There are several beautiful bridges in New York City. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world.The Verrazano Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. However, there is one bridge on the upper west side of Manhattan that does not get as much recognition. This bridge is the only bridge in the city that connects New York to another State. This bridge is the George Washington Bridge and it has a very interesting history.

Construction on the George Washington Bridge started in 1927. The Bridge was designed by Othmar Ammann, a swiss architect. When Ammann came over to the states he started working with Gustav Lindenthal, a famous bridge architect. Lindenthal wanted to build a bridge that connected New York and New Jersey but his vision was too complex; he wanted the bridge to carry several railroad tracks as well as a pedestrian walkway. Lindenthal’s idea was too ambitious and expensive. Ammann thought the bridge should be simple and submitted a design to the Port of New York Authority and it was eventually chosen.

Othmar Ammann and the bridge Source: http://www.ethistory.ethz.ch/rueckblicke/departemente/dbaug/bilder/AmmannPortrait3.jpg

The Bridge was constructed in several phases. Construction workers first built the two towers of the bridge. Next the workers strung the main cables over the towers from both sides of the shore. Workers then hung steel suspenders from the cables, which would support the roadway. The last step was to build the roadway and hang it from the suspenders. Ammann designed the two towers to be covered in granite but it was eventually decided that it was best to leave the steel frames bare because it would cost too much money and the country was in the Great Depression.

source: http://www.panynj.gov/photo/bridges-tunnels/gwb-history-content-2.jpg

After four years of hard work, the George Washington Bridge was inaugurated and opened to the public on October 25, 1931.

Gov. Morgan F. Larson of New Jersey and Gov. Franklin Roosevelt of New York at the inauguration. Source:http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/02/18/nyregion/CITYROOM-BRIDGE2/CITYROOM-BRIDGE2-blog480.jpg

Source: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/02/18/nyregion/CITYROOM-BRIDGE/CITYROOM-BRIDGE-articleInline.jpg

In its first full year of operation, the bridge served more than 5.5 million vehicles. At the time, the bridge had the longest center span in the world.

The George Washington Bridge will turn 81 years old this year. The biggest difference between the bridge now and when it first opened is the lower deck that was added in 1962.

With old age comes a lot of wear and tear so the George Washington Bridge is need of some repairs. In December 2011, the Port Authority authorized $15.5 million in repairs which will eventually rise to $1 billion. The biggest part of the repairs will be replacing the 592 vertical suspenders of the bridge. While the bridge is not in danger of collapse, most bridges need to get their suspenders replaced every 70 years so the port authority decided it was best to start the process now rather than at a time when it is critical and would cause lane closures. This process will take a long time because no more than three suspenders can be removed at a time or the bridge will destabilize. The suspenders will be replaced using a system that was used on the Golden Gate Bridge. A rolling platform will be placed on the main cables and workers will work from above to replace the suspenders. The restoration will also include cleaning the anchors that tie down the two towers, replacing broken wires in cables, and replacing dehumidifiers in the chambers of the anchors. The main cables of the bridge will also be cleaned by workers. The whole restoration is expected to take eight years and create 3,600 jobs.

The George Washington Bridge in the Evening. Photo by Semyon Toybis

The Port Authority runs a bus station right by the George Washington Bridge. This station is a big transportation and retail space but has been neglected since the 1960s. In 2008, a plan was put together by the Port Authority to renovate the station, but this plan fell through because of the recession. However in 2011, the Port Authority agreed to a deal to renovate the station with SJM Partners and Slayton Equities. The deal will bring a $183 million renovation to the station, of which the Port Authority will provide $80 million. The renovation is set to begin in January 2012 and will be completed in the spring of 2013.

This renovation deal is huge for the Washington Heights Community. Not only will the renovation bring jobs to the community, but the opening of new stores in the retail areas of the station will improve the local economy as well. SJM plans to lease a 25,000 square foot retail area to a supermarket, a 25,000 square foot retail area to a women’s clothing store, and a 20,000 square foot retail area to a fitness center. Other businesses will also be interested in setting up shop at this station because the station is exempt from property taxes because it is a public building and because it is located in a low income area. These stores will provide places to shop not only for Washington Heights residents, but also for residents of New Jersey who commute across the bridge to their workplaces in Washington Heights, such as the employees of the Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian hospital.

