Walking the Brooklyn Bridge (Easy to Follow Local’s Guide + Tips)
If you’re only going to do one of the most iconic walks in New York City, make it the Brooklyn Bridge.
Even after living in New York for years, it’s still one of those places I never get tired of visiting. Offering some of the best views of the city on one of the most iconic landmarks in the country!
If it’s your first time, I always recommend walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan. There’s something about seeing the views of the Manhattan skyline as you’re crossing that I prefer, especially as a visitor. But honestly, you can’t go wrong eithe rway.
Before you go, there are a few things worth knowing. The bridge gets incredibly crowded during the day, the pedestrian entrance in Brooklyn can be surprisingly confusing to find, and the bike lane has changed in recent years.
Here’s everything you need to know before walking the Brooklyn Bridge.
Why We Recommend Walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan
People ask us all the time which direction is best, and our answer is always the same.
Start in Brooklyn.
As you walk toward Manhattan, the skyline stays right in front of you the entire way. You’ll get incredible views of Lower Manhattan directly ahead of you, including One World Trade Center, to the left you have great views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty in the distance, and to the right you get the rest of the NYC skyline views as well as the Manhattan Bridge.
Walking the opposite direction isn’t bad at all and I love that way too, but if you’re a visitor lookign for those photo worthy moments, I’d recommend this route.
Another reason we love starting in Brooklyn is because you can easily spend a few hours exploring DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park before your walk. Grab a coffee, enjoy the waterfront, then cross the bridge into Manhattan.
It’s one of our favorite half-day itineraries in the city, we also have a guide to our favorite ways to spend one day in NYC too!
The Best Time to Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
If there’s one piece of advice I can give, it’s this: Avoid the middle of the day whenever possible.
Between late morning and early evening, especially on weekends, the Brooklyn Bridge can become shoulder-to-shoulder with visitors stopping for photos.
If you’re claustrophobic or hoping for peaceful views or good photos, this isn’t the time to go.
Instead, try:
- early bird gets the worm: try sunrise
- after sunset at night
- weekday mornings
- Cold or rainy days (just dress for the weather and keep in mind there’s usually a wind or breeze from the East River and umbrellas can be tough in the rain if there’s wind, bring a rain poncho)
Some of our favorite bridge walks have actually been during light rain or in the middle of winter (post-holiday season crowds in January and February). The crowds disappear, the skyline can look incredibly dramatic, and you’ll have a more enjoyable time if you dress for the elements.
Quick Facts Before You Go
- Length: 1.13 miles/1.81 km (the pedestrian entrances are about 1.6 miles/2.6 km apart)
- Walking time: about 30 minutes without stopping
- Realistically plan for 45-60 minutes if you’re taking photos
- Cost: Free
- Open: 24 hours a day
One important update if you’ve read older guides: Cyclists no longer share the upper pedestrian promenade.
The bike lane was moved to a protected lane alongside vehicle traffic below the pedestrian walkway. It’s made walking across the bridge much more enjoyable for commuters.
Although, you’d think that means more room for pedestrians (which there is) but like a goldfish to a bowl, the crowds somehow have gotten larger on the Brooklyn Bridge and its just as crowded, just no more dodging cyclists (and cyclists, no more dodging pedestrians).
When taking photos, DO NOT SIT OR STAND ON LEDGES when posing for pictures. There are no rails to protect pedestrians from falling down onto the roadway below and besides risking your life, you’re putting others in danger. Please be responsible.
Do not leave love locks on the bridge! You could be ticketed for this and if not, they will be cut off immediately. This is a historic landmark and the locks damage the bridge.
How to Find the Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Entrance
This is probably the most confusing part for first-time visitors.
Brooklyn Side:
The easiest entrance is the staircase entrance beneath the bridge near Washington Street and Prospect Street that connects directly to the pedestrian walkway.
There used to be an easy marker on Google Maps to find this entry point, but it’s no longer there.
You’ll enter from under the Brooklyn Bridge via a staircase. It feels like you’re in an underpass, because you are. There’s usually a vendor selling water and hot dogs here, that’s a good indication you’ve found it. You’ll also likely see other people coming in and out of this spot.
You can also enter at Tillary Street and Boerum Place. This starts further back at the beginning of the Brooklyn Bridge, I’d recommend the other entrance.
Manhattan Side:
This one is much simpler. Head to the northeast corner of City Hall Park along Centre Street. You’ll see signs directing pedestrians up onto the bridge.
