View of Brooklyn Bridge from Eagle Warehouse & Storage Company, 28 Old Fulton Street, #6M (Corcoran)
As perspectives and political affiliations have become more polarized in recent years, the mantra "build bridges, not walls" has become increasingly relevant. The holiday season provides a perfect opportunity to set aside our differences and cultivate social cohesion.
Another type of connection was on display on Tuesday, December 19, when a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place for the East Midtown Greenway, opening it to the public. Spanning 1.8 acres along the East River waterfront from East 53rd to 61st Streets, it is the second phase of the East Midtown Waterfront Esplanade and a key component of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a 32-mile loop of public land around the entirety of Manhattan. Plans for the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway date back to the Dinkins administration; in October 2023, Mayor Adams announced a plan to expand the city’s greenway corridors by adding 60 miles of waterfront public space in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Another type of connection was on display on Tuesday, December 19, when a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place for the East Midtown Greenway, opening it to the public. Spanning 1.8 acres along the East River waterfront from East 53rd to 61st Streets, it is the second phase of the East Midtown Waterfront Esplanade and a key component of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a 32-mile loop of public land around the entirety of Manhattan. Plans for the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway date back to the Dinkins administration; in October 2023, Mayor Adams announced a plan to expand the city’s greenway corridors by adding 60 miles of waterfront public space in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island.
The East Midtown Greenway was designed by Stantec and helmed by NYCEDC and NYC Parks. It will be anchored at the southern end by Clara Coffey Park, which will feature a new pedestrian bridge. At the northern end, it will be anchored by Andrew Haswell Green Park, which underwent a renovation that includes a full resodding, a resurfaced dog run, and new greenery. At any location in the East Midtown Greenway, visitors will enjoy panoramic views of Roosevelt Island, Long Island City, Greenpoint, the Downtown Brooklyn skyline, the Queensboro Bridge, and the Williamsburg Bridge.
In this article:
“From the innovative pedestrian walkway to the revitalized landscaping with an artistic touch at Andrew Haswell Green Park, these transformative projects continue to further the city’s efforts toward completing the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway” - Sue Donoghue, Commissioner, NYC Parks
The groundbreaking for the East Midtown Greenway took place in 2019, but work was delayed in the wake of the pandemic. However, the pandemic drove home the importance of outdoor and green space, which was sorely lacking for East Midtown and Upper East Side residents at the time. When New York's theaters, restaurants, clubs, and fitness centers were closed, its parks experienced a new appreciation, as did its bridges, with many New Yorkers taking to the bridges on foot or by bike to avoid public transportation. Even after New York City has opened again, the city's bridges continue to serve as destinations for exercise, pleasure, and photography.
Some people make day trips to view or hike across the bridges connecting New York City neighborhoods, but others are lucky enough to enjoy the sight from their living room or bedroom windows. We take a look at the most prominent bridges in the city skyline and listings looking out on them.
Opened in 2017
Designed by HNTB | Total length: 6,021 feet
Carries I-278 over Newtown Creek, connecting Greenpoint to Maspeth
Kosciuszko Bridge via Wiki Commons
One of the newest bridges in the five boroughs, the cable-stayed Kosciuszko Bridge over Newtown Creek represents the replacement for an older truss bridge of the same name. It features four traffic lanes and one 20-foot pedestrian and bike path, and is distinguished in the evening skyline by the cables lit up in different colors.
Skyline Tower, #5709 (Modern Spaces)
Greene, #PH3C (Nest Seekers LLC)
Opened in 1910
Designed by Alfred P. Boller and General John Newton | Total Length: 1,892 feet
Carries highway over the Harlem River, connecting Harlem and South Bronx
NYC DOT
As spectators of the New York City Marathon know, the Madison Avenue Bridge connects the Bronx to Manhattan, bringing the runners back to Madison Avenue for the race's final leg in Manhattan. On any other day of the year, it is open to car traffic and MTA express and local buses.
The Motto BX, #15F (Nest Seekers LLC)
Opened in 1936
Design by David B. Steinman | Total Length: 2,208 feet
Carries Henry Hudson Parkway over Spuyten Duyvil Creek, connecting Inwood to Spuyten Duyvil
Henry Hudson Bridge
The Henry Hudson Bridge was named to commemorate the explorer's voyage on the Half Moon, which the arch of the bridge greatly resembles. When it opened in 1936, it was the longest plate girder arch and fixed arch bridge in the world. Today, it includes a pedestrian and cycling path along with car traffic lanes.
The Winston Churchill, #12M (Brown Harris Stevens Riverdale LLC)
Opened in 1951
Design by Othmar Hermann Ammann | Total Length: 1,247 feet
Connects Wards Island and East Harlem over the Harlem River
Wards Island Bridge (Ondel/CityRealty)
Making New York more pedestrian-friendly has picked up steam in the wake of the pandemic, but the Wards Island Bridge offered an early example of how this could work: It does not allow vehicular traffic, and is only open to pedestrians and cyclists, offering access to the greenery and playing fields of Randalls Island and Wards Island.
Chartwell House, #23F (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Opened in 1862
Designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould | Total Length: 87 feet
Connects Cherry Hill and the Ramble in Central Park
Bow Bridge (By Bryan Schorn - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12401681)
As of this writing, the Bow Bridge is closed for a two-month renovation. But when it is open, it is a popular spot for proposals, first dates, photography, and promenades in Central Park. It can be seen in films like Manhattan and The Way We Were.
