Today I had to set up the mile markers for a half marathon along Shore Road Park. It is a 4.25 mile stretch of green that separates the Belt Parkway from The Upper Bay and Gravesend Bay. I started work just after it got light and paused to take this photo. I tried to figure out what ship that is. I failed, but this is a cools site.
 |
| that date is correct. |
The Race Started in front of Owl Head Pier. The first time I was there was almost 5 years ago when I chaperoned a class trip for my then 2nd grader.
On the bus ride there I mentioned that I remember when Owl Head Pier was where the ferry used to go to Staten Island.
That comment started an unexpected conversation on the bus among all the adults. "What do you mean? A ferry from Brooklyn to Staten Island?? Why would we need that." Apparently I was the only native New Yorker adult on the bus and that is not uncommon in Park Slope. The vast majority of adults I know grew up somewhere else.
"Well" I said, "that bridge was not always there. I don't remember when it being built, but it was built in my lifetime." (In fact it opened when I was one year old). With that my daughter was given an extra credit assignment. She was asked to interview her grandmother and ask her what is was like to live in Brooklyn when the Verrazano Bridge was being built. She reported back to her class that most Brooklynites were confused as to the need for a bridge. There was nothing in Staten Island but farms and the only reason to go there was if you wanted to go camping.
Things have changed. It is a good thing we built that bridge.
Posts
Thanks CU, that was very interesting, nice pic too!
ReplyDelete