This scene shows the Kosciuszko Bridge from Laurel Hill Blvd in 1940 and in 2019. In 1940, the bridge was only a year old. It originally was named the Meeker Avenue Bridge, and replaced the old Penny Bridge between Greenpoint and Laurel Hill. After the Nazi invasion of Poland, NYC officials decided to rename it for Thaddeus Kosciuszko as a show of solidarity with the Polish people. Old Calvary Cemetery appears on the right. While there originally was a pedestrian lane on the bridge, it was removed in subsequent years when the bridge became a chokepoint for cars and trucks. In 2017, the Queens-bound lane of the bridge was opened, and the original span was demolished. In August of this year, the Brooklyn-bound span was completed and opened. The north span features both bicycle and pedestrian lanes. The scene today along Laurel Hill Blvd still includes Old Calvary Cemetery, but also now sports a tree lined plaza, the ramp to the bridge and the striking form of the bridge itself with the steel arch having been replaced by a cable stayed structure, featuring 300-foot tall towers which are visible for miles.
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SERVING MIDDLE VILLAGE AND MASPETH SINCE 1938.