Most New Yorkers have never crossed either of these beauties.
Hell Gate Bridge, which has connected Queens and Randalls/Wards Island since 1916, is used by railroads only.
High Bridge, built in 1848 and spanning the Harlem River between Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx, has been closed since 1970.
It’s supposed to reopen to pedestrians in 2014 after a lengthy renovation—fingers crossed!
In the meantime, there are ways to experience them up close though. To really absorb the loveliness of the Hell Gate, head to Astoria Park, particularly the enormous public pool there. The bridge looms large in the background.
High Bridge is a little trickier. Highbridge Park in the Bronx affords wonderful views, and you can get close to the iron bars that blocks access to the bridge’s pedestrian walkway.
Tags: Bridge postcards New York, Croton Aqueduct Bridge, East River bridges, Harlem River Bridges, Hell Gate Bridge, High Bridge Bronx, Most beautiful bridges in New York City
Ephemeral New York 
June 12, 2013 at 7:26 pm |
In case anyone has ever wondered why Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia (a/k/a the Coathanger Bridge) looks so much like the Hell Gate Bridge– It’s supposed to. The designer of the SHB essentially scaled up the HGB. The Aussie was in NY to see the 59th Street Bridge up close and study it, and pretty much said, screw this bridge for a game of soldiers, the HGB is a better fit, cheaper to build, and the view of it on approach is more appealing. Just as the SHB is a scaling-up of the HGB, the Bayonne Bridge is a scaling- down of the SHB, without the stone facings.
June 13, 2013 at 7:00 am |
Amtrak trains going to Springfield or Boston use Hell Gate Bridge and yes, the view is spectacular.