The cities of Brooklyn and New York (Manhattan and the Bronx) were only formally merged in 1898 when the city of Greater New York was formed, including the areas of Queens and Staten Island.
The Brooklyn Bridge, the first fixed crossing between Brooklyn and Manhattan over the East River, was only opened shortly before this in 1883. The connection it provided changed the history of New York City; within 24 hours, 250,000 had walked across the bridge. Today, it has competition from other routes but still carries around 150,000 vehicles and pedestrians every day.
The two boroughs still have very distinct cultures; Manhattan is densely populated, frantic, business-focused and, some say, highly-strung, whilst Brooklyn is more spread out, laidback and creative. The Brooklyn Bridge offers the perfect starting point to explore both of them. The designer incorporated a large promenade above the roadway for pedestrians, creating the perfect vantage point to be captivated by its granite towers, steel cables and the Manhattan skyline.
Image by Ling Tang/Unsplash
Tips
- Combine with a trip to Liberty and Ellis islands earlier in the day. The ferry will drop you off at Battery Park and from there it takes about an hour to walk via the bridge. Alternatively, you can get the subway; from Bowling Green to Fulton Street and then over to High Street – Brooklyn Bridge.
- Walk over later in the day when there are fewer pedestrians, cyclists and skaters to dodge!
- From the Brooklyn side of the bridge, head into Dumbo (short for ‘Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass’), sample a wide variety of foods at the Time Out Market and get some great views looking back at Manhattan as the sun goes down.