Charlestown Bridge

Die rote Wegmarkierung des Bostoner Freedom Trail führte uns auch über die Charlestown Bridge. Man überquert den Charles River und gelangt vom Bostoner Stadtteil North End in den Stadtteil Charlestown und verbindet den Joe Tecce Way im Süden mit der Rutherford Avenue im Norden.
In der Vergangenheit hat man zur Überquerung des Flusses Fähren genutzt, denn bereits im Jahr 1630 hat man hier Passagiere und Waren über den Charles River befördert. Die heutige Brücke wurde im Jahr 1900 eröffnet.
Das Alter sieht man der Brücke an und sie ist wirklich keine Schönheit und macht keinen sehr vertrauensvollen Eindruck. Sehr viel Rost an den Eisen– bzw. Stahlelementen und a n vielen Stellen kann man durch die Gitterroste in den Fluss hinabsehen. Viele Autos quälen sich über die schmale Brücke, die vor Anstrengung zu stöhnen scheint.
Bei weitem sehenswerter sind die Zakim Bridge, die Harvard Bridge, die Longfellow Bridge und die University of Boston Bridge. Hervorzuheben ist die schöné Aussicht von der Brücke auf den Charles River.
Eine wirklich nicht sehenswerte Brücke, die aber zur Besichtigung der Sehenswürdigkeiten im Stadtteil Charlestown zur Überquerung unerlässlich ist.

A
very
scruffy
bridge
Boston has a lot of nice bridges, the futuristic Zakim Bridge, the scenic Harvard Bridge, the graceful Longfellow Bridge and the practical University of Boston Bridge. And then there is the Charlestown Bridge.
Not exactly aesthetical pleasing, the damn bridge looks like it would collapse if someone gave it a hard kick. Built in 1900 it definitely looks like it could use a bit of TCL.
But bezillions of people use the bridge everyday and it is the best way to get from the North End to Charlestown. Buses, trucks, cars, bikes and people are always crossing this bridge. I’ve even seen a guy on a unicycle going over it. So I assume it must be structurally sound. Maybe. Perhaps. I hope.
Yeah, the bridge looks like crap, all rusty and peeling but it does have nice views of the Charles River and the city. Plus as an added bonus the bridge has an open grating that allows people walking over it to look straight down into the water below. Great fun for people afraid of heights.
No, it’s not much to look at and can be weird to walk over but it does serve it’s purpose, just like it has for over a century. Just make sure you take a good look at the water below you as you walk over it.

I hate this place. It has been under construction for the past… FOREVER! I have to pass it every day to get to school and it’s sooo annoying because there’s always a traffic jam here. Gah

Ingrained in my mind as the backdrop of an epic chase scene in The Town, I am told this is also a good vantage point from which to admire the USS Constitution.

Truthfully: 1 star in the Winter and 4 stars in the Summer.
I know that averages 2 stars but as it is now Spring and there is no more rain, snow, sleet, «winter mix», and other painful things that fall from the merciless skies– I’ll give it 3 stars.
I get to Charlestown Bridge at least 4 times a week, seeing as I live in the North End and my grocery store, my running route, some restaurants, lots of people I know, and church lies in Charlestown. I know you are saying, why not use the locks in the winter? It just adds so much more distance to my pedestrian commute. :P
In the winter, there is no place with more wind, rain, and anger being forced onto you as this bridge. The street turns into massive puddles that become tsunamis when buses and bad Boston drivers splash through them. I’ve seen the splashes go up to 15 feet high and have been splashed so many times my SADD seems more than justified.
I know the gratings scare people, but I’ve learned that bridges were built to hold 5 times their maximum possible strain. Still, it can be scary to look down through the grating during a storm and see the white caps and get reminded of scenes from Perfect Storm.
Anyways, it is Spring now, which means the bridge is beautiful again. In no time, the bums will come back to live in the abandoned rotational tower and all will be well again. At night, the bridge is beautifully lit up– more like a midway carnival booth and not in mood lighting like Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge or the TD Garden.
Recommendation– walk on the left side of the road on the way to Charlestown to avoid the tourists and their silly picture taking. It also allows you to descend to Paul Revere park easier.

A BRIDGE? You people review BRIDGES here!?! LAME! Fine. Two can play at that game…
I park in Charlestown and walk over this bridge when I wanna go to the North End for dinner. I like this bridge because it exists, and the cars sound like ghosts wailing when they drive over that metal grating. Cool.

Charlestown’s a small place, a little teardrop of land cut off from the rest of the city by infrastructure. This bridge helps residents feel connected to the rest of Boston. Just about any good running route in Chucktown includes this little jaunt into the North End.

A walk on Boston’s renowned Freedom Trail during the glory days with my former love was very romantic yet refreshing away from the TriState NYC region. I rate Charlestown Bridge four stars as unlike other bridges in New York City the pavement is metal grid which travelers can see through the ocean. For those with fear of heights, one can see directly through the cars as well as the ocean.