Brooklyn Bridge a celebratory banquet at his house on the day of the bridge opening. Further festivity included the performance of a band, gunfire from ships, and a fireworks display. Since the New York and Brooklyn Bridge was the only one across the East River at that time, it was also called East River Bridge. On that first day, a total of 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people crossed what was then the only land passage between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Emily Warren Roebling was the first to cross the bridge. The bridge's main span over the East River is 1,595 feet 6 inches
The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn Paper is a small, weekly broadsheet that covers news related exclusively to the New York City borough of Brooklyn. "The Brooklyn Paper" covers news and cultural events that have taken place throughout the borough, using different mastheads for neighborhoods such as Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Bay Ridge, etc. In addition to news coverage, The Paper also publishes a weekly entertainment guide entitled "GO Brooklyn". It was started in 1978. Though the various print editions are published once a week, The Brooklyn Paper's website is updated every weekday with stories, and since March 2008, with video