Gowanus is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, USA, situated roughly between Red Hook and Carroll Gardens on the west and Park Slope on the east. The neighborhood is dwarfed by two industrial structures, the smith-9th street subway station, and the Gowanus expressway, both crossing the Gowanus Canal. The north boundry of the neighborhood is Caroll street, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to the south and West, and the Gowanus Canal to the East. A map highlighting Brooklyn and the rest of New York City. ... State nickname: The Empire State Official languages English Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Clinton (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 13. ... Red Hook is a neighborhood of the Borough of Brooklyn, New York, USA. Before annexation into Brooklyn, Red Hook was a separate village. ... Carroll Gardens is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York named for Charles Carroll, a revolutionary war veteran who was also the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. ... Park Slope is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, USA, roughly bounded by Fourth Avenue, Prospect Park West (Ninth Avenue), Flatbush Avenue, and Fifteenth Street. ...

In 1636, Gowanus Bay is the site of the first settlement by Dutch farmers in what is now Brooklyn.

In 1776 American troops retreating from the British during the Batle of Brooklyn, crossed the Gowanus Creek, located in Gowanus.

In the late 19th and early 20th century the area was largely home to immigrants, then arrviving from Ireland, Italy and Germany. The area consists of mostly frame housing in contrast to the brownstone homes found in its border neighbor, Park Slope.

The areas residental prospects have been defined by city zoning decisions. Some of these include

• Sanatation department located on 2nd Avenue and 11th street (1900)
• Construction of elevated 9th street train station (1940s)
• The Hamilton Avenue expressway (1940s)
• Heavy industry around Gowanus Canel (since 1700s)
• The decline of shipping out of Red Hook (1940s)
• 10 acre Post Office>Lowes on 2nd Ave. (1900)
• Hamilton Ave shopping center- Pathmark (1980s)
• Closing of Park under 9th street train station (1990s)

To make way for the 9th street train station, Hamilton Ave expressway and for rezoning that took place in the 1950s, hundreds of residential homes were razed This has lead to the area containing a majority of commercial properties with a small residential community.

The neighborhood of Gowanus is not widely known, perhaps on account of many residents of Gowanus identifing themselves as residents of the larger areas that border it. For example, south slope is sometimes used for the areas that border Park Slope, which are technically part of Gowanus.

See also: Gowanus Canal, Gowanus Expressway An aerial view of the canal and the crossings of it. ... The eastbound Gowanus Expressway (I-278) at EXIT 24 (NY 27 / Prospect Expressway). ...