This off-limits structure at the mouth of the Gowanus Canal has had a tumultuous history. Built in 1922, the grain silo traded hands to the Port Authority in 1944 after failing to turn a profit. The 12-story high, 430-foot long terminal was decommissioned in 1965, and has sat vacant since. The large building now attracts visitors of the curious variety, like photographers and urban explorers. "It's just amazing to see a structure like this in a city where it no longer belongs. It's seeing two New Yorks," photographer Ali Hussain said about his incredible photos from inside the factory. Those photos are about as close as anyone's going to get to the building nowadays. There are no plans in the works for the looming structure.

The neighborhood's Erie Basin Park may be new, but remnants of the waterfront site's former life still exist. The park was developed by Ikea as a concession to the neighborhood after it established its brand there on the former site of the historic Todd Shipyard, a boat repair yard that had been operational since the Civil War. All that remains of the site's past are some gigantic and alluring industrial lifts, now flanked by landscaped surrounds with lots of seating.

These Civil War-era structures were built by Jeremiah P. Robinson and William Beard in the 1860s and 70s. Today, they're split into smaller commercial and industrial spaces.

Remember, this is theoretically a walking tour so this stop is to help participants get warm. The winery is in Pier 41 which was built in the 1870s by Col. Daniel Richards as a shipping warehouse center. Bask in the building's history (and excellent views) while warming up with its libations.

Now a park named after a firefighter killed in the line of duty, this land was formerly part of the historic Fort Defiance used in 1776's Battle of Brooklyn. The fort was "situated in such a manner as to command the harbor entirely" and was damaged gravely in battle on August 27, 1776. Nowadays, the pier and park have lovely views out to the statue of liberty and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It's also a hop, skip, and jump away from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies.

Now home to an interdisciplinary art gallery, the building at 159 Pioneer Street was once the home of Pioneer Iron Works, which the gallery's website describes as "one of the largest machine manufacturers in the United States—constructing ships, boilers, tanks, sheet iron, detachable railroad tracks, grain elevators, and machinery for sugar plantations." Built in 1866, the building was decimated by a fire in 1881 and rebuilt soon after. Pioneer Iron Works occupied the space until the mid-1900s, after which Time Moving Company used the building for storage.