The George Washington Bridge has a long history. It has connected the people of New York and New Jersey and made an economic impact on both states and the Washington Heights neighborhood. The Bridge has been effected by both the depression and the recession. Although it is getting old, with the new renovations the George Washington Bridge will serve us for a long time.

Works Cited

Hansen, Brett. 2008. “Simplifying the Suspension: The George Washington Bridge.” Civil Engineering (08857024) 78, no. 9: 36-37. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost(accessed April 13, 2012).

Haughney, Christine. “George Washington Bridge Needs Replacement Surgery – NYTimes.com.” The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/nyregion/george-washington-bridge-cables-to-be-replaced.html?_r=1 (accessed April 13, 2012).

“History – George Washington Bridge – The Port Authority of NY & NJ.” The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/gwb-history.html (accessed April 13, 2012).

Hughes, C. J.. “George Washington Bridge Bus Station to Get Renovation – NYTimes.com.” The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/realestate/commercial/george-washington-bridge-bus-station-to-get-renovation.html (accessed May 13, 2012).

Maeder, Jay. “Naming Bridges Has Long Been Contentious – NYTimes.com.” NYTimes.com. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/way-back-machine-naming-that-bridge/ (accessed April 13, 2012).

A Sketch of Washington Square Park in the 1880s http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/washington-square/

Although Washington Square Park, named after the United States’ first president, is a beautiful and relaxing escape for many people today, it started off as a six and a half acre common burial ground in 1787 and remained as such until 1826.  In 1827, The Seventh New York Militia expanded the field by nearly eight acres and turned it into a “drill field,” where  “the militia’s heavy artillery sometimes unearthed crushed coffins and skulls” (Moke).  Despite these conditions, wealthy and powerful families, also known as “Knickerbockers,” moved from diseased and crowded downtown Manhattan to the relatively unpopulated Washington Square Park area.  The Knickerbockers built extravagant mansions, also known as Greek Revival mansions around the square (NYCgovparks.org).  Today, the mansions on the south side are no longer standing, but the ones on the north side are still there.

"An Italian-American cop chatting with a group of Italian-Americans in Washington Square Park" Feb. 1943 Photograph by Marjory Collins

The increasing popularity of the square and formation of the Department of PublicParks in 1870 led M.A. Kellogg, Engineer-in-Chief, and I.A. Pilat, Chief Landscape Gardener, to renovate and officially turn the field into a park (NYCgovparks.org).  The marble Washington Square Arch, which replaced a wooden arch, was built and completed in 1890-1892 to celebrate George Washington’s 100^th anniversary of his inauguration.  American architect Stanford White led the project, which was funded by wealthy residents who lived around the area.

New York, New York. Washington Square arch
Photo Taken by Edwin Rosskam
1941 Dec.

Washington Square Arch
Photo Taken by Michelle Guo
2012 April

Washington Square Park’s reputation shifted from being a park surrounded by and visited by wealthy individuals to a bohemian public park filled with artists, entertainers, and students during the Great Depression.  The park’s first art fair was held in 1932 to help struggling artists have a source of income in the sinking economy; artists brought their artwork to sell and entertainers showcased their talents to earn tips.  As nice as this sounds, artists were lucky if they walked away with more than a couple dollars.  Even well-known and successful novelists and poets were not immune to the damaging effects of the Great Depression on the arts.  Macy Halford, a writer for The New Yorker, posted an article about the talented, struggling artists in Washington Square Park during the Great Depression:

Maxwell Bodenheim, a best-selling novelist who lost everything in the crash of 1929, was forced to peddle poems for twenty-five cents apiece in Washington Square Park… he wrote in 1934: ‘There’s something wrong with this world all right, but I can’t put my finger on it… Something must be wrong when a fellow can’t get a decent wage, can’t tell when he’s going to be fired, can’t look forward to any promise of happiness.  Something is rotten somewhere.’

