- Where: bounded by Avenue and Smith 4th Street, Butler Avenue, from 9th Street.
- What’s near? Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill.
- Transportation: Union Street N / R subways and Smith Street F trains.
- Street Intelligence: Gowanus isn’t particularly dangerous, but he can be desolate at night.
- Accommodation: Several national brand hotels have opened in Gowanus, including the boutique Hotel Le Bleu. Airbnb is also a popular option.
The atmosphere: why Gowanus is great
Gowanus, a light industrial stretch of Brooklyn centered around the ( potentially, eventually clean) Gowanus Canal, is picturesque, with a gritty history dating back to the mid-19th century. Today, the neighborhood offers the promise of waterfront property, water-refracted light, old warehouses and factory buildings with incredible space that has great potential for revitalization.
And since New York City is a real estate city, Gowanus is in a great location – close to decent public transportation to Manhattan, accessible to multiple freeways, nestled alongside the desirable brownstone neighborhoods of Boerum Hill. , Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Park Slope, and it’s not far from downtown Brooklyn’s cultural district.
Since about 2000, Gowanus has become one of Brooklyn’s popular hubs for artists, photographers, DIYers, music venues, hipsters, and cultural entrepreneurs.
The reinvention of Gowanus in an artistic and modern enclave has not happened overnight; Some artists moved here as early as the 1970s. Lately, spurred on by groups like the Brooklyn Southwest Industrial Development Corporation, a critical mass of new family businesses is changing the neighborhood vibe.
The Gowanus Canal
Little Venice is not: there are no gondolas or cafes by the water. Yet. Why? Because the Gowanus Canal is polluted, an environmental disaster that took 135 years to make. The Gowanus Canal is a Superfund site (albeit a real dolphin , albeit ailing one, it once swam through the canal, before it expired). The federal EPA’s target date for cleanup is around 2022. The final cleanup plan is expected in the next few years.
Where to drink
- Lowlands Bar, 543 3rd Avenue (between 13th Street and 7th Avenue)
- Canal Bar, 270 3rd Avenue
- Lavender Lake Pub, 383 Carroll Street (on Bond Street)
- Whole Foods, 214 3rd Street – Upstairs cafe serves beer and sandwiches
Where to eat
- Halyards 406 3rd Avenue
- Bar Tano, 457 3rd Avenue (between 9th Street and 8th Street)
- Dinosaur BBQ, 604 Union Street, 4th Avenue
- Fletchers BBQ, 433 Third Avenue
- Little Neck 288 3rd Avenue
- Monte’s Italian Restaurant – A holdover from its old self, but one of the oldest restaurants in the area.
- South Brooklyn Pizza, 63 4th Avenue (between Bergen Street and Dean Street)
Appetizers
- Four & Twenty Blackbirds, 439 3rd Avenue (between 7th Street and 6th Street). They have amazing cakes.
- Runner and Stone Cafe, 285 3rd Avenue for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks.
Things to do
- Take a walk along the Gowanus Canal.
- Catch a concert, performance, comedy, or event at these Gowanus venues: Bell House and Littlefield.
- Take a look at the Carroll Street Bridge. It is a landmark built in 1899 and is one of only four retractable bridges in the United States.
- Visit local galleries during the annual fall Gowanus Open Studio Tours, organized by Arts Gowanus.
- Book a boat ride on the Gowanus with Gowanus Dredgers.
- Join a collaborative bike build or take a free bike maintenance class at 718 Cyclery.
- Take a look at some of the great buildings here, including the renovated Old American Can Factory from 1885, which now houses studios for painting, film production, design, and publishing businesses. Also the Gowanus Arts Building at 295 Douglass Street (between Third and Fourth Avenues), which has long been home to dance studios. At 339 Douglas, you can also find the home of the Groundswell Murals, which involves high-risk children in creating huge public murals, including some in the neighborhood.
Where to buy
Shop for some great Gowanus-inspired gift items at the Gowanus Souvenir Shop. One can buy pottery at the Porcelli Art Glass Studio or Claireware Pottery, African drums from Keur Djembe (568 Union Street), vintage guitars at RetroFret (233 Butler Street), and bike gear at 718 Cyclery (254 3rd Ave). Stay tuned for more retail sales as the neighborhood evolves.
Gowanus is in full swing, featuring new restaurants and art venues, artisan food companies near old auto repair shops, and Whole Foods. Picturesque, it’s the site of numerous photoshoots for commercials and movies, too. You can go to a concert here, or rent a space for a private event. Or just grab your camera and bike and go exploring.
– Edited by Alison Lowenstein
