Gowanus

Like many industrial spots in Brooklyn, there have been a lot of cool joints popping up in this neighborhood - like, say Four and Twenty Blackbirds, a pie shop that is constantly being featured on TV and in glossy magazines. This area has gotten way cooler as Park Slope spreads its wealth in a westerly fashion, and more shops and eateries and quaintly remodeled apartments continue to pop up - especially in the area around 9th Street.

The northern section of the neighborhood tends to be pretty cool as well - this is where the commercialism of Boreum Hill is spreading out, and the streets are lined with trees and gorgeous brownstones.

The area around the Gowanus Canal is probably the lamest part of the neighborhood. This is where you can find places like Pathmark and Lowes and Home Depot - and a lot of dirt and dingy looking buildings.

Overall, Gowanus is a hit-or-miss type neighborhood. If you happen to live in the area, then you probably know of some awesome places to eat and shop, but it's not like the area attracts many people who don't already live there.

Gowanus is a neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn that is situated between Red Hook and Carroll Gardens on the west side and Park Slope on the east. The neighborhood is not a widely known area, because most of the few residents acknowledge themselves as living in other areas that border the community. The area is also dwarfed by the Smith-Ninth subway station and the Gowanus Expressway. Over the last ten years some urban chic resident artists attempted to reclaim Gowanus with a new name, “G-Slope.” To locals, the term has stuck, but to the rest of us it will always be Gowanus.

Artists seeking affordable housing and loft style studio spaces have discovered Gowanus. The area mostly consists of framed housing in contrast to the brownstones found in the neighboring Park Slope. Due to the influx of artists, the housing development board is busy creating new designs. More housing and retail centers are in the works.

Subway and train access is plentiful including F and G stations at Carroll Street and Smith Street, and M and R stations at Union Street and 9th Street. Numerous bus lines also service Gowanus.

Not a lot of shopping or eating out should be done in Gowanus, there just isn't enough for anyone to be satified. There are, however, a lot of pollution and rats feasting on some mounds of trash.

This neighborhood is in the area between Red Hook and Park Slope, and is a pretty big industrial area. If people live here, it is usually because they are residents of one of the housing projects, of which there are two. I can’t imagine why either tourist or New York native would wander into this area – and I’d be willing to be that many New Yorkers don’t even know this neighborhood exists. There are always rumors that this area will be developed into…something, but so far no progress can be seen. Right now this area consists mainly of a polluted canal and other industrial wastes.