Come walk with me across the Manhattan Bridge and see the beautiful views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline!

I’d been promising myself another walk on the Manhattan Bridge, and on a steamy morning this summer I decided today was the day. I took the subway into Brooklyn and got off at High Street/Brooklyn Bridge.

Under the Bridge

After strolling around Brooklyn Bridge Park I headed towards the Manhattan Bridge. The view here is inspiring; you can see the skyscrapers of midtown in the distance, even on a humid day.

One Manhattan Square sticks out (like a cheese grater?) in the modest Two Bridges neighborhood of Manhattan. It’s 72 stories of luxury apartments. On the left in the photo below you can see a bit of the Empire State Building poking up.

I walked along Pebble Beach, and headed under the Bridge for a closer view of what would be holding me up in the air. It’s pretty impressive! In the photo below you can see the Williamsburg Bridge in the distance.

The concrete foundations of each tower sink 92 feet below the water’s surface.

The Pedestrian Path

I walked a few blocks under the bridge, away from the water’s edge. After a quick peek at the Brooklyn Flea (awesome flea market!) I came to the entrance to the pedestrian path on Jay Street. The path quickly rises up over the Brooklyn streets. The narrowness of the walkway on the Manhattan Bridge makes you more aware of the height. And when that bridge starts shaking from the trains you’re very aware! I love it.

Rising higher over Brooklyn as I walk the path, I stop at every street crossing to take in the view. The view below is of Prospect Street. Look at the fantastic plants in the skybridge in 81 Prospect St. (1909). How lovely it must be to walk through it!

Here you’ll only see a fraction of the foot traffic that the Brooklyn Bridge has. It’s mostly locals cutting across the river or getting some exercise in. I’d love to include this walkway in my workout.

The Brooklyn anchorage

I’m approaching the Brooklyn anchorage. There’s a 233,000 ton stone anchorage on either side of the bridge where the suspension cables are attached. Whew!

A quick stop to say hello to some pigeons on the anchorage:

You can feel the solidness of the concrete here. It’s reassuring. This anchorage was built in February 1905, at a rate of 550 cubic yards per day! They weren’t messing around.

The walkway was designed wider here, to give walkers a place to rest. The first New Yorkers walked across the bridge on December 31, 1909.

The graffiti here is part of New York City. It’s like people. Some of it is beautiful, some sad, but it all has a meaning, if you can see it.

Brooklyn Views

Below we’re passing over Water Street. You can see a section of the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance.

Washington Street is where you go to capture that famous photo of the Empire State lining up with the Manhattan Bridge. It’s always crowded down there, but a real fun atmosphere.

The view of Brooklyn really opens up now. Below is Main Street Playground and Park. The park is blocking the view of the famous Pebble Beach, but you’ll see it next. Jane’s Carousel is at right, closer to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Pebble Beach doesn’t look like much from here, but it’s quaint down there. You’ve got waves, a wonderful view, and yes, pebbles. There are tiered stairs providing a great spot to relax and watch the kids play…or watch the sun go down behind Manhattan’s skyscrapers.

And now, the view I’d been waiting for. Still close enough to Brooklyn to get a great look at lower Manhattan. The big boys in the Financial District tower over the piers and 19th century buildings of South Street Seaport. Below is the glass enclosure of Jane’s Carousel.

The Brooklyn Tower

The design of the towers really grab me. For some reason they make me think of something Hank Reardon of Atlas Shrugged would build. Beautiful, yet clean and efficient. Below is the elegant steel canopy that protects the bronze plaque commemorating each tower. The canopy has 44 ornamental lightbulbs.

The bridge was designed and built by Polish bridge engineer Ralph Modjeski. The weight of each tower is 6,500 tons of Pennsylvania steel and soar 350 feet above the water.

The bridge towers were much quicker to build than the massive masonry of the Brooklyn Bridge. Though the bridge was originally gray, it was eventually painted blue to match the borough’s color.

Turning to take a look back towards Brooklyn:

And a look forward – on we go!

