Brooklyn Bridge

Two great stone towers, pierced by pointed arches, rise from the East River, strung with a web of steel cables that hold up a long roadway between two boroughs. Above the traffic runs a wooden walkway crowded with people. This is the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest and most beloved bridges in the country.

When it opened in 1883, it was a marvel. It was for a time the longest suspension bridge in the world, and the first to use steel cables on such a scale, a leap in engineering that joined the then-separate cities of New York and Brooklyn across the river.

The bridge cost its builders dearly. It was designed by John Roebling, who died from an injury at the very start; his son Washington took over, was gravely hurt by the dangerous work below water, and directed the rest from his sickbed, with his wife Emily carrying his instructions to the site for years.

That story of the Roeblings, and especially of Emily, who learned the engineering to see the work through, has become part of why the bridge is so loved. It stands as a monument to stubborn human effort as much as to steel and stone.

The towers are built of stone in a Gothic style, with twin pointed arches that have become the bridge's signature, framing the walkers and the city beyond. The cables fan down from them in patterns that change as you move, a favourite of photographers and painters.

The great pleasure is to walk across. A raised wooden promenade runs down the centre, above the traffic, so you stroll between the towers with the river below, Manhattan behind, and Brooklyn ahead, with open views the whole way.

The walk takes a little over half an hour at an easy pace, longer if you stop for photographs, which you will. The views of the Manhattan skyline, the harbour, and the Statue of Liberty in the distance are among the best in the city, and they are free.

Direction matters. Walking from Manhattan toward Brooklyn keeps the skyline ahead of you for much of the way, which many prefer; the Brooklyn end drops you near a park and old waterfront streets with their own fine views back toward the towers.

It gets crowded, and the walkway is shared, in places, with fast-moving cyclists, so keep to the marked pedestrian side and stay aware. Early morning is the calmest and gives the best light for photographs without the thickest crowds.

The bridge anchors a wider area worth exploring. The Brooklyn side leads to a revived waterfront of parks and old warehouses with restaurants and views, while the Manhattan side sits near the old City Hall area and the financial district.

A few practical notes. The walk is free and open at all hours; wear comfortable shoes, bring water in summer, and start from whichever side suits your plans. There is no charge and no ticket; you simply walk on.

Stop midway, between the two great towers, with the cables rising around you and the city spread out on both banks, and feel the bridge move very slightly underfoot. For nearly a century and a half it has carried people between two shores. When you reach the far side, the crossing stays with you as one of the city's simple, great experiences.