Skip to Content
Morning Spew

Escape from Manhattan West II: The Bridge

Our writer had vowed never to return.

9:54 AM EDT on June 23, 2023

(Hell Gate)

There was blood in the bathroom sink of Moynihan Train Hall. Our writer had stopped in there to use the facilities. Opting at the last second to wash his hands above the hair that clogged the adjacent drain, he stepped out of the bathroom and peered down to the lower levels of the atrium, watching Amtrak customers in suits eat at a sushi restaurant in the food court, and wondering how he ended up here. 

He remembered his vow to never return, looking at an advertisement for the food court, which promised New York's best bites. Despite narrowly escaping Manhattan West on his last adventure, our writer found himself unable to resist the call of the city's coolest neighborhood. He stepped out into the unnaturally chilly air of a June night.

But as he walked down 34th Street, passing 9th Avenue and going ever westward, the doubt was creeping back in. He recalled the neon pink of the tree that loomed over the High Line with its spidery roots crawling menacingly. But he knew why he was here: the opening of the Timber Bridge.

The last time our writer had seen the bridge it was unfinished. A ghastly promise of wood so blonde it looked like it was made of a god's toothpicks, it stretched from the promenade of Manhattan West, connecting it to the High Line. Just as he was shuddering at the memory, he looked up into the street sign that announced 10th Avenue with a start. He was there. It was time. Steeling himself, he stepped onto a ramp the size of a city block that he knew would lead him straight back to hell. He was ascending to the elevated platform, but he felt his soul going down.

The Whole Foods and Peloton logos glowed an eerie white through the evening gloom. Our writer ignored them, knowing what he was here for, and marched straight past the diners at Daily Provisions to the giant wooden limbs of the Timber Bridge, lined with unnaturally tiny trees, tourists spilling onto and off the walkway. He heard the bop of the pickleball courts below punctuate his footsteps, and his courage faltered, but it was too late to turn back now. The gate was open, the metal path that lined the floor of the bridge intentionally and gaudily rusted. He took a first creaky step.

To be continued…

Some links while you await the next chapter:

Already a user?Log in

Thanks for reading!

Give us your email address to keep reading two more articles for free

Subscribe to Hell Gate for just 69 cents!

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Hell Gate

In Another Secret Court Hearing, Adams Administration Again Asks to Wriggle Out of Right-to-Shelter Duties

And after a closed-door court conference on Tuesday, the presiding judge mysteriously recused herself from the case.

September 26, 2023

NYC’s Biggest Nonprofit Newsrooms Face Massive Layoffs, Salary Cuts

Mismanagement, flagging ad revenue, and waffling megadonors leave journalists paying the price.

September 26, 2023

New York’s Finest: Automate This

The NYPD robots are stupid and creepy, but at least a robot can't steal its ex-wife's car keys.

September 26, 2023

Eric Adams, Freemason

Nothing like some fraternity on a Tuesday.

September 26, 2023

They Want to Clean Up Their Block. The NYPD Won’t Give Them a Permit.

“There’s been violence, and I’m not comfortable shutting down any street in that neighborhood for a block party,” a local cop told the neighborhood group.

September 25, 2023
See all posts