Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most famous New York City landmarks. It’s an impressive steel-wire suspension bridge with a length of 1.1 miles (1.8 km). You can cross the Brooklyn Bridge on foot, by bike or by car. This iconic New York bridge was opened in May 1883. For a while, the Brooklyn Bridge was the only connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn. If you walk over the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, you’ll have a wonderful view of the skyline of New York.

Best Brooklyn Bridge View

The Brooklyn Bridge has evolved over the years to become both an attraction and a symbol of New York. The best way to experience the Brooklyn Bridge is on foot. It is best to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan so you can enjoy the view of the New York skyline. An advantage of this is also that the bridge is slightly sloped in this direction. This takes approximately 45 minutes, but allows for more time as you will want to take photos.

How to visit Brooklyn Bridge?

To get to the beginning of the bridge, take subway AC to High St. in Brooklyn. From here, follow the signs for “Brooklyn Bridge”. The entrance to the bridge is on Washington Street.

Another way to explore the bridge is to rent a bike and cycle over it. Do keep in mind that you will cycle next to the car lane and won’t have the iconic view. You can also go on a guided tour and learn about the history of the Brooklyn Bridge while you cross.

Brooklyn Bridge Walking Route

A nice route to follow if you want to visit the Brooklyn Bridge is the ‘DUMBO – Brooklyn Bridge’ route, which can be found in my Eric’s New York App. Open the app and select ‘walking routes’ to find the route that I created. During the route, you can discover Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park, among others, before crossing the bridge.

When to walk the Brooklyn Bridge?

The bridge offers a different experience depending on the time of day. If you prefer a quieter visit, sunrise at Brooklyn Bridge is ideal, as it provides good lighting for photography and there are fewer crowds. Bear in mind that the sun will rise over Brooklyn, not the Manhattan skyline.

The Brooklyn Bridge sunset is popular for its views of the sun setting behind the Manhattan skyline. Alternatively, the Brooklyn Bridge at night showcases the illuminated cityscape and the bridge’s own lighting. Visiting early in the morning or late in the evening typically means there are fewer pedestrians on the walkway.

What to do near Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn

The name ‘Brooklyn’ comes from the Dutch town Breukelen. Brooklyn is one of the most relaxing areas in New York. It is also one of the most multicultural areas of the city. Every culture has its own little neighbourhood in Brooklyn.

In Brooklyn, you can enjoy coffee and a sandwich at the Empire Stores next to the bridge. Enjoy the Brooklyn Bridge view and the Manhattan skyline at this urban marketplace in DUMBO. They open early, so it’s a great place to start the day.

Are you really hungry or simply want to eat good pizza? Go to Juliana’s on 19 Old Fulton Street. Or head to Shake Shack for a burger, which is located on the other corner. If you only want a drink, you’ll find many bars in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Head to Brooklyn Bridge Park for a break from the madness of Manhattan. On a sunny day, take a picnic lunch or dinner at Breads Bakery, for example, and enjoy fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. When you’re finished, walk over the bridge back to Manhattan. Don’t forget to bring your camera.

About Eric »

Hey there, I'm Eric!

I'm a true New York fan with over 20 years of experience visiting and living in NYC. Here on my website, I share all my tips and valuable information to help you make the most of your trip. I personally test and regularly re-test everything on my site to ensure that what I write is useful, honest, and always up-to-date.

If you have questions, are unsure about something, or want me to check your itinerary, please email me at eric@newyork.co.uk. You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram to get daily updates from New York.

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Eric’s Tip: “If you don’t want to do too much walking, choose to take the NYC Ferry over the water. It only takes a couple of minutes to get from Manhattan to Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. On the way, you have a great view of the skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge.”

History of the Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge in New York is almost a century and a half old. Let me tell you a bit about the construction of the bridge:

• The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began in 1869 and was finished in 1883.
• The famous bridge in New York was designed by John August Roebling, who died after an accident during the construction of the bridge. After his death, his son, Washington Roebling, took over.
• Washington Roebling, too, had an accident, which made it impossible for him to coordinate the construction of the bridge. He continued to follow the build from his apartment with a telescope and was assisted by his wife, Emily Warren Roebling. She helped with the communication between Washington Roebling and the construction workers. During construction, tragically 27 other people died.
• On May 24th, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was officially opened. Emily Warren Roebling was the first to cross the bridge, and 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 pedestrians followed her that same day. At that time, the Brooklyn Bridge was the only connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn. And it was the first bridge in the world to be suspended by steel.
• Funny fact: Six days after the opening, rumours arose about the stability of the bridge, and it was said that it would collapse. To prove the rumours wrong, circus man P.T. Barnum paraded 21 elephants over the bridge the following year.
• When the Brooklyn Bridge was built, it cost $19 million. Today, this amount is equivalent to roughly  $500 million.
• Nowadays, an average of 107,000 cars, 32,000 pedestrians and 4,000 cyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge daily.