The Brooklyn Bridge has always fascinated me! Â After a long Sunday brunch, I thought the time had come to find out why! Â A perfect spring day meant we were not alone! Â Bikers, runners, walkers and joggers all had the same idea as this small group of Australian tourists.
Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the States. It’s spans the East River connecting Manhatten and Brooklyn.
There’s a sad history to the bridge with the original designer, John Roebling, sustaining an foot injury whilst working on the bridge. He eventually died from tetanus as a result of this and his son, Washington Roebling, took over from him as the driving force. He too suffered a debilitating illness so his wife Edith became the the liaison between Washington and the site’s foreman. This only happened after she had learnt higher maths to cope with the drawings she had to interpret. Smart lady!
You can see why the views attract millions of visitors to walk over the bridge…they are stunning.
The best views are seen by walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan. If you are aware of this, remember to keep looking back if you start out from Manhattan! Walking both ways solves the problem!
From our dedicated walking and biking paths, we see the cars rushing back and forth on their six lane roads below.
The bridge is an amazing engineering feat. Â Two huge masonry towers stand eighty four metres tall but it is the distance between them – 486 metres- that made this the longest suspension bridge in the world for twenty years.
Roebling made the bridge six times stronger than it needed to be. Four of the strongest cables have diameters of eleven inches and are anchored to the ground but even if they collapsed, there are enough cables to support the bridge.
Brooklyn is a thriving neighbourhood and whilst you are here, you should explore the area. Just at the foot of the bridge is the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Near here, you’ll find the The River Cafe, the perfect spot for lunch with a view or head to Grimaldi’s Pizzeria on Front Street for their famous pizza.
This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox. Don’t forget to pop over and see the other contributions.
What stunning views and photos, Jenny! I’ve never been to NYC and I’m really enjoying the tours you’re taking us on. 🙂
It’s a fabulous city Krista. I hope you get the chance to visit one day.
Super shots. Perfect in B&W
Thanks Sarah. I love B & W so it was the perfect time to try it!
Wow, what a fab set of photos and a great, if sad, story behind the bridge. İf that was me who had to learn the higher maths, that bridge would definitely not be there today!! 🙂
Julia
Thanks Julia. Women of this time were a lot more capable than they were given credit for. I’m with you…they’d still be waiting if it was left to me too!
Beautiful shots, Jenny! I love how you presented them in B&W for a greater effect. I’ve been to NYC many times but have never walked on the Brooklyn Bridge or stand anywhere near it. I should rememdy that soon. Those cable pictures are amazing! What an interesting story of the designers.
Thanks so much Mary. It’s certainly something you should do next time you are in New York. The views are fantastic and Brooklyn is a great area to explore.
Black and white shots are perfect for photographing buildings. What camera do you use? These are really good.
Thanks Jo. I use a Canon 5D but I’ve still got the learner plates attached! I love B & W and thought these would be great to try that way!
Amazing pictures! 🙂
Thanks Miret. I had wanted to do this for a while so it was fun to finally walk across the bridge!
Gorgeous! Just an amazing experience, the bridge and the views!
The views are pretty special aren’t they Tash! Finally I was able to walk across the bridge and take it all in.
Great photos 🙂
Thanks So much Muza-chan.It was a fun thing to do!
These are indeed striking photos. So enhanced by being in black and white. Thank you for a lovely experience.
Thanks Vera for your kind comment.We thoroughly enjoyed our walk over the bridge.
These shots are BEAUTIFUL! Brooklyn Bridge really lends itself to B&W photography! I love the strong, geometric shapes, and the focal lines on the bridge – especially in contrast to the moving cars. When I walked over the bridge a few years ago I also couldn’t stop admiring the cables! Rather hypnotising.
I never knew about the history of the bridge – annoying to think that women until recently could never reach their true potential, and it took the death of her husband and the illness of her son to eventually give a woman a go!
Thanks Shing. I love B & W photography so I thought I’d try it with these photos. The cables were perfect for it! I wonder houw much credit she received at the time for making sure the bridge was completed!
Love your photos and commentary. I walked across the bridge once and would enjoy doing it again. Great experience.
I’d love to do it again too and spend more time on the Brooklyn side. The views are fabulous aren’t they!
NYC is a fantastic city to visit and the Brooklyn Bridge is one of my favorite things to do! I was there last summer and walked the bridge again but was a little disappointed by all the construction blocking the many views.
Being my first time walking across the bridge I was not aware of the difference but loved the views all the same. It gives me a reason to go back Debbie!
Your photos are stunning. So glad you got to walk the bridge. It’s an incredibly stunning piece of architecture.
Thanks Marcia. I’m glad I finally got to walk the bridge too! It’s something I had been wanting to do for a long while.
A great post – I enjoyed the photography and agree that they have a lot of impact in B&W. I’ve never been to Brooklyn let alone crossed the bridge but perhaps on my next visit I’ll find the time. I love the fact the you’ve included restaurant suggestions too.
It’s not often you can use B&W but I loved playing with it here. hope you get to New York Soon Leigh to do the walk and explore Brooklyn.
Wow, that bridge is wonderful! And choosing to do it in B&W is also very nice. Very dramatic. It’s my goal to run the NY marathon once, which I know passes through this bridge 🙂
Thanks Aleah. I’ve seen photos of the marathon runners coming across the bridge and it’s an awesome sight. I hope you get to run in it one year.
The B&W really makes the the arcitecture stand out. I never realized that the pedestrian and bike paths were on a different level.
Thanks Michele. I really enjoyed doing the B&W photos. The pedestrian and bike paths are on the same level with the car lanes, a level below. One of the photos shows this. If you’re ever in New York,I hope you get the chance to do this walk.
Wow great B&W photos of the Brooklyn Bridge. Manhattan is such a great place for steel-bridge-fans 🙂
Thanks Anita for stopping by and commenting. New York is great for B&W photos be they bridges or buildings. It’s a great city!
What an amazing feat despite all the trauma and hardships suffered by the Washingtons! Such beautiful photos as well. Thank you so much for sharing the Brooklyn Bridge with us.
It was quite an incredible story wasn’t it Tracey. I’d love to know how much credit Edith was given for her role in completing the bridge for her husband! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the world’s great icons – to me, anyway! I’ve read many books about the area over the years – Hubert Selby’s ‘Last Exit to Brooklyn’ my fave – so it’s great to see what it looks like today in that FABULOUS colour scheme of yesteryear!!
Thanks Red. It’s got quite a checkered history so it would be great to read more about it-I’ll check out the book you’ve suggested. I’m a big fan of B&W and felt it was apt here. Glad you like it.
I just went to NYC with my daughter and though walking across the Brooklyn Bridge was on my list of things to do. I’ll have to put it on my list of things to do next time around. I was able to get some good views of the bridge though and looking at Manhattan from Brooklyn is gorgeous!
Love your pictures- they make me feel like I was right there on the walk with you! 🙂
It’s always great to have a reason to return to a city. Glad you enjoyed the walk, Tonya – a taste of what’s to come for you!
Wow – seems like the bridge has a place in everyone’s heart. I know it was a highlight of our stay and it is so photographic. You have captured it totally.
Thanks Jan. it was a wonderful walk to do. Next time, I’ll spend more time in Brooklyn
Stunning pictures! I am in love with these images. I had taken a Lufthansa flight last year and traveled to New York, what a satisfying experience. I tried capturing similar photographs but failed. These are really impressive. Well done 🙂
Thanks Clifford. New York is a always a fun city to visit and photograph!