Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge

It's been about three years since I put "walk across the Brooklyn Bridge" on my NYC to-do list. That was when I lived in midtown. Today I was finally able to check that item off my list. It was about 59 degrees and sunny when I left home around 11:30 this morning. About ten minutes later I stepped onto the bridge's pedestrian on-ramp at Tillary Street.

The bridge was crowded with tourists, plenty of them spilling over the white stripe in the middle of the pathway into the bicycle path. There was lots of photo-taking, including that of a wedding party--the bridesmaids being careful not to step in the cracks between the wooden slats of the path.



And, a little further on, I saw a tall model being primped for a shoot--a man standing behind her combing out her long Cher-like locks and photographers at the ready.
I thought it would be cold on the bridge, but it was actually warm enough for a tank top, although many of the tourists were in their winter coats! There were a lot of joggers crossing the bridge. I also saw one roller-blader. At the other end, I landed across the street from City Hall Park where a smart man was selling bottled water for a dollar.

After a brief rest on a bench in the sun, I decided to head back and time the walk back to the other side. At a good clip, and despite the packs of tourists hogging the pedestrian pathway, it took me about 18 minutes to get to the other side.

Back in Brooklyn, I walked through Cadman Park and headed toward the Brooklyn Promenade where I saw another "model" posing for a shoot (if that's what you want the call the black-clad woman wearing a bizarre combination of black lace, a knight's aventail, and army boots). As usual, there were many people of all ages, from infants in strollers to elderly folks sitting on benches enjoying the views from the sunny promenade.

I like Brooklyn. It's a good walking city with great views of the Manhattan skyline. The past three or four Saturdays I've spent hours walking the streets, getting to know the lay of the land around my new home. I think Baby and I will be happy here. Sure, it isn't Manhattan - but how many people can say they live close enough to walk to Manhattan?