The Manhattan Bridge has played second fiddle to its friend and neighbor the Brooklyn Bridge since 1909. But it is a clear contender for the coolest suspension span in New York -- up against stiff competition, mind you -- if not the world.
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| The Manhattan Bridge (copyright: Kelsy Chauvin) |
It holds a few aces:
- Super-fast, early steel and cast-iron construction. Compared to the Brooklyn Bridge's 14 year construction, the Manhattan made the most out of 8 years of quick steel erection.
- Delft-tile paint job -- that's the blue tower and spans with pretty white suspenders. Shout out to the Netherlands!
- It looks somewhat like a carnival ride -- exposed rivets and creaky moving cars. (In this case it's the Q, B and D trains.)
- From the Manhattan Bridge, you can see the Brooklyn & Williamsburg Bridges, the Statue of Liberty, intimate glimpses of Chinatown and DUMBO...it's like peepshow-meets-Top o' the Rock!
- So you landed at Canal Street -- great! now you can walk back across it and enjoy its grand entrance colonnade and striking cast-iron details like the double twin canopies at each tower.
And to top it off, a ride on the subway gets you special access. It's the best functional-beautiful journey in New York City.
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