Glorious Gowanus
Postcard greetings from the glorious Gowanus Canal under the midday sun of a summer's day in Brooklyn.
"original saltwater marshland and meadows teeming with fish and wildlife . . . "
Now heavily polluted after a long time as the US's busiest commercial canal, urban legend has it that
it became a favorite dumping ground for the Mafia.
What the Mafia would make of the new Wholefoods out there by the side of the canal, who knows, but, if
you want to know what would happen if you drank a glass of water from the canal Dan Nosowitz of
Popular Science is more than happy to let you know!
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Venice in Brooklyn :>) need to get out there one day…
You are so right about Venice in Brooklyn and yes Pat, you should get out there one day soon – so much to explore!
beautiful!
Thank you Tommy!!!
Superb photo Patti, love the reflections in the water.
Thank you so much David, definitely a part of town to visit if you are into alternative vistas!
Quite the hell hole, and to think that it will likely takes decades to dredge and clean.
Considering the half-life of so many products, chemicals, toxins etc it sure is going to take a long time ……
Marvelous!!
Thank you so much Tom!
This is a beautiful image, Patti, like a painting. Great composition and with lots of details (for example the reflection on the water). And thank you for the information, the story behind the image.
Thank you indeed Stefan. I was tempted to leave out the details but it is the Gowanus Canal and unfortunately it comes with more than enough of a back story.
Thannk you. You made it right, Patti. My”Like” was still for the photography and not for the back story.
Yikes, I’ll pass on the water, thanks! It’s a masterful shot, though – a real cracker!
You’re not the first to pass on the water …….. So happy you like the shot, thank you so much Richard!
Great colours Patti!
Thank you Cath, it really was one of those days!
The water looks so serene, so sweet, but the mysteries of the deep can deceive. Great shot.
The history of modern industrial civilization, with all its mysteries, sits in that water . . . .thank you Angeline!
I bet it reeks in the summertime.
There was no reeking when I was out there but I know it’s not pretty after heavy rain storms and we’ve had more than a few of those in the last few weeks . . . .
Great photograph Patti and like so much of New York……one of those places few would choose to go to but are rewarded if they do. On a similar discovery I found the Hell’s Gate bridge in Astoria, Queens…. only later to find out it was copied to build the Sydney Harbour bridge in Australia.
So many off the track places to explore in this city! Thank you Burgess and thank you for the heads up on the Hell’s Gate Bridge!
Great capture Patti! How unfortunate it is so polluted. Sigh.
At least the ducks out there didn’t seem to mind . . .
eew and what a fascinating story….
A “watch this space” part of town!
Sounds like it can give our ‘sacred’ Ganges a run for its money!!!! 🙂
Didn’t think the Ganges was that bad!!!
It is the second most polluted river in the world according to many lists Patti!
It’s a nasty list whichever way you look at it . . . . . 😦
I shan’t be tasting 🙂
LOvely clouds and reflections Patti !
Thank you Poppy, they were a pretty site at the time – so pretty I could almost hear the opening strings of Beethoven’s 6th!
A magnificent piece Frizz, thank you so much!
With Daniel Barenboim conducting this Middle-Eastern youth orchestra is it possible for music to replace the whistling of missiles? We have to live in hope at all we have in common rather than petty differences – West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
(and maybe one day the Gowanus Canal will be a site of Arcadian beauty!)
love the color of the water in your photo, now what is under the surface which gives such a special hue I prefer not to know in details…
robert
PS:but I just gave a quick look at the linked article, frightening enough…I’ll read it later…
The facts aren’t pretty . . .
with that dramatic clouds it looks excellent 🙂
Thank you Joshi 🙂
Gowanus never looked so beautiful Patti 🙂
Thank you Joe, it was a surprisingly bucolic part of town given that I was expecting far worse.
🙂
That is a glorious photo, Patti. But I am sorry about the situation.
Such a mess isn’t it . .. . thank you Bente!
It’s only a matter of time before this becomes desirable “canal side” real estate. Invest now 😉
I know, I know! Waterside factory loft space, what’s not to love or want!
The Gowanus Canal never looked so good. Excellent photo!
Looks can be so beguiling can’t they!
Colors and composition are vey beautiful 🙂
Thank you so much Stéphane!!
Love saying the name. And your photograph of it is excellent. Nice.
Taking liberties with “Glorious” I know but I thought the Gowanus could do with a little love for a change! Thank you so much Ruth and glad you enjoyed it!
Thrilled to see your shots in colour, Patti. Fabulous!
That’s very kind of you to say, thank you dear Paula!
Love these colours Patti. The rusty oranges belong. It is a very painterly image, despite what lurks. Can be said for most superficial beauty I suppose!
Wonderful point on superficial beauty Philippa! I also wonder at the struggle of suppressed beauty in making itself known . . .
Suppressed, but hopefully we can occasionally reveal!
There are some very interesting ingredients in ‘Wholefoods’ 😉 Nice shot!
Funny! I almost fell over when I saw the Wholefoods by the canal and knew in a minute the real estate bandwagon was rolling through this part of town at a pace.
Awesome photo Patti. Polluting our waters is so very sad and this photo to me has an air of sadness to it.
Very sad indeed . . . . thank you so much Mark.
on the ground of the canal maybe some bodies chained to some big stones…
P.S.: once I was amused by a Berlin canal wall graffiti: PULL THE PLUG:
Pull the Plug -what a great shot! (But then where does it all go . . . . ?)
I would have thought the toxic chemicals in the canal would simply eat away any mortal remains, like an acid bath . . .
So, concrete shoes an optional fashion accessory in this area?
Nice shot, but I’m happy to appreciate it from afar, thank you.
I didn’t mention the noisy elevated F train (close to transport) so you are definitely better off enjoying it from afar!
Without the words, a seemingly peaceful respite.
With the words, a mysterious, intriguing albeit untold tale from the past.
If these waters could talk!
I think the waters would cry, perhaps they already are . . . . . thank you for your sweet words dear Annie!
Hey, I know deeez two guys, dey could help you out if use need it, ya know? Lol, watch out for la cosa nostra! Great shot !
Great perspective Patty-both the image and the commentary;)
Only you, Patti! Who else could make the good old Gowanus look so splendid! And is it gentrifying then?
The Hub was just reading a book about G. Washington’s times, when engineers from abroad were recruited to connect the rivers for an efficient commercial system using canals — And here you are showing one of the great ones — Synchronicity rules!
Fascinating location for a Wholefoods; great image and informative post.
Pollution bad, good photo! From IPhone Send.
This is probably not the most beautiful area in Brooklyn – or New York – but you made a beautiful photo of of the canal. I love the faded colours, almost seem like take with an out-of-date slide film. Sad, though, to know the history of the area.
Whole Foods out there – wow. I like the photo very much. It’s the romantic landscape meets hard core sludge image, and coming from you I can’t help but also think of English country landscapes and painters of that ilk. I always enjoyed seeing gorgeous skies and trees and wildlife in the midst of the most degraded places in and around New York. A surprise around every corner. .