Best Transformation of a Waterway into a Romantic Symbol? The Gowanus Canal Wins!

on the walk home, originally uploaded by sixeight.

Gowanus Lounged is biased, but we are not the ones that have named the Gowanus a "romantic symbol," which is a designation with which we wholeheartedly concur. No, the title has been bestowed by the Brooklyn Downtown Star and the Greenpoint Star, which have published a rocking "Best of Brooklyn List." The papers chose to eschew traditional "Best of" lists in favor of "bizarre, peculiar and downright unique outer borough experiences. From the best place to see a truly perverted movie to the most delightful public restroom, to the likeliest place to score a kosher breakfast."

There are excellent entries on the list, like naming the entrance to the private Sea Gate community on Coney Island as "Best Place to Feel Like You're in Berlin, Pre-Fall-of-Communism."

Then, sadly, there is the "Best Transformation of a Waterway Into a Dumping Way." That title goes to Newtown Creek, which is one of the few bodies of water in the world that can make the Big G look like the Alpine source from which Evian gets its H2O. If the South Brooklyn Seine can become a romantic symbol, however, Newtown Creek's image can improve too.