A few days ago, The Brooklyn Paper published a most intriguing article that enlightened us to the fact that Brooklyn is attempting to get its Gowanus Canal and the surrounding neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sure, it's been around forever, and mills began operating on the Canal as early as 1645, but that doesn't change the fact that anyone who know a little bit about Brooklyn knows that, these days, it's one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country.
Still, local preservationists are all about getting the Gowanus neighborhood designated as a city historic district, which could possibly attract tourists to the area for its rusting, industrial, native Brooklyn grit. Because that's what the tourists to NYC want, right? Gritty, but pretty.
Nonetheless, Gowanus does have a certain charm, as cities with canals do; it's only unfortunate that Brooklyn's cute little waterway isn't such a sparkling example of living (and manufacturing) in harmony with nature. We'll keep our eyes open for a Historic Register plaque, but we won't hold our breath for a boardwalk or souvenir shop.
[Photo: Listen Missy!]
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