Often cited as the world’s most polluted canal, New York City’s toxic waterway is nevertheless aesthetically intriguing. It appears emerald at times, fluorescent green at others, and on a clear summer day the contaminated waters might mirror the cerulean blue of a cloudless summer sky. Walking around the neighborhood, one might detect a note of noxious fumes, the canal’s calling card.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration sums up the canal’s history by explaining how it: “was built in the mid-1800s and once served as a major commercial route to New York Harbor. A variety of industries historically operated along its banks, including manufactured gas and chemical plants, mills, and tanneries. These facilities released multiple contaminants into the canal, including PAHs, PCBs, coal tar wastes, heavy metals, and VOCs. Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are also a source of pollution to the canal.” Found at: https://darrp.noaa.gov/hazardous-waste/gowanus-canal
On a recent springtime trip to NYC, I strolled the Union Street Bridge which crosses over the Gowanus Canal and snapped a picture to add to my growing Gowanus Canal smartphone photo collection. For a number of years, I lived up the hill in Park Slope and crossed the Union Street bridge frequently — either by bike or by foot — to access my dermatologist in nearby Carroll Gardens or to meet with my husband at his work in Red Hook. Smelly or no, I find the canal to be rather charming. How about you?
For those who are intrigued and want to learn more about the Gowanus Canal, author Joseph Alexiou published a splendid book called Gowanus: Brooklyn’s Curious Canal. The Goodreads summary reminds prospective readers that the waterway has been referred to as “a cesspool, an industrial dumping ground, and a blemish on the face of the populous borough, [but is still] one of the most important waterways in the history of the New York Harbor.”
Vive Le Canal Gowanus!
Virtually Gina 
Your comments are most welcome.