Closest Subway Stations
Brooklyn
The closest stations are:
- A, C or F subway lines to Jay Street/MetroTech Station
- N or R subway lines to Court Street Station
- 2/3 or 4/5 subway lines to Borough Hall Station
- A or C subway lines to High Street (take the High Street Exit – this is the most direct route)
- F subway line at York Street
Manhattan
The closest stations are:
- 4, 5, or 6 subway lines to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall
- J or Z subway lines to Chambers St.
- 2 or 3 subway lines to Park Place
- N or R subway lines to City Hall
- A or C subway lines to Fulton Street
A Brief History of the Brooklyn Bridge
Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time and remains one of New York City’s greatest engineering achievements.
It was designed by John Augustus Roebling. After his death, his son Washington Roebling took over construction before becoming seriously ill from decompression sickness while working in the bridge’s underwater caissons.
His wife, Emily Warren Roebling, became an essential part of the project, communicating engineering plans and overseeing construction. She was also the first person to officially cross the completed bridge.
Just a year later, P.T. Barnum famously marched 21 elephants across the bridge to prove it was safe after rumors spread that it might collapse.
Today, plaques on the bridge recognize John, Washington, and Emily Roebling for their roles in creating one of New York City’s most recognizable landmarks.
Read more about the history of the Brooklyn Bridge, it’s such a good story! There are also so many more interesting facts about the Brooklyn Bridge, too.
What to do Nearby the Brooklyn Bridge
One of the best things about walking the Brooklyn Bridge is that you’re surrounded by great neighborhoods on both sides. These are a few of our recommendations of what to do on either side of the Brooklyn Bridge before and after you walk across.
Brooklyn
- Explore DUMBO – grab a coffee (a favorite is %Arabica, Fishs Eddy cafe, and Butler), check out the views from the waterfront or enjoy any of these best things to do in DUMBO.
- Walk through Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Visit Time Out Market, check out the view from the upper level!
- Grab some of the best pizza in Brooklyn at Juliana’s or Grimaldi’s.
- Take the classic Washington Street photo, be sure to align the photo just right so that the Empire State Building is peeking through the opening of the bridge!
Manhattan
- Walk into Chinatown (~15 min walk) for food, shopping, and great museums
- Walk to SoHo (~20 min walk) for one of the best shopping districts as well as historic cast iron buildings if you like architecture!
- Wander through the Seaport District (we love the McNally Jackson bookstore and waterfront views here!)
- Visit the 9/11 Memorial & see One World Trade Center (~10-15 min walk – check out the One World Observatory, too!)
- Explore the Oculus, this is a shopping mall and transportation hub but the architecture and photos here are great! (~10-15 min walk)
- African Burial Ground National Monument commemorates the lives of thousands of free and enslaved Africans whose contributions helped build colonial New York but went unrecognized for generations.
Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour
Want to learn about the fascinating history of the Brooklyn Bridge? From the deadly construction to other historical events that took place around the bridge and the fabric of NYC?
Join a Brooklyn Bridge walking tour with a guide! This 2-hour Brooklyn Bridge walking tour will cover all things related to the Brooklyn Bridge from fun facts to history as well as stops in DUMBO and Manhattan.
Book your Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour
Found this guide to walking the Brooklyn Bridge helpful or interesting? Bookmark for later or share the love below on Pinterest!
Do you have any tips for low-cost parking near DUMBO?
Check for free street parking first – although there are very few streets available for this and it’s competitive. Otherwise, there are two Kwik Parking lots available for a fee.
This page was incredibly helpful as I was trying to figure out how to go about walking the bridge from Brooklyn. I was having trouble understanding where the entrance was with Google Maps and the reference on this site to Tillary St. until I spied a marker on google: Brooklyn Bridge Walkway Starting Point
If you’re open to suggestions, adding that reference to this web page might be helpful to those getting their directions from the map app. (It’s how I get anywhere when I’m traveling!)
Thank you for this website!! I especially appreciated the history and looked for the plaques while we walked. And I can see why the bike path changed – who thought bikes and pedestrians was going to work in the first place??
Thanks Kate!! I have added that tip – glad you found the guide helpful!
This whole article was so completely helpful! My mom and I will be driving from Pennsylvania just to walk the bridge in a few weeks. Where would you recommend parking so that we can access the bridge from the Brooklyn side? Thank you so much for the very specific Google map area too!
Glad you found this helpful! Parking isn’t great down there, but there are parking garages, I recommend the garage at 200 Cadman Plaza W.