The Best Walk in New York: A Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge

After I read the book, "The Great Bridge, The Story Of The Building Of The Brooklyn Bridge" by David McCullough I just knew that on our next visit to New York we would have to take a walk across the bridge into the city where I was born, especially after reading a travel guide that mentioned this was an activity that was gaining popularity among visitors from all nations.

A little History;

To truly enjoy this walk I also think it's a good idea to know some of it's history, so reading that book was just the ticket.

John Roebling, architect, engineer and philosopher, had the idea one day that a bridge connecting the east River to Brooklyn would be a perfect idea when he was unable to get home to Brooklyn due to the water being frozen over and his transportation at that time, the Fulton St. Ferry was unable to make it through those frozen waters..He spent the next 30 years designing this new bridge while raising money to do so and finally began building what would be one of the first bridges in the world that stood supported by steel cables and concrete caissons, the size of block long buildings themselves...these caissons were built above and beneath the water on both sides, one in Brooklyn side and the other, in Manhattan. It would be the longest suspension bridge in the world for many years and the twin Gothic towers so recognizable today were to be the tallest buildings in New York for quite some time...Only the Trinity church in Manhattan stood taller.

There were many hurtles to building that bridge...building started in 1867, but Roebling couldn't oversee it for long when he was injured in 1869 after his right foot was crushed by one of the waterfront pilings after being struck by a passing ferry ... The toes of his foot were amputated right away but he took a turn for the worse when he suffered from Lockjaw after he refused more conventional medical care...he died just 2 weeks later at the age of 63.

Washington Roebling, his son, took over the job and began overseeing the construction of the bridge until he also had a crippling accident when he got the bends after he went down under the water to supervise the underwater section of one of the caissons ...This disease, the bends, or, as it was called, Caisson Disease, tragically killed 3 more men and many more workers got sick from this same illness during the 14 years it took to complete the building of the bridge. 27 people died during the bridges construction... Roebling still supervised the building as he watched from his window at home while the construction continued...with the help of his wife, who went to the site everyday with his instructions and over saw the progress. There is so much more to the history of this remarkable bridge but that would have to be a review of this amazing book instead of my little story.

Our walk;

It as an overcast Saturday morning when we headed downtown to find the Manhattan entrance onto the bridge. We first went to Ground Zero and experienced a most moving and heart rendering experience and we really needed something uplifting to fill the rest of the morning...taking that walk across the Brooklyn Bridge would be the perfect solution.. We were walking in the general direction when the sun came out and, as I looked to the right, and there it was in all it's glory. What a sight it was, those huge Gothic columns made of stone and brick, standing so tall with the two neighboring boroughs, Manhattan and Brooklyn at its feet... Once considered the wonder of the world it easy to see why...What a testament to the foresight and commitment of the Roeblings, as well as those courageous workers who actually risked their lives and health to build this incredible bridge.

But how do you get on the bridge we wondered...we spotted one of New York's finest "men in blue" and received directions which were easy to follow...we found the entrance which is a ramp to the pedestrian walkway and noticed we weren't the only ones with the idea to walk the bridge that day, tourists with the same idea but there were also joggers, people on bikes and on rollarblades...

Hint: walk on the right side of the bridge to stay out of the way of the those in rollarblades.

I have to say here and now this is one of the most fantastic walks I've ever taken...in every direction, the views of the Manhattan skyline were just unbelievable and, as the we progressed, we soon spotted the Statue of Liberty in the distance....what a sight seeing Miss Liberty as she stood tall and proud in the water. I couldn't resist the chance to call my sister back in Miami and tell her where we were, as I rested, looking out on the water, while sitting on one of the many benches provided for that purpose.

At just about a mile and half, not counting the entranceways and exit points it's a nice walk without being too much...When arriving in Brooklyn there is a "Welcome to Brooklyn" sign with the saying "How Sweet It Is" and it was truly sweet.

I wish I had known that it could have been even sweeter if we had visited the "best" ice cream in the city just to the right of the exit at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory located near the Fire Boat House...we also spotted a touching sight when saw a wedding taking place just in front of this famous spot but it wasn't until I was back home and watching a show on the Food Network that I heard about that famous ice cream... so now I will have to wait until next time when we put on our walking shoes and head back to Brooklyn via this magnificent and historical bridge

You can also start your walk on the Brooklyn side if that is where you are staying so wherever you are, I recommend this walk as highly as I can, for the sights and the experience of a lifetime.