After 70 years of city planning to connect Manhattan to Queens, the Bridgemarket space is deeply rooted in New York history and signifies an interconnection between these two New York boroughs. The Queensboro Bridge costed $20 million to build following its grand opening, where countless New Yorkers celebrated their new and convenient connection to another part of NYC. Below the Queensboro Bridge, where Bridgemarket is, was not appreciated at first. In fact, this space was initially unnoticed as the bridge itself took a lot of the glory. It was not long before an open food market was placed underneath the Queensboro bridge during the Great Depression when the food market was closed. This food market was the first official use of Bridgemarket.
Bridgemarket’s architect, Henry Hornbostel, was inspired by Parisian architectonics when designing the site. The interior designer, Rafael Guastavino, first recognized and remodeled this space underneath the Queensboro bridge. Guastavino’s reputation was well-established at the time due to his work on City Hall Subway Station, Grand Central Station, Grant’s Tomb, and other acknowledgeable projects. Known for his tiled and vaulted ceilings with terracotta clad column arcades, Bridgemarket was seen as a work of art for produce shoppers and city-goers. Since Guastavino’s era, Bridgemarket has continued to evolve. In the 2000s, the space was a Conran’s modern furniture showroom, and a TJ Maxx opened in an adjacent area during 2010.