said the next B61 was 8 minutes away for like 15 minutes. Then I gave up and got a Citi Bike, which probably wasn't safer but at least I moved. Do you all think the B61 is worse on weekends than weeknights? I'm new here and can't tell if I should just avoid it after dark entirely.

Citi Bike from Park Slope to Red Hook after dark is a move until it isn't. The B61 is bad, but honestly the B63 plus a walk or the ferry on a nice day is the move. If you're near 5th Ave, the B63 runs often enough that waiting for the B61 is the worst option. For Coffey Park, get off the B63 at the point where it turns and walk under the BQE — sketchy but quicker than watching the ghost bus not arrive. Weeknights are worse because there's less traffic but somehow more bunching.

Nobody has mentioned the B57!!! It doesn't go to Red Hook proper but if you're coming from the slope/Gowanus it can get you close to the Van Brunt strip via Carroll Gardens and then a flat walk. The real problem is the B61's schedule falls apart as soon as two buses hit Smith/9th at the same time — the whole route backs up for 20 minutes. Have you tried the B61 short-turn that starts at Smith/9th? If you see 'B61 Smith-9th St' on the front it's the one that actually moves. I've clocked it on foot vs. waiting, don't get me started!!

Short-turn B61s are the pro tip. If it says 'Smith-9th St' get on, even if it means walking from there. Otherwise the full route from downtown Brooklyn is a coin flip. Also, the ferry is underrated if you're near the water and not in a hurry. It won't solve the after-8:30 problem all week, but the schedule is real.

Okay I tried the B63 last night from 5th Ave around 9 and I actually got to Red Hook in under 25 minutes. The walk from the last stop wasn't bad, maybe 8 minutes. I think I'm done with the B61 unless I see the short-turn one. Thanks everyone for the advice — this forum is saving my commute already. Is the Citi Bike docking still terrible near Red Hook at night or was that just because a bunch of people had the same idea?