Photographer Dave Frieder has a thing for bridges. In fact, I don't think I ever met anyone who knows as much about the bridges of the five boroughs.

"Each main cable has wires just like this. Each main cable contains 5,434 wires,” said Frieder.

Frieder turned his love of bridges into this coffee table photography book called "The Magnificent Bridges of New York City." More than a quarter-century in the making, Frieder gained unique access from the city and bridge authorities to snap photos on these spans.   

He climbed and photographed 20 of the city's major bridges for the book, and there are more than 2,000 bridges in town. Frieder fell in love with bridges as a kid, his family moved from Queens to New Jersey.

"Constantly going back and forth to New York, coming here to Brooklyn to visit my Grandmother, my father's parents in Manhattan, seeing all these bridges looking at the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg, Queensboro," said Frieder.

Frieder took the photos between 1993 and 2008 with much less access was granted after 9-11 due to security concerns. He stresses that his adventures were done with full cooperation of authorities that operate the bridges with safety in mind.

"Unless you have the proper qualifications, unless you are trained, unless you have absolutely no fear of heights, and have the proper safety equipment, you shouldn't be up there," said Frieder.

Frieder loves them all, but he does have a favorite: The George Washington Bridge.

"Well I did cross it the most. But it is so massive, and it's one of a kind,” said Frieder.

And seriously, don't challenge this guy to New York bridge trivia.

Longest bridge: “Longest Bridge is the Verrazzano, 4260 feet,” Highest bridge? “Verrazzano, 693 feet. Widest? Manhattan. 120 feet. GWB is 119," said Frieder.

Dave Frieder hopes to get back up on one of his beloved bridges sometime soon.

Until then if you want to see all the work he's done, go to DaveFrieder.com.