Section I: Union Street part 1
Three things that support health in this neighborhood: proximity to Prospect Park, various types of medical centers and places associated with health (e.g. yoga), options for healthy food.
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- Union Street section 1: Dr. Harvey S. Rossel, Chiropractor, and Dr. Karen A. Thomas
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- Union Street section 1: Acupuncture & Herbs
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- Union Street section 1: Park Slope Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, LLP
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- Union Street section 1: Park Slope Dental Aesthetics
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- Union Street section one: 6th Ave Animal Clinic
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- Union Street section 1: Park Slope Yoga
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- Union Street section 1: Scottadito Organic Selections
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- Union Street section 1: Park Slope Food Co-Op
Section II: Union Street part 2
Proximity to Prospect Park is significantly decreased; no more medical or health centers that I noticed; only specifically “healthy” food option is Juice Haven, which is (a) closed and (b) debatably healthy. There’s a large billboard advertising alcohol.
I was surprised by the number of auto repair shops on this section of Union Street. As I walked down the street, the brownstones and health-centric places gave way to auto repair shops, warehouse-type buildings, and parking lots with razor wire around tall fences. Despite the colorful murals by 4th Ave., it feels less friendly.
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- Union Street section 2: One of several lovely murals
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- Union Street section 2: a community garden!
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- Union Street section 2: alcohol advertisements
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- Union Street section two: parking lots surrounded by razor wire
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- Union Street section 2: A warehouse
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- Union Street section two: Juice Haven is currently closed.
Section III: Union Street Bridge
The Gowanus Canal doesn’t smell as bad as I had expected it to (or maybe my sense of smell was diminished from being out in the cold and consequently having a runny nose). However, it’s clearly an industry-oriented place from the signage, buildings, trash in the canal, and the smell. I also noticed a parking lot full of buses, which probably deteriorates air quality further from exhaust pollution.
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- Lots of buses = air pollution = increased risk of asthma
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- Sign near the Gowanus Canal
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- Sign near the Gowanus Canal
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- “Warning Rodent Bait:” taped to a building near the Gowanus Canal
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- Sign near the Gowanus Canal, right above the banks…I don’t even want to know what the “dangerous cargo” was.
Section IV: Carroll Street Bridge
When I walked over the bridge, it looked like it was between mid- and high tide. The water line is visible on the metal retaining wall between the two bridges. If high tide were three feet higher, it looks like the dirt banks (to the right of the brick pipe, from my vantage point) would come dangerously close to overflowing. With a storm, I think they definitely would overflow, exposing residents to the toxins in the water.
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- The dirt banks of the Gowanus Canal; I’d be concerned about overflow by the year 2100.
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- Brick pipe – looks like close-ish to high tide.