50 West 66th Street, #40S
$22,250,000
Central Park West | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 3,547 ft2
50 West 66th Street, #40S (Recent Spaces for Extell Development)
Opened in 2018
Designed by HDR | Total Length: 16,368 feet
Carries I-87 and I-287 over Tappan Zee section of the Hudson River, connecting Tarrytown and Nyack
Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge via Wiki Commons
Also known as "The New Tappan Zee Bridge," the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was built to replace the old, overburdened Tappan Zee Bridge dating back to 1955. In addition to carrying automobile traffic, it includes a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians on the north span.
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Manor Towers, #14D (Brown Harris Stevens Riverdale LLC)
Opened in 2019
Designed by WXY Architecture | Total Length: 230 feet
Connects Battery Park City and the Financial District over West Street
Amidst the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11, two of the pedestrian bridges offering an alternative to crossing the busy West Street were damaged. One of the replacements was the Robert R. Douglass Bridge, also known as the West Thames Street Bridge; plans for it dated back to 2009, and it ultimately opened in late 2019. A dedication ceremony to name it in honor of a founding member of the Downtown Alliance took place in 2021.
The Visionaire, #11D (Corcoran Group)
Opened in 1909
Designed by Leffert L. Buck and Henry Hornbostel | Total Length: 7,449 feet
Carries NY25 over the East River, connecting Sutton Place and Long Island City
The Queensboro Bridge
The Queensboro Bridge is also known as the 59th Street Bridge and the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, but there is no mistaking this two-level cantilever bridge over the East River. It is part of the New York City Marathon as well as the Five Boro Bike Tour.
Cannon Point North, #10E
$995,000
Beekman/Sutton Place | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,400 ft2
Cannon Point North, #10E (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Cannon Point South, #20I
$1,495,000
Beekman/Sutton Place | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,400 ft2
Cannon Point South, #20I (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
One Sutton Place South, #4C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Opened in 1964
Designed by Leopold Just | Total Length: 13,700 feet
Carries I-278 over the Narrows, connecting Staten Island and Fort Hamilton
All images via Compass
While the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (commonly referred to by either parts of its name) has long since been surpasses as the longest suspension bridge in the world, it remains the only fixed crossing of the Narrows, a small body of water connecting New York Harbor with Lower New York Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Views of it were once limited to south Brooklyn, but the new Downtown Brooklyn skyline is also positioned to make the most of bridge and river vistas.
11 Hoyt, #50H (Corcoran Group)
Opened in 1931
Designed by Othmar Ammann | Total Length: 4,760 feet
Carries I-95 and US 1/9 across the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee, NJ and Washington Heights
George Washington Bridge via Compass
With 14 vehicular lanes spread across two levels, the George Washington Bridge is the busiest motor vehicle bridge in the world and an important travel corridor in the New York metropolitan area. A large, free-flying American flag is hung from the bridge on special occasions, and the suspension towers make it a striking addition to the skyline all year long.
Castle Village, #82 (Compass)
The Ammann, #8A (Bohemia Realty Group LLC)
Opened in 1903
Designed by Henry Hornbostel | Total Length: 7,308 feet
Carries I-278 across the East River, connecting the Lower East Side and Williamsburg
Today marks the 120th anniversary of the Williamsburg Bridge. Over the decades, it has gone from carrying trolley lines and railways to eight lanes of vehicular traffic and two New York City subway tracks; there are also two walkway and bike paths. Its tenure as the longest suspension bridge in the world was brief, having been supplanted by the Bear Mountain Bridge in the 1920s, but has experienced a new appreciation following the recent opening of Domino Park.
East River Coop, #L1606 (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
The Gretsch, #8J (Serhant LLC)
Opened in 1909
Designed by Leon Moisseiff | Total Length: 6,855 feet
Carries I-278 across the East River, connecting Chinatown and Downtown Brooklyn
The Manhattan Bridge via Triumph Property Group
When the Manhattan Bridge opened in the early 20th century, it served as a model for many other suspension bridges taking shape in New York and indeed all across America. Today it carries four lanes of vehicular traffic on the upper level and three lanes of vehicular traffic and four subway tracks on the lower level; it also features a walkway on the west side and a bikeway on the east. When embarking on the bridge on the Manhattan side, the arch and colonnade allow for a dramatic entrance.
1 John Street, #PHE (Sothebys International Realty)
One Manhattan Square, #57C
$3,470,000
Lower East Side | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 1,487 ft2
One Manhattan Square, #57C (Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group)
Sweeney Building, #PHB (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Opened in 1883
Designed by John A. Roebling, Washington Roebling, and Emily Warren Roebling | Total Length: 6,016 feet
Carries roadway over the East River, connecting the Financial District and Brooklyn Heights
Wikimedia. Credit: Alexander Rotker
Between its status as the first fixed crossing of the East River and its Neo-Gothic design, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world and a major New York City icon. It has six lanes of vehicular traffic, but is an extremely popular pedestrian destination. A protected, two-way bike lane opened in September 2021.
Olympia, #PHB (Sothebys International Realty)
Eagle Warehouse & Storage Company, #6M
$625,000 (-3.8%)
Brooklyn Heights | Cooperative | Studio, 1 Bath | 652 ft2
Eagle Warehouse & Storage Company, #6M (Corcoran Group)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
