Brooklyn Bridge, New York - Walking advice & what to see

Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most recognisable structures in New York. It was finished in 1883 and is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. You can see the bridge from many vantage points in New York but we particularly like the view from Brooklyn Bridge Park (pictured below). The park has walkways and attractive planting and it’s a great place to relax. It’s just by the Brooklyn entrance to the bridge.

If you have the time, we’d recommend walking over the bridge. You can walk right pick up the bridge walkway at City Hall on Manhattan Island and on a nice day it’s another great way to see the New York skyline. We’ve done this at night too and we felt entirely safe. Walking over the bridge takes around 20 minutes to half an hour depending on how often you stop to take photos. There are two lanes marked by a white line down the middle of the path to indicate which direction to walk in, but be careful of cyclists who seem to get very annoyed if you got in their way!

As one of New York’s most recognisable landmarks, there are many tours you can take that visit the bridge including the NYC Helicopter Tour: See Bryant Park From The Air and the Brooklyn Bridge Cycling Tour. Both consistently get great reviews from other tourists.