Photographs of the Bridges
Manhattan Bridge, New York City
Constructed in 1909, the Manhattan Bridge is one of three bridges, along with Brooklyn and Williamsburg, crossing the East River into Lower Manhattan. Manhattan Bridge is considered the first “modern” suspension bridge in which the towers that hold up the main suspension cables are slim, two-dimensional structures.
From a distance, Manhattan Bridge is one of the most attractive bridges in the world. It is a gorgeous, ornate, and historic bridge that dominates the view of the upper Manhattan skyline for tourists walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. In addition, the sidewalk on Manhattan Bridge connects to the same riverfront park on the Brooklyn shoreline as the sidewalk of Brooklyn Bridge, making a four-mile round trip across one bridge and back on the other an enticing walking tour for bridge enthusiasts. Manhattan Bridge was designed with lovely decorative flourishes in metal and stone at the ends of the bridge on top of the anchor towers and suspension towers. The western entrance to the bridge is in what is now Chinatown, at the historically important corner of Canal Street and The Bowery. The bridge entrance at The Bowery was graced with an enormous monumental arch flanked by stone colonnades, all made out of sparkling white granite and elaborately carved with allegorical motifs.
The anchor towers, and the rest of the approach to the bridge on the Brooklyn end, are so large that the area beneath them is its own neighborhood, called DUMBO, an acronym for “Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” The anchor tower is bisected with an arch so large that it shelters an outdoor food court with numerous vendors and picnic tables. On top of the anchor towers the sidewalk spreads out into a small plaza with stone columns and railings forming viewing platforms, all elaborately carved. There is also amazing decoration on the suspension towers, both at the top and at sidewalk level. The steel towers are formed with a pointed arch that mimics the pointed arches on the Brooklyn Bridge, but with only one arch instead of two. The pointed arch is flanked by “X-crossed” panels of steel girders, and the tops of the towers are lined with four gigantic, open steel orbs. The main part of the structure is painted a lovely marine blue and the suspension cables and supports between the two decks are highlighted in white. Where the sidewalk passes the suspension towers there are large bronze plaques with bridge dedications, topped by elaborate iron metalwork caps.
As historically important and decorative as this bridge is, it is a bit disappointing for bridge tourists. Apparently for safety reasons, the entire length of the sidewalk has been enclosed with a chain-link fence, and steel grates preclude visitors from walking between the columns to the viewing platforms. These measures make it impossible to get a good view of Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, although these views would have been spectacular before the sidewalk was fenced. The enclosure of the sidewalk presents major challenges for getting optimal photographs in an area where good views and photographs are a major part of the attraction. Even more disappointing is the overwhelming amount of graffiti, not only on the bridge components and the rooftops crossed by the bridge, but covering the ornate, 100-year-old bronze plaques honoring Manhattan Bridge’s engineers and designers.
There is a detailed description of the bridge in Chapter 10 of my book, Bridgespotting Part 2: A Guide to Even More Bridges that Connect People, Places, and Times. Unfortunately, although the history, location, and ornate decorations on this bridge should make it a major attraction for bridgespotting tourists, the enclosure of the sidewalk and overwhelming amount of graffiti probably discourage many potential visitors.
