Black and White Sunday and more bridges!

Today I will tell you a little bit more about the neighborhood called Dumbo. What it stands for is “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” Most people know about the Brooklyn Bridge. Its fame is assumed. How many non-New Yorkers know about the Manhattan Bridge and the area around it?

Manhattan Bridge and the Dumbo neighborhood at dusk

According to one article from The Brooklyn Ink,  “Dumbo went from an underutilized waterfront area to a thriving industrial, commercial  and tech hub.”  For anyone interested in NYC, this is a terrific article chronicling the area.  When I worked there from 1998-2003, it was still mainly industrial. I had to be careful walking to the subway. There was one divey pizza place. Returning there recently, it was if a new civilization had occurred. I was almost thinking: maybe the old one is hidden beneath. I had the feeling that if I began digging, I might find that past life. I wandered down streets with red brick buildings, and found my old work building. Standing in front of it at dusk looking in at the remodeled antechamber, a coldness swept over me.

My old friend, the Manhattan Bridge

Many of us experienced many things in that building, not the least of which was 911.  On the day 911 happened, my co-workers watched from the windows of our agency building as the WTC caught fire and went down. It was just across the water, so close that it looked like you could touch it.

Here I was trudging around , feeling a sense of dislocation, and there was a light show going on. The crowds had a surreal texture to them as I headed for the subway and just narrowly made it onto the subway platform, needing to see Twinkle, Livvie and Kessie, larger-than-life present-day personalities.

I’m Twinkle and I don’t like bridges!

We are joining Sugar the Golden Retriever and Dachshund Nola for Black and White Sunday, even if it is a little late in the day for it! Thanks to them for hosting.