Gowanus new hub for food and film-related businesses: study

The formerly industrial Gowanus neighborhood  is evolving into a hub for businesses in the film, food and artisanal manufacturing industries, according to a new study commissioned by Brooklyn’s local Community Board 6.

Indeed, the study found more than 420 businesses in the area, representing a total of 3,500 jobs. The findings indicate the area is more vibrant than it appears at first blush, according to Stephen Whitehouse, whose Starr Whitehouse planning firm wrote the study.

“What we found is that there’s a lot more economic activity in the Gowanus area than is generally reported — there’s a very diverse set of economies there,” Whitehouse told DNAinfo. “It just doesn’t generate activity on the street.”

The report found 41 food-related businesses in the neighborhood, as well as 27 film-related businesses.

The area is simultaneously undergoing a residential boom, as The Real Deal reported, with brokers characterizing Gowanus as the Williamsburg of a decade ago. [DNAinfo] – Hiten Samtani