Albany's Pedestrian Bridge

If you've seen my previous recent posts, you know the story. I'd begun Sunday morning intending to have breakfast at the Miss Albany Diner but found it closed. So I started a walking/photography tour of downtown Albany which eventually turned into a driving tour. But my time and energy running low, so I knew it was time to wrap it up. I was driving back to the Miss Albany Diner (which, by then, must surely have opened) when I saw this sign for the new (to me) Albany pedestrian bridge. I'd never been on it, so I just had to stop, park my car and take one more walk:

As I began ascending the steps up to the pedestrian bridge, I stopped for a look back at downtown Albany:

The bridge crosses Route 787, a busy north-south highway which runs pretty much along the Hudson River from Albany to Troy. Just to the south of the bridge I could see the east side of the D & H Building. That ship on top of the spire is a replica of Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon:

A look back toward the city of Albany from the center of the bridge revealed some of the official looking buildings on Broadway:

And looking northward from the bridge showed this scene. You may remember that brown brick building from previous posts as it sits on Broadway near where I'd initially parked my car by the giant tulip:

The bridge crosses only the highway, not the Hudson River. It delivers walkers to a riverside park. Across the river you can see the city of Rensselaer. I live there, and quite near the river, but couldn't quite see my house from here:

And once again, the D & H Building. It keeps popping up on these posts because it is such a prominent and attractive Albany landmark. It sits right near the river and is visible from nearly everywhere:

And I could see parts of the Empire State Plaza as well as some State Street buildings - but not the Capitol:

But I was tired, hungry and running late. So I began walking back across the bridge toward my car parked on Broadway:

The surface of the pedestrian bridge was paved with bricks which had engravings of many types, mostly in memory of someone who had passed away. I believe the bridge opened in 2002 or 2003 and, at that time, there was a big controversy over whether gay and lesbian couples would be allowed to buy a brick and put their names on it. Such concerns would be considered silly and discriminatory now. Times have changed for the better in many ways. And as for the pavers, I particularly liked the "I told you so" brick in the center. It reads, "I told you not to separate the river from the city" (by building the highway):

I quickly made my way back to where I'd begun my bridge walk and where my car was parked on Broadway. Did I still have time to buy myself breakfast at the Miss Albany Diner?: