Road to Manhattan (Bridge)

Everyone who has ever heard of NYC has heard of the Brooklyn Bridge. Pedestrians and bicycles and cars perpetually crowd it⁠—rain or shine, whatever the season⁠—traversing to and fro between melting-pot Manhattan and its hip neighbor Brooklyn. City Hall Park and the Financial District cap the Manhattan end of the crossing. The Brooklyn side empties out into the Fulton Ferry District, where you’ll find a series of parks bordering the East River. St. Ann’s Warehouse and Jane’s Carrousel aren’t to be missed.

But if you were to venture a little further north in Manhattan, up to Foley Square and the New York County Supreme Court, you’d find your way to a lesser known crossing: the Manhattan Bridge. This is where hubby and I were headed on a blustery Saturday afternoon in May.

It was one of those frustrating Spring days when it was too warm for outerwear in the sunlight but too cool to go without in the shade. So I whipped my denim jacket on and off from block to block as we navigated the Financial District (colloquially known as the FiDi). The Supreme Court was too good of a photo op to pass up; the person awaiting her turn as I took photos on the steps clearly agreed.

We continued upward, just a little further until we reached the very Parisian mouth of the Manhattan Bridge. More photos; lots of them. (Click on each image for a better look!)

From there, it was onward to DUMBO (an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). The crossing is significantly quieter, save for the noisy clank of trains ferrying commuters between the two boroughs. The exit leaves you a little deeper in Brooklyn, but for us it was worth escaping the onslaught of tourists jostling for passage and the threat of bicyclists mowing us down.

Plus, following the southern side of the bridge back west toward the water will guide you to a very iconic spot, one I guarantee you’ve seen a thousand times over on Instagram: Washington Street. Its brick buildings frame one of the bridge’s faded blue towers perfectly. I moved a little closer to the bridge⁠—mainly to avoid everyone else jockeying for a spot in the middle of the (active) road—and took photos there.

I highly recommend a visit to OddFellows on Water Street once you’re all photoed out. They host a myriad of unique ice cream flavors and several delicious cone options to complement them. My personal favorite is a scoop of Sprinkles on a sugar cone, with a heaping of sprinkles on top if my sweet tooth is especially hankering.

Happy urban trailing!