Idle Words has an extensive narrative (with photos) of what it's like to journey down the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The canal, still an ecological nightmare, somehow has managed to find a special place in the hearts of Brooklyn residents everywhere:

"Like so much in life, the key to enjoying the Gowanus is lowering your expectations. The canal has been through a lot, and it has been hurt before. It knows that it is no supermodel waterway, it knows that it needs a good dredging and possibly a Superfund grant just to get itself halfway into decent shape. It does not pretend to be some golden-haired World Heritage estuary filled with cranes and egrets. Then again, neither is it the Cuyahoga. Given half a chance, aesthetically speaking, it's the hardest-working body of water in New York City, and you'll never tour a more grateful urban canal."

A must read for anyone concerned about urban renewal and the impact of economic development on the environment.