Shock of the New
The second, final span of the Kosciuszko Bridge will be opening to traffic on Thursday, four years earlier than expected. I still don't love the modern look of the two spans--since my heart remains with the old-school metal truss bridge it had been from 1939-2017, partly because it looks more atmospheric in my shots of First Calvary Cemetery--but I've grown almost fond of how they're lit up with colors for several hours at night even though I hated that at first. (They shut down the decorative light show later when fewer people are on the go to see it, conserving power.)
I still hate that these suspension spans are visible for miles during the day because they're so tall and they just look so utilitarian and don't match anything around them.
I'm actually happy that there's a pedestrian and bicycle section on the new piece, since the view of Manhattan from the Kosciuszko is amazing, day or night, though I prefer night. (And by day it may lead to some interesting cemetery shots!)
The city is going to create a park with art and cultural events beneath the bridge. I'm not sure how well some of that will go over though, since with the traffic fumes and industrial businesses nearby, the air isn't all that great. People familiar with my First Calvary photos might remember how some of the statues there look melted. (Examples 1, 2, 3, and 4.)
Checking out the Wikipedia entry for the Kosciuszko showed me something I hadn't realized before, that the nameplate of the bridge bears both the American eagle emblem and the Polish white eagle emblem, probably because the bridge was named for Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish volunteer who was a General in the American Revolutionary War. It's a nice touch.
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I still hate that these suspension spans are visible for miles during the day because they're so tall and they just look so utilitarian and don't match anything around them.
I'm actually happy that there's a pedestrian and bicycle section on the new piece, since the view of Manhattan from the Kosciuszko is amazing, day or night, though I prefer night. (And by day it may lead to some interesting cemetery shots!)
The city is going to create a park with art and cultural events beneath the bridge. I'm not sure how well some of that will go over though, since with the traffic fumes and industrial businesses nearby, the air isn't all that great. People familiar with my First Calvary photos might remember how some of the statues there look melted. (Examples 1, 2, 3, and 4.)
Checking out the Wikipedia entry for the Kosciuszko showed me something I hadn't realized before, that the nameplate of the bridge bears both the American eagle emblem and the Polish white eagle emblem, probably because the bridge was named for Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish volunteer who was a General in the American Revolutionary War. It's a nice touch.
You can comment here or at the Dreamwidth crosspost.
comments at Dreamwidth.