Depression in Washington Square Park
Sketch by Eugenia Hughes
1930s

The Raven Poetry Circle of Greenwich Village also relied on Washington Square Park for sales.  Francis Lambert McCrudden founded the group in May 1933 after he retired from his job as a telephone worker.   The majority of his poems dealt with “the value of hard work despite the ruined economy” (Boog).  According to The New York Historical Society, the park was an essential element to the groups’ success:

The group held yearly exhibitions off Washington Square Park, in which members’ poetry was tacked to a fence at Thompson Street and Washington Square South for public display and potential sale. Poems generally sold at prices ranging from a quarter up to a dollar, the latter for particularly fine work.

At the end of 1934, legendary architect and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses announced that he had plans to “dress Washington Square Park in some new clothes” (The Villager).   Although Moses stated his vision was to “renew and replenish the pride which was in Village hearts” for the “grand old open space,” Greenwich Village residents protested against the redesigning of the park.  In the March 14, 1935 issue of The Villager, Moses’ full landscape renovation plan was posted on the front page.  He wanted to wipe out all traces of the 1870 park design and instead create a ceremonial garden theme.  Some of the greatest changes included taking away the park’s fountain and replacing it with a pool that would align perfectly with the marble arch as seen from Fifth Avenue.   However, because the residents around the park objected to the new landscape plan and complained relentlessly, the 1870 park design remained untouched (The Villager).

Nearly three decades later, Washington Square Park was still a popular destination for musicians to showcase their talents, whether it was for much-needed tips, or just to entertain the public.  However, in 1961, newly appointed Parks Commissioner Newbold Morris announced that musicians would no longer be permitted to sing or play music in the park because he wanted to “protect the Washington Square grass” (Time).  At first, the musicians protested peacefully by marching around the park and carrying signs that said “We Want to Continue As We Have in the Past.” However, the protest turned violent when an 18-year-old zitherist played the intro chords to “We Shall Not Be Moved” and was arrested and forced into a police van.  The other musicians were outraged and a small fight broke out between the protestors and the police. According to policemen at the scene, one folk singer “banjoed a lawman on the ankle” and then ran to a nearby church to repent (Time). Parks Commissioner Morris attempted to negotiate with the folk singers by inviting them to play in the East River Park.  However, two days later, Morris announced that because Greenwich Village residents enjoyed the presence of folk singers in Washington Square Park, the musicians were allowed to stay.

In 1986, Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern closed Washington Square Park for three days to clean and repair the park in an attempt to “rid the park of drug dealers” (The New York Times).  Once the park reopened to the public, Parks Commissioner Stern announced some changes; the park would now be closed from midnight to 7:00AM everyday and visitors were no longer permitted to bring radios or glass containers inside the park.  Greenwich Village residents supported this renovation of Washington Square Park and the new regulations were implemented without any trouble.

In 2005, a renovation plan similar to Robert Moses’ 1934 renovation plan was proposed by the Parks Department.  According to an article published in The New York Times, the Parks Department wanted to move the fountain so that it would be aligned to the Washington Square Arch, flatten out the playground and asphalt, and install a four-foot-high granite and iron fence around the park that would lock at night.  Once again, Greenwich Village residents were in uproar about this new design; residents believed the monetary and environmental costs were too great and advocated that Washington Square Park “did not need a facelift” (Williams).  However, in 2007 the Manhattan Supreme Court approved the renovation plans (Sullivan).  Washington Square Park is still being renovated today.  Phase I of the renovation was completed around May 2011 and Phase II is currently taking place.  To follow up on the progress of the renovation at the park, check out this website:
http://ny.curbed.com/tags/washington-square-park-renovation

Today, Washington Square Park is still a bohemian and family-friendly hangout area located in Greenwich Village.  The park is open year-round and accessible by the A, B, C, D, E, F, or V train to West 4^th St/Washington Square (topsightseeing.com).  Its 9.74 acres are filled with students, artists, and families (NYCgovparks.org).  NYU buildings and dorms circle the perimeter of the park, so the park is often associated with the university.  The park still holds two art fairs annually—one in May and one in September.   According to the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit website, the fairs take place “every Memorial Day Weekend and the weekend that follows and every Labor Day weekend and the weekend that follows that” (wsoae.org).  This event is designed to give talented artists and artisans from around the world an opportunity to gather in New York City to showcase their art.

