Which sentence best states the central idea of the first paragraph? A Life in New York was teetering between old and new. B People once traveled mostly by horse, carriage, and ship. C New engineering feats were being accomplished in the 1800s. D People crossed the East River by ferry-boat, night and day.

Hello. You forgot to mention that this question is about the article "New York City, 1869" written by Marcia Lusted.

D. People crossed the East River by ferry-boat, night and day.

Explanation:

The first paragraph shows how the crossing between New York and Brooklyn was not as easy as it is today. In the paragraph we can see that before the construction of the point, the passage between these two regions was not done in an innovative and technological way, but through ferries. People crossed the East River by ferry, night and day, until the bridge was built and revolutionized the movement between people.