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In a prior post, the Grand Street Bridge spanning Newtown Creek between Brooklyn and Queens (some 3.1 miles from the East River) was described in some detail – check it out. As it happens, I chanced across a historic shot of the 1903 swing bridge not too long ago which is not at all dissimilar to a relatively recent shot of mine, so I thought we’d revisit the thing.

The modern shot (above) is captured from the water, as recreating the 1910 era shot below (from the bulkheads of the south eastern or Brooklyn side) would require probable trespass and the attentions of the gendarme. Instead, I was in the company of Captain John Lipscomb from Riverkeeper, who regularly patrols the waterway while collecting water samples for scientific analysis. We were in a rowboat, by the way.

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Photo from Engineering magazine, Volume 38, 1910- courtesy Google Books

While it does seem true that the Grand Street Bridge has changed little in the intervening century, the primary difference between then and now is that it doesn’t function as a movable span anymore due to a lack of maritime customers. Imagine, an industrial canal starting at the East River that leads right to the borders of Maspeth, Ridgewood, and Bushwick that has no maritime customers. The stalwart engineers and mechanics of the DOT do open it for maintenance, periodically, and much to the chagrin of many a weekend driver.

Newtown Creek Alliance Historian Mitch Waxman lives in Astoria and blogs at Newtown Pentacle.


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. My dad used to take that bridge when he took the streets home to Queens from his store in Brooklyn, so I know that area pretty well. I remember there was once a time when it was out of commission for a long time (over a year?), but I don’t remember the details.