In 1964, The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened connecting Brooklyn to Staten Island. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time. It defined Bay Ridge and changed the community mostly for the better.
I grew up being able to see this bridge being constructed as well as the World Trade Towers. All from Sunset Park.
I remember my dad taking me and my mom over that Thanksgiving weekend for a drive over the bridge as a family outing. It was a thrill and a memory that lasts until today. Read this article if you are interested in such matters. Thank you.
i also remember when the bridge was built as my grandparents lived off of flatbush avenue in the 60s.. .meant we didn’t have to go through manhatten and the battery tunnel to get to her apartment anymore. . ..but it also meant we would miss the great joy of riding the staten island ferry!! greatest ride in the world was taking your car onto the ferry and going across New York harbor, seeing the statue of liberty, governors island, ellis island, and lower manhatten!!!. …to me, one of the great tragedies of 9/11 was that they stopped letting cars on the staten island ferry…to me, it has never made any sence. ..fly planes into buildings and the kneejerk response was to stop letting cars on the ferry. ..oh sure, you can still walk on and take the ride. ..but its not the same. …i miss the ferry!! oh yeah, its now $13.00 one way toll on the verrazzano bridge!!….and its still all rusty. . .they need to take better care of it to make it last …
Teddy I was just back in the Sunset Park area this weekend as my 94 year old Aunt Molly just passed away. Her funeral mass was held in Saint Michael’s church and she was buried in historic Greenwood cemetery along side my uncle Leo who both originated from Newfoundland. Saint Michael’s church is exactly as I remembered absolutely breath taking inside. The beauty is beyond anything I can describe in words. All I can say is “its worth a visit”. Call the rectory in advance to be sure the church will be open. Greenwood cemetery has so many beautiful mausoleums and buildings. Its amazing this huge cemetery with all its green grass & trees is located inside city limits.
My Aunt Molly’s son was an iron worker and was injured while building the bridge. It was probably his first job after getting out of the service. At the wake, they passed around a photo of the largest American flag hanging from the Verrazano Bridge. Now U have me thinking about climbing the park wall, sleigh ridding down Dead Mans Hill, and jumping off the high dive into the sixteen foot pool. Lots of fond memories and its good to be a kid who grew up in Brooklyn.
Back to business, Rock The Red, Lets Go Caps! OVIE, OVIE, OVIE!!