​Most tourists focus on Statue of Liberty view from Staten Island Ferry; walk to other side of boat for a wonderful view of the Verrazano Narrows-Bridge. On this post, you see a bunch of photos of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. I chose this image because it illustrates how many ideas, happy and sad, you can get from a single photo. To me, here are some of the things it represents: (1) it connects Brooklyn and Staten Island, both places where I grew up; (2) the cables remind me of string instruments, which my wife teaches; (3) it's the starting point for the New York Marathon, which one of my brothers once ran; (4) I vividly remember the smoke billowing out of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 in the direction of the bridge as I arrived at work in Newark, New Jersey, about 10 miles west of the tragic events that were unfolding; (5) it reminds me as well of the first responders, many of whom lived or worked on Staten Island, who crossed the bridge that day and gave their lives; (6) it reminds me of what a great ride the Staten Island Ferry is, with the bridge on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other; (7) I visualize John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever describing the construction of the bridge while sitting on a bench with his girlfriend along the water; (8) it's the entrance to New York Harbor, through which many immigrants passed before the bridge was built, on their way to Ellis Island; (9) although my high school is in the shadow of the Bayonne Bridge, it brightens my day that I have reconnected with Staten Island friends from decades ago via social media, who have been tremendously supportive during challenging times, including a life-threatening health scare with my daughter; (10) it reminds me of how this "forgotten borough" has a population approaching half a million, larger than many well-known cities with multiple professional sports teams; and (11) with the population growth has come major traffic congestion that is ever-present.
Ultimately, the opening of the bridge in 1964 led to rapid development of many parts of Staten Island, transforming what once was considered to be rural into something mostly suburban. My mother reminds me that years ago it took about seven minutes to get to the bridge from the western part of the Staten Island Expressway. These days, one can see a great deal of construction in increasingly narrower spaces, at times giving it more of an urban feel.
Ultimately, the opening of the bridge in 1964 led to rapid development of many parts of Staten Island, transforming what once was considered to be rural into something mostly suburban. My mother reminds me that years ago it took about seven minutes to get to the bridge from the western part of the Staten Island Expressway. These days, one can see a great deal of construction in increasingly narrower spaces, at times giving it more of an urban feel.
|  One World Trade Center in July 4 display with bridge looking like a lit string of pearls. |  Space Shuttle passes Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. |
