Grand Army Plaza: Union Street to 5th Ave
The walk begins in lovely and–despite the weather–lively Grand Army Plaza, full of shops, food trucks, joggers apparently immune to the cold, dogs, and families. As I continued down 5th street, I walked among nice neat brownstones, streets clean with very little trash, interrupted by corners crowded by cute, warm indie stores. The atmosphere seemed bright, brisk, and cheerful all around. I singled out three stores in particular that contribute to the health of the locals.
#1 While this doesn’t contribute directly to human health, this clinic promotes pet ownership and a friendly dog walking environment which enriches public health overall. It is very convenient but again, on the expensive side.
#3 This is a very convenient bike shop that supports physical exercise and more eco-friendly means of travel. It is more of a “sporty” store, however, and prices are pretty high here.
#2 One of the many yoga and alternative spiritual exercise clubs in the area. These places require a lot of extra time, energy, and money to attend, but for those who can afford them they promote physical and emotional health and strengthen community bonds.
5th Ave to Nevins St
Right as the walk reached 5th ave, I noticed some immediate changes as well as some qualities that remained from ultra-nice Park Slope. The grocery stores were no longer organic, but small generic places. Once I reached 4th, the only thing that matched the first portion of the walk was the bike lane, but the stores that I originally photographed were no longer anywhere to be seen. The buildings become more sparse and change from high-end specialty stores to 24-hour bodegas, old empty lots, more graffiti and “run down” buildings, and many blue-collar or industrial buildings like auto repair and electric companies.
A changing landscape, from organicland to bodegaworld.
Union Street Bridge
The canal is barren and dirty, and there is a slight smell of sulfur in the air. There is trash scattered along the banks and graffiti on the walls. I can’t help but think of the dolphin that swam into the canal and died last winter. Many old industrial factories tower nearby. I noted one building and one sign that most likely have a strong impact on the surrounding environment and community.
This is one of the old industrial buildings, an old iron works factory. I’m guessing there is still environmental damage left over from this building’s glory days.
Yikes, not exactly what I would want to see everyday on my way to work if I lived around the Gowanus. But the negative effects on local health are an obvious and unfortunate reality for the Gowanus community and wildlife.
Carroll Street Bridge
When I was visiting the canal, it seemed like it was very low tide. However, I can only imagine what high tide is like, and if the canal was an average of 3ft higher, I think it would definitely spill over the banks, as they are already slanted and slightly eroded.
Looks like low tide for now, but will rising water levels lead to more erosion and flooding issues?
Overall, an interesting experience. It is easy to see where gentrification is occurring and what areas of Brooklyn are being neglected. No wonder the Gowanus is a SuperFund site, and hopefully it will get better, but it has a long way to go.
JE
