Why is it ironic that the Verrazano Bridge in NY crosses over the hudson river?
359394
The bridge is named for Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano, the first known European navigator to enter New York Harbor and the Hudson River.\n\nThe naming of the bridge for Verrazano was highly controversial at the time. It was first proposed in 1951 by the Italian Historical Society of America, when the bridge was in the planning stage. After the initial proposal was turned down by Moses, the Society undertook a public relations campaign to both re-establish the reputation of the largely-forgotten Verrazano and to promote the idea of naming the bridge for him. The promotional campaign was largely the effort of Society director John N. LaCorte, who in 1954 successfully lobbied New York governor W. Averell Harriman to proclaim April 17 (the anniversary of Verrazano's arrival in the harbor) as "Verrazano Day". Subsequent efforts by LaCorte resulted in similar proclamations by governors of states along the East Coast. After these successes, LaCorte approached the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority again, but was turned down a second time. The manager of the authority, backed by Moses, stated that the name was too long and that he had never heard of Verrazano.\n\nThe Society later succeeded in lobbying to get a bill introduced in the New York State Assembly that would name the bridge for the explorer. After the introduction of the bill, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce joined the Society in promoting the name. The bill was signed into law in 1960 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Although the controversy seemed settled, the naming issue rose again in the last year of construction after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. A petition to name the bridge for Kennedy received thousands of signatures and threatened the naming for the explorer. In response, LaCorte contacted Attorney General Robert Kennedy, the president's brother, who told Lecorte that he would make sure the bridge would not be named for his brother. Coincidentally, the bridge opened just one day before the first anniversary of John Kennedy's death.\n \nThe Verrazano Narrows Bridge as seen from Brooklyn, New YorkDespite the success of LaCorte, the official name was widely ignored by local news outlets at the time of the dedication. Some radio announcers and newspapers omitted any reference to Verrazano, referring to the bridge as the "Narrows Bridge", or the "Brooklyn-Staten Island Bridge". The Society continued its lobbying efforts to promote the name in the following years until the name became firmly established.
856450
Can't be done! In fact, living there may jeopardize your ability to converse in English. This is the reason most New Yorkers rarely cross the Hudson unless there's a good concert over there.\n\nJust kidding! There are the Berlitz schools all over NJ - not to mention more colleges & language schools than you can shake an obi at.
1114140
Past events to be put aside~by gones\n\nIt means that something is in the past and no longer important. \n\n"My sister and I fought when we were children, but that's water under the bridge."\n\nI think the analogy is that water under the bridge is constantly moving toward the sea. That's a little abstract, so you might also imagine dropping a leaf into the water from atop a bridge. By watching the leaf float down river you'd be witnessing the progress of the water.
239432
East River in NewYork has a rep for this
85826
It has a hole in it to represent a piazza. This is a major signifcance in Italy.
764860
I can understand where you see the parallels. In America, we have become accustomed to quick, easy, almost bloodless victories. We love to turn on the evening news and watch another bridge get blown to pieces. I understand that you aren't talking about the amount of US casualties one or two above mentioned. I would have to say right now no, it's not another Vietnam.... Ask me again in a year.
1043888
here is an anagram of my answer, just because it means so much more than words can say http://www.budowle.pl/budowle/grafika/ameryka_polnocna/world_trade_center_16.jpg
177750
Maybe the Ohio River.  It wrong because its a different state but it runs through.
287822
There are sections of the river (in Quebec) where the tides cause the river to flow upstream.  This still happens today.
70354
because it has river banks
580780
The Oregon City Bridge is a steel arch bridge that spans the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon. It was built and is owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) as part of Oregon Highway 43 and is the southernmost Willamette bridge in the Portland metropolitan area.\n\nThe bridge is 745 ft. (227 m) in length and 28 ft. (8½ m) wide with a 360 ft. (110 m) long main span that provides 49 ft. (15 m) of vertical clearance at low river levels. The narrow width causes problems for the two bus lines and other big vehicles that cross it, often times requiring traffic going in the other direction to stop. In addition, it is the only bridge in Oregon to be encased in gunite, which protects it from corrosion due to the sulfur dioxide emissions from paper mills south of the bridge. The concrete look was favored by bridge designer Conde McCullough, designer of 500 Oregon bridges. His signature detailing is evident in the obelisk pylons with sconced light fixtures, ornate railings, and Art Deco piers.\n\nThe Oregon City Bridge is just downstream from the 40 ft. tall Willamette Falls and the Willamette Falls Locks, the oldest navigational locks in the United States. Just upstream is the Abernethy Bridge and Interstate 205.\n\n[edit]\nHistory\nThe bridge was built as a replacement of a pedestrian suspension bridge constructed in 1888. It was opened on December 28, 1922 at a cost of $300,000.\n\nThe piers were designed to accommodate public restrooms: decks widen at the piers to provide room for the stairways that descend to the restrooms. Repeated vandalism led in 1937 to the closure of the restrooms.\n\nAs of 2000 it carried 12,800 vehicles per day, which represents only a 40% growth in traffic since 1953, when a public debate was held about building a parallel bridge next to the existing bridge. While the Oregon City Bridge did not get twinned, the Abernethy Bridge opened in 1970 and has since become the major route through the area.\n\n[edit]\nReferences\nWood, Sharon. The Portland Bridge Book. Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 2001. ISBN 0-87595-211-9. \nHistoric American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record. Willamette River Bridges Recording Project (HAER OR-31). National Park Service and ODOT, 1992. \n[edit]\nExternal links\nOregon City Bridge (with a link to an Microsoft Word document about the bridge), from the website of the state of Oregon \nBuilt in America list with link to bridge information, from the Library of Congress website \nPhoto of 1888 suspension bridge, from a bridge fan's website
632668
I got a bridge for sale in Brooklyn too...wanna buy it?
448923
Because it need to get to the other side.\n\nOld joke.
72052
Bridges help settlers get places where they have to cross rivers and/or streams.
990649
I think it's on an angle.  Other jerseys on the team seem on angle.  I noticed this during Italy's game.
944560
Without them, commerce would be greatly impeded.  It would then be necessary to cross rivers with boats or barges, which would greatly increase the cost and travel time.  A bridge-less society would probably develop so that most travel would occur parallel to rivers, in order to avoid the hassle of crossing them.
1122385
Most major intersections these days are overpass arrangements, with bridges and off ramps and all the bells and whistles.  Many times, swallows are actually using these bridges as nesting sites, the same way they use cliff sides or river banks.\n\nIn many areas, where bridges cross over rivers, the underside of the bridges are completely covered in swallow nests, thriving in an environment that was intended for human use but is also ideal habitat for the swallows.\n\nIf these major intersections are not areas with bridges or other nearby structures, then I have no idea.