Travel Series: Exploring DUMBO and Walking the Brooklyn Bridge
brooklyn bridge
If you asked me to choose my favourite place in the world, I would undoubtedly tell you it was Brooklyn Bridge. I think it has something to do with that invincible kinda feeling I get when I'm walking across it, soaking in the New York skyline which is so recognisable it doesn't quite feel real. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge feels like the closest you'll ever get to being in a movie, and it gets me every time.
Just like with Central Park, Sam and I have only ever walked the Brooklyn Bridge when it was freezing - add in the icy winds coming across from the water and it can feel pretty bracing. Visiting in September was a completely different experience.
IMG_0844
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before we walked across the bridge, we spent the morning walking through Brooklyn Bridge Park and exploring DUMBO. I can't quite explain how epic the view is from this part of Brooklyn - it's like every iconic movie scene and every intro to Friends and exactly what you think of when someone mentions New York. It's hard not to squeal looking at that view.
IMG_0847
P1050746
We headed down from the park to DUMBO, which is a super cool area, filled with quirky restaurants and shops, and plenty of green spaces. The sun was hotting up and the sky was the clearest blue. There was only one thing that could make this set up any better... Shake Shack burgers!
IMG_0871
We got ours to take out and sat and ate them with the bridge and Manhattan lingering in the distance. We sat there for an hour or so, and it was one of the most enjoyable moments of our holiday. If you visit DUMBO when the weather is good, I would definitely recommend doing the same thing.
P1050740
All fuelled up, we headed up to the bridge, ready for the stroll across to Manhattan. The bridge has been busy every time we've visited, but being such a clear day, and also the weekend, it was particularly so. Word of warning - don't walk in the bike lines, you WILL get aggressively shouted at by a cyclist...
P1050756
P1050754
The sheer number of sights you can spot is unbelievable - Empire State, the Statue of Liberty, and more recently the Freedom Tower are all right there in front of you. I wish I could describe the feeling of it more eloquently for you, but for me, it's one of the most exciting feelings in the world. It's strange how just being in a particular place can make you feel like a different person, but that's how I feel when I cross this bridge.
The bridge brings you out in downtown - right in the thick of the financial district, the pulse of New York's trading sector. Wall St is a mere walk away and you're also pretty close to Battery Park. But don't forget to look back at little ol' Brooklyn, a place I love even more than chaotic, exciting, breath taking Manhattan.
P1050763
Have you walked the Brooklyn Bridge before? Did it make you feel all the feels?!