Washington Square Park is also frequently the home of a variety of other events.  Most recently, on April 7, 2012, New York City’s 7^th Annual Pillow Fight took place at the park.  Although I did not participate, I witnessed countless New Yorkers (mostly students) smack each other with pillows, which ended in a fun feathery mess.  This event proved to me that to this day, Washington Square Park has maintained its reputation as a laid back yet beautiful spot for people of all ages to relax, hang out, and have fun.  It is one of the few public areas in Manhattan where one can be a step away from both a beautiful garden and a busy, skyscraper-lined street filled with NYC taxis. 

**For some reason the photo captioning is not working for me on all the pictures, but all the unlabeled photos were taken by me**

Works Cited

Boog, Jason. “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The Believer Sept. 2010: n. pag. The Believer.
     Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.believermag.com/issues/201009/
     ?read=article_boog>.

Brewer, Cassie, and Cathy Morgan Hajo. “Depression – Washington Square Park,
     Sketch.” Greenwich Village History. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
     <http://aphdigital.org/GVH/items/show/211>.

“The Foggy, Foggy Don’t.” Time 77.17 (1961): 69. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29
Apr. 2012.

“Guide to the Raven Poetry Circle of Greenwich Village Collection.” The New York
     Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://dlib.nyu.edu/
     findingaids/html/nyhs/Raven.html>.

Halford, Macy. “Orphans of the Great Depression.” The New Yorker 27 Aug. 2010:
     n. pag. The New Yorker. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.newyorker.com/
     online/blogs/books/2010/08/orphans-of-the-great-depression.html>.

Hamil, Pete. Downtown: My Manhatan. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2004.
     Print.

“Manhattan: Renovation at Washington Square Park.” The New York Times. N.p., 4
     Dec. 2007. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/
     nyregion/04mbrfs-park.html>.

Moke, Bernadette. “Hidden History of Washington Square Park.” Untapped New York.
N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://newyork.untappedcities.com/2012/03/
16/hidden-history-of-washington-square-park/>.

O’Neill, David, and Lisa Darms. “Guide to the Washington Square Park.” New York
     University Archives. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://dlib.nyu.edu/
     findingaids/html/archives/washsquarephoto/dscref14.html>.

“Shades of ‘Emperor Moses’.” The Villager 1 Nov. 2006: n. pag. The Villager.
     Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://thevillager.com/villager_183/
     letterstotheeditor.html>.

“Stanford White.” The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
     <http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/w/
     stanford_white/index.html>.

Sullivan, John. “A Lost Fight over Washington Square Park’s Renovation.” The New
     York Times. N.p., 6 Dec. 2007. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
     <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/
     in-a-park-known-for-battles-a-fight-over-its-renovation/>.

“The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit – Now in Its 82nd Year!”
     Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
     <http://wsoae.org/>.

“Washington Square Park.” City of New York Parks and Recreation. N.p., n.d. Web.
     10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/historical-signs/
     listings?id=6537>.

“Washington Square Park.” Top Sightseeing. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
     <http://www.topsightseeing.com/usa/newyork/parks/
     washingtonsquarepark.htm>.

“Washington Square Park Renovation.” New York Times 23 Oct. 1986: 1. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.

Williams, Timothy. “Washington Square Park, Haven for Eccentricity, Is Set to
     Fall into Line.” The New York Times. N.p., 10 May 2005. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
     <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/10/nyregion/10park.html>.