Walk the Brooklyn Bridge on your New York Break
Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is something you have to do on a New York Break. Its a wonderful way to admire the skyline of Manhattan and best of all, its free!
Brooklyn Bridge is a big part of New Yorks history as well as being the first steel wire suspension bridge in the world! As well as being the main route to and from Manhattan from Brooklyn, it has a raised centre walkway which provides an excellent opportunity to take around a mile walk and see the sights of the big city on your New York break.
Walking the Bridge
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge on your New York Break
As you walk down the bridge don’t forget to admire the huge granite, gothic towers which support the bridge. Also the Statue of Liberty will be visable on the left and even the famous Empire State Building poking above the rest of the skyline to the right. To the right also you will see Manhattan Bridge and even further away to the left past the Statue of Liberty, the huge Verrazano suspension bridge. Look out for the viewpoint guides and information plates dotted along the bridge which help you to identify what to look out for as you walk along as well as providing extra information on the bridge and its history.
The Brooklyn Bridge will take around 20-30 minutes to walk from end to end depending on your pace.
If you do wish to walk the other way from Manhattan, then take a train to City Hall and start your walk from there.
Whichever way you go, walking the bridge will be an unforgettable experience on your New York break.
A Few Bridge Facts
Height of towers above high tide: 276.5 feet
Bridge length end to end: 5.989 feet, 1.13 miles
Opened in: 1883
What to do on a New York City Break
Visiting New York City can be a wonderful experience. There are many amazing and fun things to do on a New York City break although it helps to plan your trip well to ensure you don’t waste your time but return home with plenty of good memories.
Whatever your preferences or personality, New York has plenty of things for you to do. Whether its sightseeing, shopping, art, history, shows or partying you will find it all.
If your idea of a New York break is going shopping then you will be in the right place! New York has a wide range of stores from Designer boutiques like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Armani and Versace to traditional cost saving high street stores. You can also visit world famous department stores like Macy’s or Bloomingdales. Up until 2009, Macy’s was the world’s largest department store so is well worth a visit.
What to do on a New York Break
New York City is simply a shoppers paradise. If you love shopping, you will love New York!
New York City is home to the US Open tennis grand slam tournament. This is held every year late August or early September in Flushing Meadows. Some of the best tennis players in the world have played in the tournament like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Ana Ivanovic and many more.
Flushing Meadows is located in Queens, New York if you want to go and visit at that time of year if you are a tennis fan. In fact the US Open is a major event where people from all over the world mingle. Watching tennis is not all that is on offer at Flushing Meadows. There are places to shop, eat and if you’re lucky meet a professional tennis player. There are also alot of trainers and coaches around and maybe you might pickup some tennis tips to improve your game.
New York City has its share of famous museums. For lovers of history, art and culture, then you need to visit the American Museum of Natural History and definitely look around the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Broadway is home to some of the best shows on earth so if you love plays and musicals don’t forget to book into some shows during your New York City break.
If you plan well you can have a most enjoyable time during your New York break. This is just a small selection of the things you could do or see around New York. Be sure to check some of our other ideas on this site to see other things that you can do such as 10 top things to do on a New York city break.
10 Top things to do on a New York City break
New York is a great place to take a short city break but there is so much to see it can seem overwhelming. So to help, here are 10 great things to do on your New York city break:-
1. Visit the Empire State Building
A birds eye view of Manhattan from over 1,000 feet up at either of the two observation decks on the 86th or 102th floor. You need to buy a ticket but its well worth the cost and well worth a visit on your New York city break.
2. Visit Grand Central Terminal
Visit the central concourse and see the famous four sided clock at the centre. Don’t forget to look up from the main concourse and admire the vast cathedral ceiling. Plenty of shops and restaurants and always bustling with activity.
3. Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry
A ride on the Staten Island ferry presents an excellent way to admire the skyline of the city and the Statue of Liberty. The ferry is also completely free!
Visit Times Square on your New York City Break
4. Visit the Statue of Liberty
Take a closer look at what is arguably the USA’s most recognisable landmark during your New York city break. Take the ferry to Liberty Island from Battery Park at the southern most tip of Manhattan.
5. Take a stroll in Central Park
Central Park is like an oasis in the midst of the City. Relax and watch the world go by for a short while, take a stroll around the park or even visit the zoo located there.
6. Visit the Rockafella Center
The Rockafella Center is commercial 19 building complex. Pay a visit to enjoy the architecture and art. There’s also a skating rink and ‘Top of the Rock’ observation deck that’s well worth going up to. At Christmas time its also a great attraction with its huge Christmas tree in the center plaza.
7. American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History has one of the worlds best collection of natural history. A must see for museum lovers on a New York city break with an interest in natural history.
8. Metropolitan Museum of Art
This gigantic museum is another ‘must see’ for art and history lovers. The building is impressive enough in its size and grandeur, yet the collection of art it houses is even more so. It contains works of art dating back to the Stone Age right through to 20th century.
9. Visit Times Square
With its array of huge neon signs, visiting Times Square at night gives an excellent opportunity to admire the popular landmark when its all lit up.
10. Walk across Brooklyn Bridge
From City Hall in Manhattan, enjoy a stroll across the 1.14 mile long bridge, which will gives excellent views of both Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Statue of Liberty. If you only want to walk one way, you can take the A train to High Street and walk back to Manhattan with the big city in front of you all the way.
