Newton Creek.



From Wikipedia:
Newtown Creek is a 3.5 mi (6 km) estuary that forms part of the border between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. It derives its name from New Town (Nieuwe Stad), which was the name for the Dutch and British settlement in what is now Elmhurst, Queens. Channelization made it one of the most heavily used bodies of water in the Port of New York and New Jersey and thus one of the most polluted industrial sites in America, containing years of discarded toxins, an estimated 30 million gallons of spilled oil, and raw sewage from New York City’s sewer system.

No wonder it glows.

Newton Creek "Nature" Walk

Using the word nature to describe this space is a very broad use of the term. I've rode passed the sign on Greenpoint Ave for years but only yesterday did I check it out. Architecturally speaking, it's really interesting. Squeezed between a sewage processing plant and a cement manufacturer (what the brochure calls Industrial Scenes) you walk down a long cement pathway to get to the water. They've created peek holes along the path so you can see what's on the other side, sewage of course. Inhale... aaaah... the sweet smell of sewage and a 30 year-old oil spill to make you feel one with nature.

Oh holy crap! I just found this article in the nytimes and they spent $3.2 million on this place! sigh.