Gowanus is an interesting little section of Brooklyn, like most of New York City it has a colourful past. It’s know to most thanks to its canal – for a lot of people the word canal conjures up visions of Venice’s beautiful canal’s with stunning architecture and it’s classic gondola’s, but for the Gowanus Canal these scenes couldn’t be further from reality.

For 100 years the Gowanus canal was a dumping ground for all the local factories from chemical factories, fuel refinery companies and coal yards.

The result of all the abuse has left the canal a stinky, filthy mess filled with all sorts of terrible toxins and pollutants, seemingly void of all life. Finally it looks as though something is going to be done about this and a clean up solution figured out. I find Gowanus itself to be a really great place to wonder, it still has a very gritty, industrial feel which is in stark contrast to the graceful and elegant old brownstone houses sitting in tree lined streets just a few hundred yards away in Carroll Gardens and Boerum Hill

Gowanus is still home to a lot of mechanic’s garages and salvage yards. But the old factories and warehouse are being slowly rebuilt and some already house artist studio’s, IT start up companies, fashion labels, even high end reception venue’s – with that typical Brooklyn grit!

Once they solve the smelly sludge problem of the canal it will be even more pleasant to wonder through, bring your camera, you’ll have a great time – Just make sure you get there quick before the big developers come in, tear down the old buildings and put up soulless, modern apartment buildings!

You’ll even find street art from Shepard Fairey!