Verrazano Narrows Bridge

On NY1, it's Staten Island Week, and the focus is on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge which turns 40 this fall. NY1 has Gay Talese chronicling the bridge's history, a look at how the bridge changed Staten Island, and the crazy $8 toll. That toll does hurt, but the bridge is an elegant counterpoint to the Brooklyn Bridge's stone heft and the heavy metal (hee) workings of the other city bridges.

Here's the MTA site on the V-N Bridge. Satan's Laundromat has pictures of the anchorage and bridge and Dave Frieder has pictures from on the bridge. Wikipedia has more details as well as a list of the largest suspension bridges in the world (the Verrazano is #6). You can see what's happening with the bridge on a live cam from SILive. And one of the funniest things that happens on the bridge is that during the NYC Marathon, which starts there, men will pee off the side - it's a tradition, but it sucks if you're on the lower level.

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By Jen Chung in News on August 6, 2004 1:30 PM

Comments [rss]

michael vega

$8 is alot, my ex girlfriend lives there and the trips were expensive, not to mention gas.

thanks for the kayaking, that sounds like a good idea.

mike

More info on the Verrazano and the effort to make it walkable and bikeable:

http://transalt.org/bridges/verrazano.html

Evan

This is something I've been wanting to do: kayak beneath the bridge. The water is very turbulent and it looks kind of sketchy but just yesterday I found a kayak rental place that supposedly leads trips there: www.atlantickayaktours.com

They have a base up near Peekskill on the Hudson river but they do these excursions all over the LI Sound as well.

Mike

Easily, and deservedly!

Jen W

I never realized their rinky-dink subway line was free (except if you got on at the last stop or two). No fair! Charge for the whole line (I mean geez the Ferry is still free, right?) and maybe it'll help the MTA a bit, no?