The Trains

I love that the pedestrian path is close to the trains. You don’t even see the cars, which are above us on the upper level. There are 4 train tracks on the bridge. Over time the weight of the trains made the bridge tilt 3 feet lower on that side as they passed by! Major repair work was done from 1982-2004.

The D train rushes by, heading into Manhattan. Though the bridge opened in 1909, trains were not added until 1915. I still get a thrill feeling the bridge tremble when the trains pass by.

This bridge is a real workhorse, it was designed to carry twice as much rail traffic as the Brooklyn Bridge.

Beyond the train rails, on the other side of the bridge is a dedicated bikeway:

Views from Manhattan Bridge

We’re halfway across the 1.3 mile walk, and approximately 90 feet above the East River.

Supposedly the tradition of couples putting a “love lock” on bridges started in Serbia before WWI. Women would write their their and their lovers names on locks, and lock them to a bridge, hoping that the lock would bind their loves to home. Other people say they originated in China. Over time a number of famous structures have collapsed from the weight of these locks, so most city governments ban them.

The water below the Manhattan Bridge is about 135′ deep. That’s about 12 stories down.

Like a different view? Take a walk with me on the Brooklyn Bridge here.

Manhattan side of the Bridge

Coming up now on the Manhattan Tower. Each tower is about 1/4 mile from the entrance on that side. The towers both have a 10×5′ bronze commemorative plaque. I actually appreciate a lot of graffiti, but I wish it weren’t on the plaques. These are recreations made in 2001 by Allen Architectural Metals. There’s some great photos of the work they did on the bridge on their website here.

Last up is the Manhattan anchorage.

Can you imagine sitting here at night, in the dark? We’re 120 feet up with a spectacular view.

Two Bridges

Two Bridges is the small neighborhood on the coast between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. When you step off the bridge you’ll be in Chinatown, but first the bridge goes over Two Bridges.

This part of the walk is not to be rushed. It brings you up close and personal with a side of the homes that you don’t generally see when passing by on the street. Nearly 1,000 families were relocated on the Manhattan side for the building of this bridge.

The difference in atmosphere between where we boarded the bridge in Brooklyn, and Chinatown is huge. Brooklyn is growing on me, but when I’m back in Manhattan I feel at home. I’m going to try not to overthink that, lol.

Mechanic’s Alley is a small street from the 1880’s that somehow survived the Manhattan Bridge being built RIGHT alongside it. It’s sort of like Cortlandt Alley, filled with fantastic street art. Worth a walkthrough for sure. From here, though, all we get are the rooftops. And that’s fun, too.

Chinatown from the Manhattan Bridge

A few streets more and we’re in Chinatown. It’s busier – isn’t it always – with shoppers. There aren’t as many tourists in this side of Chinatown.

This part of Chinatown, east of Bowery, is thought of as Little Fuzhou, as it’s home to more Fuzhounese-speaking Chinese. West of Bowery, where Mott and Bayard Streets are, is home to more Cantonese speakers.

And…the classic shot down East Broadway. There’s a perfect section clipped out of the fence where you can stick your camera (or phone) through to take the photo.

For comparison, check out this public domain photo Franz Grasser took of the view from the bridge in 1938:

Exit to Chinatown

We made it!

The Manhattan Bridge pedestrian path dumps out right on Bowery at Canal St. Ahead is the beautiful old Bowery Savings Bank, built in 1895.

That was a great walk and now I’m ready for a smooth, cold drink and a sit. I chose Derby Cup Coffee, 37 Elizabeth St. at Canal St. They make an iced strawberry matcha that is heavenly!

Thanks so much for coming along with me. I hope you got a good feel for what it’s like to walk across the Manhattan Bridge with no AI or filters. Check out my YouTube for lots of real videos of walking in NYC!

Want more Manhattan Bridge? You can see my last trip across the Manhattan Bridge here.

Sources:
Wiki – One Manhattan Square
NYC Subway – Manhattan Bridge
Wiki – Manhattan Bridge

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