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Polaroid of the Week: Romantic Love Padlocks on the Brooklyn Bridge

Polaroid of the Week: Romantic Love Padlocks on the Brooklyn Bridge During our first walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in 2009, love padlocks were nowhere to be seen. On a recent visit, we spotted hundreds of these heartfelt symbols ceremonially attached to the structure. The trend took root here in 2011, inspired by a longstanding European tradition. In Italy, it gained fame through Federico Moccia's novel Ho Voglia di Te, where lovers affix a padlock to a Florence bridge and toss the key into the river, sealing their bond eternally.

We first encountered them along the Via dell'Amore (Path of Love) in Cinque Terre, hiking between the stunning coastal villages of Monterosso and Manarola. Today, bridges from Cologne and Prague to Paris—and even China and Taiwan—are adorned with love locks. Just months ago, we discovered an entire fountain blanketed in them in Montevideo, Uruguay.

We may add our own padlock to the Brooklyn Bridge soon—a tribute to our love, New York City, and this unforgettable spring. Keep an eye out for one bearing our names next time you're in the Big Apple.

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