Those might not be the adjectives those who live and work in Gowanus reach for, but it’s what AMNY has turned up in their City Living column, which covers the nabe between “south Brooklyn’s signature quaint brownstones and stroller-stuffed streets.” Once a thriving industrial sector, “short-sighted, shoddy construction of the Gowanus Canal and exponential growth in the area caused the rapid buildup of sewage, mercury, lead, PCBs, and other foul pollutants. As shipping dropped off dramatically, the stinking sludge only accumulated in the canal, leaving Gowanus a ghost town.” They admit that folks have trickled back in, and artists have set up shop in buildings once devoted to industry. As for rents, they don’t seem like ghost town prices: an 800-sf one-bed plus den on Union Street for $1,900; a 1,300-sf two-bed for $3,875, also on Union.
City Living: Gowanus [AMNY]
Photo by coltermac.