Manhattan is of course an island, with the East River to the east, The Hudson river to the
west, New York Harbor to the south and the Harlem River to the north.
Boat and ferry service was unreliable, particularly in winter, when ice jams often
prevented boats from crossing.
Any crossing of water by a man-made structure would be a huge undertaking. But by the
mid-1800's, it became apparent that bridges were necessary, not only for the movement of
people, but for the very economic health of the region. Not only did people need to move
back and forth between job and home, but goods could be transported into and out of
Manhattan much more easily.
The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge was the first major step in linking Manhattan
Island to the surrounding areas. At the time, it was no small task just conceiving of such
a thing. The Brooklyn Bridge was only the first of an amazing system of complex bridges,
and later, tunnels, built to connect Manhattan with the rest of the region. Click on a
bridge in the menu on the upper right to find out more.
Bridges