14/50 NYC Adventures: Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

This is such a fun, iconic New York experience. The Brooklyn Bridge is an emblem of New York's ambitious heartbeat. It's been in SO MANY movies and TV shows over the years, it's impossible to name them all (is it bad that the first scene that comes to my mind is when Miranda and Steve decide to give their marriage another go by meeting on this bridge in Sex & the City? Don't judge me. That was a good, good moment.) But if you've seen any bridges depicted in New York-inspired art or film, it's most likely been the Brooklyn Bridge. Because this gateway to Brooklyn is just that epic.

// Under the bridge. So you know you're on the right track. //

// Manhattan-facing, this is a glimpse of Brooklyn Bridge Park to your left. Yes, that is a park on a pier. And yes, that is a cool, cool idea for a city park. I think they know what they're doing. //

// Walking the bridge toward Manhattan, this is your right-facing view. Not too shabby. //

At the time it opened, in 1883, this was the longest suspension bridge in the US. Today it connects (duh) Manhattan to Brooklyn. And it lets goofballs like us flutter across its firm foundations and take too many pictures and bask in its grandness. So there's that, too.

// View of the financial district. The gigantic building you see is Freedom Tower. We talked about that once here. //

// And that tall beauty is the Empire State Building. We caught closer nighttime views of that bad boy here. //

Try It!

I personally like taking the subway all the way to Brooklyn, enjoying the DUMBO hood, and then walking across the bridge toward Manhattan. Because you get ALL THOSE VIEWS (please see above.) It's incredible. Then you can just pop on the subway at Chambers Street or City Hall and get back to wherever you came from. And if you already explored DUMBO like I showed you and ate the most delicious coal-fire brick oven pizza at Juliana's (and maybe even enjoyed a cone at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory!), then you will be reeeeeeallly ready to walk the mile-ish journey across this East River beauty.

// BFFFFFFSSS. And yes, Stevie's hair is looking pretty righteous here. Cue haircut. //

// These two. I am not kidding you when I say they are as wholesome AS IT GETS. //

// Clearly I am pregnant in the front AND the back. //

// She. Is. A wonder. //

A Word on Friendship.

This girl. I could sob just thinking about how wondrous she is. But I'll spare you, because she's got a baby and I've got one on the way so there's already enough crying quota reached without adding to that mess of ladylike emotions. I am so grateful that this gal has visited me in all the crazy places I've lived. And she's celebrated me a ridiculous amount, no matter which season of life I've been in (thriving or, ya know, diving.) She's been there through my graduation, pursuing an unlikely career path, dealing with family drama, unexpectedly (and wonderfully!) getting knocked up, moving from place to place, and all the while, she's throwing me parties left and right like it's her job... and she HAS a real-people job. Like a really, really good one! She's just always been there. One might even venture as far as saying she's been "my bridge over troubled water" (ahahaha see how I tied this all together? See?! Don't hate me for my cheese.) But seriously, this gal has been so rock solid. Ready to encourage. Ready to find that silvery lining. To tell you the truth, she's been the silver lining, weaving her blissful being into each season's unexpected adventures. And we've had quite a few together :) Tricia, thank you for being the best friend a girl could ask for. Thank you for letting me eat the last slice of pizza. And thank you for walking across this insanely long bridge with me while I took too many pictures and made you pose longer than your comfort level allowed. You, my sweet, are the truest, dearest kind of friend.