Some walks are just walks. Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot is an experience you will remember forever: the wind, the cables, the skyline growing bigger with every step.
Opened in 1883, this was the first steel-wire suspension bridge in the world and an engineering marvel of its time. It links Manhattan’s Civic Center with the Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO across the East River, and its elevated pedestrian walkway sits above the traffic, about 1.1 miles of pure New York magic.
The two neo-Gothic stone towers and the web of steel cables are breathtaking up close, and the views are unbeatable: the Lower Manhattan skyline, the East River, and even the Statue of Liberty in the distance. It is free, open 24 hours, and one of the best free things to do in the entire city.
It is ideal for photographers, history lovers, families with strollers and anyone who enjoys a good walk. Practical tip: walk from Brooklyn toward Manhattan so the skyline faces you the whole way, and go at sunrise or sunset for the best light. Stay in the pedestrian lane and keep an eye out for cyclists in theirs.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Superbass
