Gowanus Open Studios: Unexpected Beauty

Numerous artists will be opening their studios this weekend in Gowanus, Brooklyn, infamous for its polluted canal--a once-rundown, low-rent neighborhood that's on the upswing now that it has attracted a thriving community of artists. Judging from the online pictures, there's a ton of topnotch, authentic art here--smaller, less glitzy, and more personal than the blockbusters in Chelsea and Uptown. Time and energy permitting, we may walk at the end of the day in Prospect Park.

DISTANCE: About 2-4 miles, depending on whether we visit Park Slope and Prospect Park

ENDING TIME: Around 5 PM. But you can leave earlier, of course.

LUNCH: Bring your own. We'll eat at around 2:40, in a nearby park. Consider bringing a snack to tide you over until lunch if you wish.

COST: $1, to help cover Meetup's $360 annual organizer fee.

TRANSPORTATION: F or G train to Smith and 9th St.