The Brooklyn Bridge

Ever since I read this book Metropolis by Elizabeth Gaffney, I’ve wanted to see the Brooklyn Bridge. In the novel, an immigrant ends up working on the masterpiece and you get a cool look at what workers had to deal with while building it. Therefore, it was necessary that we check it out.

We took the 6 to the end of the line at City Hall where the bridge starts. It was a perfect day to go because it was a good temperature and dusk was perfect. The downtown skyline was beautiful. We walked to the first of the towers and read the plaques about the bridge’s specifications. What I still can’t believe is that they were the tallest structures in the Western hemisphere when they were built (the bridge was completed in 1883). Now, they are dwarfed by almost everything around them. Of course, the craftsmanship and uniqueness of the bridge are what make it still one of the most beautiful structures in the world. The Gothic arches were so massive and high up and the limestone was stunning. The fact I discovered on the bridge was that there used to be cable cars that ran across it. What I knew before was that many men died building it because they had to blast rock underneath the river. The whole ordeal was extremely dangerous.

The walkway across was divided into a walking lane and a biking lane. The bikers were moving quickly so you had to be careful. When we were getting off the bridge, we both almost got Schwinned pretty bad (If you don’t know what Schwinned is, it is a commonly used phrase at UofI for getting hit by a bike. A frequent problem on our campus).  I always laugh when there is a clear conflict between bikers and walkers due to limited space.

After getting off the bridge the objective was to find the park below it and also this pizza place named Grimaldi’s. We walked toward the park first. We weren’t sure where we were going, but the brick streets were welcoming and neat. The area is a neighborhood called Dumbo. The coolest thing we saw was a  downhill street that gave a perfect view of the Manhattan bridge, which is not far from the Brooklyn.

Under the Manhattan Bridge is Dumbo park and that was probably the most beautiful place we had seen. It was right on the East River and gave a perfect view of both bridges and downtown. We sat on a bench and watched the sun set behind the downtown skyline and the lights on the Brooklyn suspension coils  turn on.

Then we walked back south and started looking for the pizza place. We wanted to walk through the state park, but it was closing. We found the pizza place, Grimaldi’s, but it was not what we expected. You couldn’t get just a slice and it wasn’t a hole in the wall. It is brick oven pizza and supposedly the best in the city. There was an hour long line standing outside to get in the little restaurant. I do hope to go at some point.

On our way back to the subway we were getting hungry. We resolved on going back to Union Square to get some fast food and ended up having Wendy’s. It was still beautiful out so we ate at the edge of a small fountain in the park. It was a very nice evening.

-George and Michelle the Bridge Admirers

Unfortunately, I uploaded the pictures on Michelle’s computer.  When she comes to visit on Monday I will get them from her.