Mapping Gowanus: 3rd ave. b/w 3rd & 5th sts.

After a bad case of Gowanus block (self-diagnosed), writer Martha Pickerill has filed her submission:

Can You See Yourself in the Coignet Building?

“Most of the windows have been boarded up, but several are completely open to the elements. The Department of Buildings is investigating the crack and other reports of damage. Currently, the building is on the market for $3 million.” – ny.curbed.com, December 17, 2013

For sale: Trophy property on the corner of 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn’s piping hot WhoFoGo (Whole Foods Gowanus) neighborhood. This stately gem is a repository of New York City’s rich history, including Beame-era crumbling bricks, Koch-era water damage, Dinkins-era graffiti, Giuliani-era boarded-up windows, and Bloomberg-era garbage and urine puddles.

The freestanding grand dame boasts dramatic, horizon-obliterating southern and western views of Whole Foods. Its unique, ornate 19th-century facade is located on the ground nearby. Inside, let your inner interior designer run wild! There’s still time to weigh in on the floor plan, floors, walls, ceilings, staircases, window glass, and other finishes. A handyman special? Oh, no. No handyman has lasted more than 5 minutes after entering the door-free doorway.

The beloved landmarked rarity, built in 1872, may be the first concrete building constructed in New York City. So, history! The Coignet Stone Company came to the U.S. from France to revolutionize construction with a magical combination of sand, water and cement binder. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1873.

Are you ready to savor the easy-going pace of life on the Gowanus Delta in a stately mansion that you pretty much build from the heavily polluted ground up? The location could not be more desirable, just steps from the sun-drenched, mercury-drenched, PCB-drenched and coal tar-drenched 4th Street Beach.

Serious inquiries only. This one won’t last!

Mapping Gowanus: President b/w 3rd & Nevins

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My sister Francesca Gazzaniga and future brother-in-law Richard Novak came through town on their way moving from Berkeley, CA to Boston this week. They took on a block assignment as a team and, being scientists, turned their assignment into an experiment. Their entry is called “Cold Night Gowanus” and these photos are not manipulated. Can you guess how they did it?

Learn about Richard’s efforts to educate and inspire Future Scientists while helping improve infrastructure in communities.

Mapping Gowanus: 3rd ave. b/w 3rd & 2nd (1st)

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I saw songwriter and musician Erik Della Penna at the soft opening for Brooklyn Lutherie (a new instrument repair venture from Mamie Minch and Chloe Swantner in the Old American Can Factory) the other night. Even though he was hobbling on broken foot, he accepted a block assignment. He reported back the next day:

“With my soul wide open, sauntered up 3rd Ave btw 3nd and 2nd.”

(In truth, there is no 2nd Street that intersects 3rd Ave. So his actual block extends to 1st Street. This cartographer begs forgiveness.)

Here is the song he wrote.

See Erik’s mad banjo skills.

Check out his duo with Dean Sharenow, Kill Henry Sugar

Treat yourself to some tunes.

Become his friend.

Leaving Gowanus

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Sometimes I leave the neighborhood. And even the borough. Here’s a peek at artist Bill Brand’s “Masstransitscope,” a subway zoetrope that is sometimes visible in the tunnel leaving DeKalb and headed to the Manhattan Bridge. It’s a treat of a surprise that makes the transition easier.