The entire issue of neighborhood names and identities–acronyms like BoCoCa aside–is vexing, especially in a hood like Gowanus, which has no officially recognized boundaries. There is an entire thread on the Park Slope Message Board devoted to answering the question: “My New Apt.–Do I live in Park Slope?”
“It’s on 7th street between 3rd and 4th avenue,” the writer says. “Technically, where the hell am I? Park Slope? Gowanus? Park Glowanuspe? It’s the 11215 area code, I know that.”
The writer notes a typical Gowanus streetscape: “There’s a cab company nearby…And a BP gas station. A spiffy-looking laundromat…On my block there’s a few average-looking buildings…one brand new luxury co-op building which really seems out of place (it has a website and info on a big billboard outside it, which I can’t remember), and a big warehouse takes up several lots on the northwest part of the block, trucks going in and out. It’s a pretty eclectic little place.”
Although the area could be annexed to Park Slope by real estate brokers at any moment or gain an entirely new neighborhood name, popular opinion says that Fourth Avenue (both sides) is the dividing line between the Slope and Gowanus.
The simplest rule of thumb, in the words of one writer: “If you are walking on level ground, it’s not the slope.”
4 responses so far ↓
1 Sonja Shield // May 10, 2006 at 11:36 am
I have a hard time believing that even the real estate agents will be successful at pushing the Park Slope border below 4th Ave. Even though many were surprised when Park Slope started to encompass 5th Ave and even below, the truck route on 4th seems like it’ll be a bigger physical barrier. But, you never know. And if the City were to, say, plant a grass and tree median along 4th Ave, then Park Slope could easily reach all the way to Cobble Hill. Or, sorry, what is it now? Bococa?
2 eliz // May 10, 2006 at 11:49 am
i LOATHE the term ‘bococa’!!
i live on butler street between fourth and fifth avenues and i consider it the slope, but i consider anything west of 4th avenue to be strictly gowanus. it LOOKS like gowanus, it’s within a couple blocks of the canal itself, and there isn’t a “park” to “slope” toward for miles! (except that dilapidated pathetic little one on third avenue)
3 Beth H. // May 10, 2006 at 3:45 pm
Like a lot of the other commenters here, I read your stuff on Cherry Bleeds and am a big fan. I write for Cherry Bleedson a moderately frequent basis and have a story in Chemical Lust. I’m not sure whether your stories make me want to move to NYC as soon as I am able or never sit foot in the place again, but I’m interested in seeing what you get up to with this site.
4 Anonymous // May 10, 2006 at 4:02 pm
You can call the place where you live whatever you like! Call it San Francisco for all I care!