Director Hideharu Watanabe (left) with his crew producing a segment for Japanese TV
A film crew from NHK, a public broadcaster was filming a segment on the Gowanus Canal yesterday afternoon at the 2nd Street Dock. They had reached out to the Gowanus Dredgers, who made some of their canoes available for the occasion.
The live footage is for a show called Good Morning, Japan, which features a weekly segment entitled, "New York Style." The show apparently has 15 million viewers in Japan.
Reporter Yuriko Shimazu was bravely paddling the mucky water in a craft steered by Gowanus Dredger Raymond Howell.
By pure coincidence, EPA's Brian Carr was stopping by on his own tour of the Gowanus with a group from his Region 2 office. There is obviously never a dull moment on the shores of the canal.
EPA's Brian Carr, in light blue, with a group from the agency's Region 2 Office
Raymond Howell with a photo of the 2nd Street dock taken 11 years ago,
before the Dredgers cleaned up discarded trash.
.JPG)
3 comments:
This Japanese crew is shooting for a show that features a weekly segment entitled, "New York Style." What is stylish about a toxic waterway that is a Superfund site? And what is this ridiculous sign on the canoe calling Gowanus the "coolest Superfund site"? This is just stupid and wrong. A weird message to put out. Can't believe the Dredgers are taking people out in the raw sewage and other crap, and that people are actually going. Not cool at all, by any definition of the word.
The Gowanus is stylish, It is great to see people around the world recognize that it is a unique place worthy of this kind of event.
So why is GCCDC and FAC and City Planning so set on developing with 12-15 story buildings (that will look like 4th Ave) and destroy what is unique and of value in this place?
We need redevelopment planning that embraces the unique value of this low laying estuary with it's early industrial boating canal. The fact that it sits between Carroll Gardens and Park Slope is all the more reason to preserve it's uniqueness.
Gowanus is unique, without a doubt. But the "stylish" label is exactly what is being used to try to sell it as a place to build "stylish" mega-structure condos - some under the guise of "affordable and senior housing." I am with you 100% that we need planning that takes into account the reality you mention - low-lying estuary- flood zone, hurricane evacuation route, etc. AND we need the zoning it is currently under. We need to protect industry. Protecting M2-1 zoning will give you more permanent jobs than all the dense residential building etc. some want to see happen.
Post a Comment