Brooklyn Bridge Building

Address: Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY, USA (connects Manhattan City Hall area to Brooklyn Heights)

Hours: Open 24 hours (pedestrian/bike promenade)

Admission: Free

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge completed in 1883 that connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City. It was designed by John A. Roebling and completed under the supervision of his son Washington Roebling.

The bridge’s 1,595.5-foot main span and stone towers are iconic engineering and architectural features; a raised promenade carries pedestrians and cyclists between Brooklyn and Manhattan with panoramic views of both boroughs and the East River.

Construction began in the 1870s under John A. Roebling; after his death the project was overseen by Washington Roebling and completed in 1883. At the time of opening it was among the longest suspension bridges in the world and introduced use of steel-wire cable in major bridge construction.

The bridge links the Manhattan neighborhood centered on City Hall with the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO, spanning the East River in New York City.

• Dimensions and connections: The bridge spans the East River with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 meters), connecting Manhattan at City Hall to Brooklyn at Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO.
• Pedestrian promenade: A raised pedestrian and bicycle promenade runs above the traffic lanes, offering unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline and the river; it is busiest at sunrise and late afternoon.

Brooklyn Bridge links Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. On the Manhattan side, take the subway to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall (4/5/6) and walk about 5 minutes to the Manhattan entrance at Park Row/Centre Street; on the Brooklyn side, use High St-Brooklyn Bridge (A/C) and walk 5-10 minutes to the DUMBO/Tillary St entrance. The bridge is also accessible on foot from City Hall Park and from Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood.

By car the bridge connects to FDR Drive and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway; parking is limited on both ends so public transit or walking from nearby neighborhoods is recommended.

• Walk the bridge at sunrise or early weekday mornings to avoid the heavy tourist and photographer traffic that builds later in the day.
• Choose your starting entrance based on where you want to end: start on the Manhattan/City Hall side for easy access to lower Manhattan, or start in Brooklyn (Cadman Plaza/DUMBO side) if you want to finish in Brooklyn Bridge Park and avoid the largest City Hall crowds.
• Keep to the pedestrian side of the central promenade and be aware of the cyclists who use the adjacent lane - stepping briefly off to let faster groups pass will keep your walk moving and reduce bottlenecks at popular photo spots.