Happy Centennial to the Queensboro Bridge, my fantastic beautiful bridge!
(My grandfather used to call me his “fantastic beautiful,” isn’t that the sweetest thing ever? He also called me faccia bella and his “Number One.” Oh yeah, I was loved.)
Today is the 100th Anniversary of the first-ever automobile crossing of the Queensboro Bridge. I’d every intention of jogging across it to mark the occassion*–what better way to celebrate a bridge than to use it for that which it was designed? In addition to elegantly serving a very practical purpose, bridges are perfect, three-dimensional metaphors. I say, amen to all of the over-water crossings of the five boroughs, but I say thank you especially for my favorite metaphor. No one will ever be able to persuade me the 59th Street Bridge doesn’t exist just to make me smile, to help me train harder, and to give me a private space for thought.
(I’m sentimental, but I’m no fool. The hamstring feels no better than yesterday; in fact it could possibly hurt more. I struggled opening heavy doors today as I had no leg leverage, and I do believe I limped up a flight of stairs at lunch. Running, especially up hills or at speed, is simply not an option until the doctor tells me it’s alright.)
In lieu of a new bridge run here on PF, I give you a look back at some of my favorite moments running over the Queensboro Bridge. I’ve run over several New York City bridges, including the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge, but I don’t care what anyone says: none of them hold a candle to my bridge. The 59th Street Bridge brings me home; everything else pales in comparison.
- September 2, 2006, “Feelin’ Groovy” (the first crossing)
- April 17, 2008, “JJ: The Opposite of Snowbirds“
- September 29, 2008, “Glitter“
- November 8, 2008, “ING New York City Marathon (miles 13.1 through 21)”
- January 1, 2009, “Winning the Blue Teddy Bear“
- March 26, 2009, “JJ: Don’t Piove on My Parade“
*According to the Daily News, official celebrations will occur the week of May 31st, if enough funds can be raised. If I weren’t already running a marathon for Dan and Team Fox…! I did just give my bridge a birthday present, though.
Pigtails Flying 
I’m sad to hear you weren’t able to run over your bridge to celebrate the anniversary. Hopefully you’ll be able to run it during the official celebration.
You, of course, are but a child. I first moved to the City on August 20, 1978, for law school. The major NY papers were on strike. One day, “Not The New York Times” appeared for sale at newstands. Its most memorable image was of your beloved bridge.
Now I’m old enough to remember when the Verrazano was being built, when there was no roadway.
Best moment on your Bridge: 2006 Marathon, a maybe 30 meter stretch was completely black because it was shrouded in a huge tarp (before that was a bad word) on the uphill. And when I say it was black, it was black.
Congrats to your Bridge (I’m a BB guy myself — it was always the way to grandmother’s house in Bay Ridge). And people will celebrate your running over it again soon enough.
Joe, I was three years old in August of 1978!
My dad has told me stories about coming home from being stationed in Germany and seeing the Verranzano being built in towards the center of the river from each bank.
I like the headline “Pope Dies Yet Again, Reign Is Briefest Ever.” Funny stuff.
I like the irony of your 2006 59th Street Bridge crossing: you were running over a bridge, but you may as well have been running through a tunnel.
At that point in 2006, I knew I was in trouble for having gone out too fast and was wondering just how far I made it up First Avenue before the wheels fell off. I actually made it back into Manhattan before that happened, right at the base of the Madison Avenue Bridge.
And Ike was president when I was 3.
Who’s Ike?? =)
You’d like him.
I use to walk across the Granville St bridge almost everyday when I lived in Van- it’s open to the ocean so it always felt like you were going to get swept off by the wind. I loved it.
Hey TK,
Funny, I ran over the QB bridge last night, and until I read your blog today I had no idea that it was the centennial. Traversing that bridge is an utterly urban experience.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful & flattering review of turfcasts!
[…] By the way, this was my first run over the 59th St Bridge (since I live on the Manhattan side, that is what I call it, NOT the Queensboro Bridge) since it’s centennial last month. I’m hoping there are some commemorative events in May. See PigtailsFlying coverage and thoughts here. […]
[…] to finally run over the bridge I’ve heard so much about from NYC marathoners and, of course, TK. The climb was great, but when I hit the top and started the downhill, my knee went from painful to […]