Looking out from the F train as it rises above ground, you get a bird’s-eye view of Gowanus. From this vantage point, you can see the canal clearly cutting through the heart of the neighborhood and spreading out from it are lots teeming with scrap metal, concrete mixing plants, and lumberyards. The polluted canal became a Superfund site for long-term clean up in 2009, and the area surrounding the waterway was rezoned for residential development.
The Mood
Gowanus has an edgy, isolated feel, with side streets and aging warehouses brimming with local artists and makers.
Heart of the Neighborhood
The canal is vital to the neighborhood and in recent years many bars and restaurants have cropped up along its banks.
Neighborhood Quirk
The history of the Gowanus Canal is full of lore — one truth, it's the site of a recreational canoeing club.
Best Perk
The combination of its aging industrial feel and its unconventional cultural scene makes Gowanus one of Brooklyn's coolest, under-the-radar neighborhoods.
Biggest Downside
For years, the Gowanus canal was a dumping ground for toxins and is now a Superfund site. Also, Gowanus severely lacks trees and green space and since it still thrums with heavy industry, many find the neighborhood gritty.
