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New York

Women are raising Gowanus’ retail profile

Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow, owners of Twig Terraniums (credit: WNYC)
Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow, owners of Twig Terraniums (credit: WNYC)

Gowanus’ retail profile has been on the rise since a Canal clean-up project and a forthcoming Whole Foods were announced. Many of the new retailers are women, according to DNAinfo, which counts at least 25 new women-owned businesses in the last four years, including the movie prop recycling store Film Biz Recycling, the Twig Terraniums, the eco-friendly cleaners The Green Neat Team, and the headquarters of the dried fruit-snack Peeled Snacks.

As landlords convert former factories into lofts, many of these women are being attracted by low rents and a convenient location nestled in between Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, sources say.

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“[Women open businesses here] because it’s a smart place to be,” Katy Maslow, co-owner of Twig Terrariums, told DNAinfo. “It really comes down to that. There are family-oriented neighborhoods flanking us. It’s artistic. It’s accessible and it’s still not insanely priced, so you can keep your overhead a little bit low. It’s a wise choice, and I think women are wise.” [DNAinfo] –Jane Timm