The High Bridge and the Grand Concourse

It was a very warm November day, and I decided to walk the newly re-opened pedestrian-only High Bridge.  The bridge is in fact the oldest in New York; it was originally built in 1848 as part of the Croton Aqueduct system to bring water to New York City. It was closed for many years, and has been newly restored.  It connects upper Manhattan with the Bronx, spanning the Harlem River.  There are parks at either end; mostly in a state of neglect, but clearly on their way to being restored.   There is also a water tower at the Manhattan side, which was used to pump water to its ultimate destination, the 42nd street reservoir.  

View of the approach to the bridge through the park on the Manhattan side:

The bridge:

The walkway:

The view from the bridge is not really that great; you see the river, expressways, railroad tracks, etc.

Looking back towards Manhattan, with the water tower in the distance:

After you cross the bridge, you are in the Bronx.   I decided to head for the Grand Concourse, the famous boulevard of the Bronx, renowned for its Art Deco architecture.

On the way, I saw a few things...

A peculiar house, on the edge of the High Bridge Park (and a cliff)

 Who knew that Shakespeare had a street in the Bronx?

And yes, the Art Deco apartment buildings, built in the 1930's when the Bronx was the new place to go for the middle class.

This was once the tallest building in the Bronx, built in 1914

The invaluable AIA Guide to New York is a wonderful companion on these walks, especially as it is available in a Kindle version on my phone.

Other photos:

This would seem to be a church, in the process of being restored:

Old and new:

The Grand Concourse is a very long street!   I hope to return soon to see other parts of it..