Next stop on the New York City Bridges photography tour was the area Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass, also nicknamed DUMBO. Despite the cold, the streets were packed with people most of whom seemed to be taking photos of the Empire State Building framed by one of the Manhattan Bridge towers. Which is exactly what we were there to do. After over thirty years living in the New York1/New Jersey area, I have finally become a tourist.
When we first immigrated to the United States, we lived in East Elmhurst, Queens. ↩
From the Queensboro Bridge, Loren’s friend Jack drove us down to the Williamsburg Bridge. The bridge is a suspension bridge across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE).
This 2227m, eight lanes bridge has two train tracks carrying the ”J” train, “M” train, and “Z” lines of the New York City Subway. There is also a path for pedestrians and bicycles. The bridge was constructed by architect, Henry Hornbostel, and designer Leffert L. Buck. It was open on December 19, 1903. That was 115 years ago!
This bridge was more challenging to photograph from the vantage point at the foot of the bridge. I walked under and around the bridge trying to get a decent image of the length of the bridge. The support pillars of the bridge are surrounded by a fence with metal spikes at the top. I stood on one of the metal barriers to get a better shot.
Williamsburg Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/8.0, ISO400), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsWilliamsburg Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/9.0, ISO400), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsWilliamsburg Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/8.0, ISO400), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsWilliamsburg Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (42.7 mm, f/9.0, ISO400), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams
From the George Washington Bridge, we drove over to the other side of Manhattan to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. The bridge, which is also known as the 59th Street Bridge, is located between 59th and 60th Streets in Manhattan. Construction of the bridge was completed in 1909. Designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Queensboro Bridge is a double-decker bridge that carries 9 lanes of traffic and is the first entry point into Manhattan in the course of the New York City Marathon.
Loren took us to a relatively unknown spot, Sutton Place Park, which has a connection to the Woody Allen film, Manhattan.
The film’s most memorable image is the one from the poster with Woody Allen and Diane Keaton sitting on a bench at sunrise on that banks of the East River, silhouetted against the sky.Tammy.
This is the smallest park I have ever visited. I tipped my hat to the Woody Allen film (which I have not seen) and processed this one in black and white but I have included colour versions using the Classic Chrome Film Simulation.
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/22, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams
By the time we arrived, the sun had faded behind the clouds. There is a red railing that runs the length of the bridge. Despite being one of the more colourful bridges we toured, I could not find a way to pull out the colour.
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/22, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsEd Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/8.0, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsEd Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/22, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsEd Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/22, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsEd Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/10, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams
I was lucky enough to catch a few photographs of the Roosevelt Island gondola passing overhead. This is an aerial tramway that runs parallel to the bridge and spans the East River. It connects Roosevelt Island to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Opened in 1976, The tramway is the first commuter aerial tramway in North America.
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/13, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. WilliamsEd Koch Queensboro Bridge at Sutton Place Park — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/10, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams
