Bridge Analysis

When you ride a bike and live in Brooklyn, bridges end up forming a large part of your existence. On a day-to-day basis, I can find myself facing the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, 59th St/Queensborough, and/or Triborough Bridges. And these are not just convenient connectors from Point A to Point B; each has its own personality, vibe, soul.

Brooklyn: A classic, of course. If you're picking only one to walk over, it's probably this. You... and every other tourist. Which doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Just be prepared to move slowly, and for god's sake stay out of the bike lane.

Williamsburg: Thick and industrial from a distance -- nothing to write home about -- but up close, inside, it changes character completely. Instead of squat and grey, suddenly it's bright red. Biking across, partly because of the red, and partly because it goes up, then down, then up and down again, feels like riding a long, slow roller coaster. It's a fun bridge, but it can get crowded. They're local crowds though, unlike the Brooklyn, so everyone generally knows enough to stay out of everyone else's way. Cool views of the Empire State Building and Domino Sugar Factory are also a plus. It's the bridge on which you're most likely to encounter skateboarders.

Manhattan: My personal favourite. Closest to the Brooklyn, it tends to suffer by comparison -- sort of a little-brother situation. But... It's nicer to walk across, if you're making a habit of it, waaaay nicer to bike across, and, frankly, it's prettier. The Brooklyn has those iconic stone arches, but the Manhattan is blue and sort of lacy, and anyway it gives you views of the Brooklyn.

Triborough: It's only very recently I've become familiar with this one. How often, really, does one need to travel between upper Queens and Harlem? As it turns out: sometimes, actually, these days. And I'm glad of it. Riding across the Triborough, in this case, means taking two bridges, with a cut across Randall's Island in between. This is not a bad thing; like the Triborough itself, Randall's is weird and empty and cooler than you expect. The Harlem > Randall's section is the more normal bit. Randall's > Queens is where it gets a little trippy. Great views on both sides (Hell Gate on the left; Manhattan on the right) and a complete lack of fence next to you, so that one good tip will send you plummeting to your watery doom.

59th St/Queensborough: My least favourite. It's not longer, but it feels longer. It's boring and brown and altogether unclear on whether pedestrians or bikers should stay to the right. And then it dumps you in Midtown.

RECIPE: Black Bean Soup, with a secret ingredient.