175 12th Street, 3B

Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Sprawling, chill, and canal-retentive. Gowanus has worn many hats through the six centuries since its first mill turned a wheel—Revolutionary War battlefield, manufacturing hub, and hipster artful hipster haven—though nothing has come to define it more than its singular manmade waterway, which follows the loose course of its predecessor creek to a Red Hook outflow. Industry long prospered on the Gowanus Canal, transforming the sunken meadows between higher-grounded Park Slope and Carroll Gardens into a bustling manufacturing hub; much of the brownstone that built those surrounding neighborhoods, in fact, was barged right in. While the superfund stream, affectionately nicknamed the “Lavender Lake” for its purplish sheen, became a longtime pain point locally, the progressing clean-up will ensure these inland waters define a positive future for the neighborhood that grew along its bulkhead. Did we mention the new developments, Michelin-starred restaurants, and multiple subway stops?