Gowanus

While the polluted canal might be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Gowanus, there's a lot more to the neighborhood than toxic water. The once thriving industrial area is filled with repurposed remnants of Brooklyn's history. Old stone factories have been converted into performance spaces and artists studios, and historic bridges allow for strolls across the serene and calming (albeit a bit smelly) canal. Low real estate costs allow for new cafes, restaurants, and galleries to pop up all the time, making it a lovely neighborhood in which to spend a summer Saturday.

There is really no better way to start the day than with a slice of freshly baked pie. The barely two-month old cafe Four and Twenty Blackbirds serves up a selection of seasonal old-fashioned pies. Sibling owners Emily and Melissa Elsen grew up rolling the pie dough at their family restaurant in South Dakota. For the last year, they baked out of their Crown Heights apartment, but moved the operation to Gowanus after they decided that the stretch of 3rd Avenue in neighborhood needed a coffee shop (indeed it did). We indulged in the cherry crumbled topped with homemade whipped cream. It was hard to not lick the plate clean.

If you're in the mood to spend some money, there are plenty of specialty shops to delight your interests. On 9th Street near the canal, Find Home Furnishings offers a wide selection of imported, locally crafted, and antique items ranging from chandeliers to dining room tables to candles. To the east of the canal, an abundance of boutiques populate Smith Street (which some will argue is more Carroll Gardens than Gowanus). Swallow carries beautiful glassware and vases, and a curiously large selection of tiny glass animal figurines (a two-inch cheetah? a baby robin?). Environment 337 sells variety of well-chosen items, ranging from cookbooks to soap to throw rugs.

For a cheaper way to spend the morning, take a walking tour around the canal. The neighborhood group Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus is fighting to have the canal and many of the historic buildings landmarked. Linda Mariano, longtime Gowanus resident and founding member of FROGG, has dedicated herself to the cause. "There’s a certain kind of aura or sense that very important things happened here,” Mariano says of the neighborhood. The Army Corps of Engineers worked with FROGG to identify 11 structures eligible for national historic recognition, including the National Box Packing Factory at the corner of Union and Nevins Streets, and the Carroll Street Bridge. Built in 1888, the bridge is one of only four retractable bridges left in the country. It rolls open on wheels to let boats pass.

There are a number of small cafes and delis to hit up for lunch. Union Smith Cafe serves traditional American fare, like a sirloin burgers and BLT on country toast, plus they have outdoor seating on the sidewalk so you can people watch. For a more casual lunch, go to the Gowanus Yacht Club. Yes, its a fabulous place to throw back a few beers on a summer night, but it's also a great place for cheap and delicious lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers. And there's no harm in a little day-drinking.

Like so many other industrial Brooklyn neighborhoods, artists have turned Gowanus into a cultural hot spot. After lunch, take a few hours to visit the area's galleries. A must-see is Proteus Gowanus, an interdisciplinary gallery and reading room located down an alley off Nevins Street. They have an ongoing exhibit "Hall of the Gowanus" dedicated to artifacts from the canal, art inspired by the neighborhood, and literature about Gowanus. The Brooklyn Artists Gym, on 7th Street, perfectly timed their current exhibit, "Beyond Warhol in the 21st Century: A Post-Pop MetaRomantic Retrofit," to open during the Brooklyn Museum's retrospective of Andy Warhol. The show features artists (including one from Bushwick) that consciously react to the iconic pop artist.

Right next door to BAG, the Gowanus Studio Space hosts Brooklyn Brainery's collaborative learning classes, a cheap ($25 for four weeks) and fun way to learn something new. The upcoming semester offers classes like Foreign Cuisine 101 and American Sign Language. Spots are filling up quick (the Whiskeytown class is already closed), so plan ahead and register now.

Sunday Best throws parties set upon the Gowanus Canal at 400 Carroll Street between Bond and Nevins – or the space formerly known as BKLYN Yard – and will continue to throw parties along the river through Labor Day despite a fall out between the landlord and BKLYN Yard organizers Mean Red Productions earlier this summer.  Though the parties are on Sunday, they are worth mentioning for their exceptional location and beats, thanks to resident DJs Doug Singer, Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin.  The parties go from 3-9pm and cost $8 before 4pm, $12 after.

When hunger strikes, head to Bar Tano, an old-world Italian bistro with delicious grilled pizzas and paninis. Our waitress recommended the Prosciutto e rucola pizza, and we were not disappointed. The tomato sauce was light and fresh, and the salty prosciutto perfectly complimented the mozzarella. The Melazane panini was equally divine with grilled eggplant with creamy ricotta and fresh basil pesto. For drinks, we couldn't resist trying The Gowanus cocktail, which was a tasty twist on the mojito: lime and basil leaves muddled with grapefruit vodka. They also have ten beers on tap and thirty Italian wines by the glass.

Any night of the week, you have multiple options for live music in Gowanus. The neighborhood is home to three of Brooklyn's most popular performance spaces: The Bell House, Littlefield, and Brooklyn Lyceum. Littlefield and the Bell House are both housed in renovated warehouse, honoring the neighborhood's industrial past. Littlefield's 6,200 square foot space uses wind power and is sound-proofed with recycled rubber tires, while the Bell House feels like it's part ski lodge, part ballroom, decorated with dark wood and chandeliers. Don't miss the New Bomb Turks reunion show this Saturday!

To get to Gowanus, take the M or R trains to Union Street or 9th Street, or hop on the F or G to Carroll Street, Smith-9th Street or 4th Avenue-9th Street.