This Vintage Postcard Shows What Gowanus Looked Like When There Was a Massive Pond There Around 1776

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Freeke's Mills With Yellow Mills in the Distance, 1776
Freeke's Mills With Yellow Mills in the Distance, 1776
Photo: Hall of the Gowanus

Long before the South Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus was known for its industrial makeup and canal, the area was full of meadowlands, farms, ponds and mills were quite peaceful and serene.

In this vintage drawing dug up by Hall of the Gowanus, check out what the neighborhood ponds looked like before Whole Foods and condo developers moved in, way back in 1776.

[WATCH] Side-By-Side Comparison Video of a Bike Commute Across the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges

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Loca YouTuber and commuter actionkid105 recently cycled across both the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge to see which one is better for a bike commute. Watch his side-by-side comparison to see what's what.

Many people suggest to completely avoid the Brooklyn Bridge altogether for cycling because of the overcrowding and pedestrians who don't respect the bike lane. In this video, I cycle from Whitehall Street & Water Street near the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and the Financial District to the same spot in Downtown Brooklyn near both bridges. Both bridges have their pros and cons for cycling, and depends on each individual situation.