The Verrazano Narrows Bridge,
Location: I-278
Crosses
The Narrows
Locale
New York City connecting from Staten Island to Brooklyn
Named in Honor of Giovanni da Verrazzano
1485–1528

This bridge was open on November 21, 1964 and connects the borough of Staten Island in to Brooklyn in New York City.The bridge is named after the Florentine
explorer
Giovanni da Verrazzano, however the name is misspelled on the bridge. In 1524 while
in the service of
Francis I of France
, Verrazzano became the first European to enter
New York Harbor
and the
Hudson River. According to statistics, over 22,000 cars travel over this bridge every week but that is a conservative number due to it only can count standard automobiles that can seat only five people, if you count city buses, commercial trucks,motorcycles,SUV’s,mini-vans etc. the number ir to that statistic is much , much more. Due to the economy that we are currently in the price for entry in to Staten Island via the bridge is sixteen dollars average when considering types of vehicles come through Staten Island. The Verrazano Bridge holds another historical location as it is the start line for the New York City Five Borough Marathon every November. Thousands of runners from across the world come to New York to run this history making event where the finish line is at Central Park. I will be running the next marathon for Parents Of Blind Children of New York. The funny thing about the Verrazano Bridge is that un-like the Brooklyn, Ed Koch bridge and Trhorgs neck Bridge which all look aged the Verrazano however has a sleek and a more modern look even though the bridge was built over fifty years ago and like most bridges has a bottom section where vehicles can drive over as well considering the vehicle type. Weather conditions played a big factor on the reasoning of this bridge also before the bridge was built, under normal conditions, the five miles crossing to Manhattan could be made in half
an hour, the mile crossing to Brooklyn in about ten minutes. But if the bay was heavy
with ice, or if a fog suddenly closed in, either trip could take much longer or not leave Staten Island at all. And
on clear days, when the ferries had no trouble in making their crossings on schedule,
they were often so crowded, particularly on summer weekends, that drivers had to
wait for hours to get to one. On the bridge, the crossing to Brooklyn can be made in three or four minutes.
The bridge will always have a special place for anyone who lives on Staten Island and Brooklyn. Staten Island is usually called the forgotten borough that lives in the shadow of the four other borough’s but to me it looks like an arch to places beyond New York City, like a gateway to other landmarks across the country.