Several weddings, no funerals

I'm now staying at a hotel which is right next to the Brooklyn Bridge. I don't know why, but I have always associated the bridge with romance..and it does seem to be a popular choice with wedding photographers. The party in the main photo were having lots of fun, even though the bridesmaids kept going off to pet passing dogs and the photographer had to be quite bossy. The couple in the extra were difficult to photograph as they are standing in a bike lane and I had to take advantage of a very small gap in the procession of pedestrians.

The bridge was completed in 1883, the first steel suspension bridge in the world. It took 16 years and claimed over 20 lives - most died of  caisson disease ("the bends") while excavating underwater. The designer, Roebling, died before construction started, 3 weeks after crushing his foot between a ferry and a pier. His son took over but became paralysed due to caisson disease and his wife finally finished the job (see second extra).

Apparently (on average) someone jumps off Brooklyn Bridge every 15 days. Today I walked over to Brooklyn and back again, and the most dangerous part was the number of people who walk in the bike lane. I think that renting a bike is probably the best way to see Brooklyn, but i wasn't brave enough to do it :-)

Maybe This is why I associate Brooklyn with romance..