Tourists and visitors can enjoy various attractions and fun things to do in Brooklyn. But the Brooklyn Bridge is the historical and iconic architecture crossing the East River and connecting the two boroughs, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Bridge views and the bridge walk are the most popular attractions for tourists and travelers in Brooklyn. However, you can find various exciting activities and remarkable things to do near Brooklyn bridge.
Several people cross the bridge every day, going down to downtown and Dumbo while exploring fantastic scenic waterfront vistas of the NYC skyline. The bridge offers excellent photo ops and stunning sunrise and sunset scenes for visitors. If you need to know more facts about the Brooklyn Bridge, go through this guide, and you will get authentic information about this historical structure connecting the two main boroughs of NYC.
Brooklyn Bridge Walk for Visitors and Travelers
The bridge is in between the neighborhoods of Manhattan Downtown and the Dumbo in Brooklyn. People can use the pedestrian way for a bridge walk. The pedestrians can enjoy the suspension cable bridge structure, freshwater breeze, splashing water waves, Big Apple’s skyline views, and sunrise and sunset scenes from the bridge. It’s one of the coolest things to do in Brooklyn to take a walking tour on the Brooklyn Bridge.
People can also explore a glimpse of the Statue of Lady Liberty, Empire Estate Tower, Governor’s Island, and Manhattan Bridge. Whether you are going to Manhattan from Brooklyn or going to Brooklyn to Manhattan, you will enjoy the remarkable walking experience to explore the NYC skyline and get some Instagram-worthy clicks to share with the world
Some Facts About Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge was constructed from 1869 to 1883. This suspension cable design and Gothic Revival architecture has the longest span of 1 595 feet. Brooklyn Bridge Walk is one of the best free things to do in Brooklyn. Walking at this historical landmark is the most exciting activity for locals and tourists. However, you must wear heavy winter coats in the winter season due to the harsh breeze and soft fabric clothes in summer due to the extremely hot weather on the bridge.
Exciting Things to Do Near Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Side
Visitors walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan across the bridge can enjoy the fun and exciting activities and things to do near Brooklyn bridge Manhattan side. You can choose the best activities and places to visit in this area. It’s a great thing to do in New York for first-timers to explore Downtown Manhattan and enjoy the walking tour. However, you can choose the spots to visit and add to your itinerary the specific things to do according to your travel plans and interests.
● Visit the Pier Seventeen
● Visit the Oculus
● Visit South Street Seaport
● Visit One World Observatory
● Brookfield Place
● Battery Park
● Hudson River Park
1. Visit Pier Seventeen in Downtown Manhattan near Brooklyn Bridge
Pier Seventeen near the Brooklyn Bridge is larger than Pier Fifteen and Sixteen. Pier Three has various cafes and the best restaurants. The pier is the best spot to enjoy scenic waterfront views of the skyline and refreshing vibes, and it’s one of the best things to do in New York. These piers have waterfront lush green parks and calm green spaces where you can stay and rest while enjoying the sunset scene behind the East River and NYC skyline.
2. Visit the Oculus in Downtown Manhattan near Brooklyn Bridge
The Oculus is located below the One World Trade Center. It looks like a shopping mall and a transit space where you will get several stores and shopping spots, casual eateries, dining options, and the best coffee shops.
The Oculus offers stunning, Instagram-worthy photo ops and great structure and design offers awe-inspiring views for the tourists and new visitors in the city. Visiting this iconic transit hub is one of the best unique things to do in NYC. This place is famous for its unique architecture and design that portrays the concept of Hope. The structure looks like a bird that opens its wings and is about to fly from the open human hands.
3. Visit South Street Seaport Manhattan Side near the Brooklyn Bridge
The South Street Seaport is located at the south of the bridge. The South Street Seaport is a hipster-style small neighborhood, and you will find the traditional cobblestone streets, various stores, boutiques, coffee shops, and eateries in this area.
The South Street Seaport Museum in this area holds the best artifacts of ships and boats. This neighborhood has a few waterfront piers that offer scenic views of city landscapes and fresh air. Pier fifteen is the best place to stay and relax in a lush green space and enjoy East River water waves and refreshing vibes near the bridge. Pier sixteen is the best place to explore the historical ships and boats. It has a ship dock where you can see the Decker, Lettie Howard, Ambrose, and Wave Tree ships.
4. Visit One World Observatory Manhattan Side near Brooklyn Bridge
The One World Trade Center, or Freedom Tower, is the most renowned national landmark and historical place in Downtown Manhattan. The One World Observatory deck is at the top of the Freedom Tower, which offers breathtaking vistas of the Big Apple’s skyline and the city's landscapes. Visitors can explore the 360-degree views from the observatory deck. It’s one of the most adventurous things to do in NYC and remarkable observatory decks to explore the city landscapes from the high-rise terrace in the sky.
5. Brookfield Place in Downtown Manhattan near Brooklyn Bridge
Brookfield Place is near the Oculus. It’s a fascinating waterfront space where you will find various shops, eateries, coffee houses, cafes, and various fun things to do with kids beside the river. The most famous café is the Hudson Eats in this area, where you can taste quick meals and enjoy the casual dining experience at the waterfront space.
People can enjoy walking beside the river on the waterfront pathways while getting unforgettable views of the Big Apple. This place offers several little green spaces and parks to stay and relax and enjoy the freshwater breeze.
6. Battery Park on the Manhattan Side near Brooklyn Bridge
Battery Park is one of the most popular parks in NYC. This massive green oasis offers a glimpse of the Statue of Lady Liberty and other famous NYC landmarks. The boats move to the NYC islands from Battery Park, so you can catch a boat to visit the NYC islands from this place. People can walk through the lush green space, sit, and rest. Kids can have fun in the play area and visit the remarkable historical heritage at the waterfront space. There are a few famous eateries and cafes, so kids and families can taste great food and have some drinks at Battery Park.
7. Hudson River Park in Manhattan Side near the Bridge
The Hudson River Waterfront Park is another gem in Downtown Manhattan. This waterfront park features great vistas of sunrise and sunset along the Hudson River waves. People like to enjoy morning walks, yoga, and stay for rest in this peaceful green space. At the south end of Hudson River Park, you will find fascinating Little Island, Pier twenty-six and fifty-seven, and fantastic Chelsea Piers. It’s all up to you how much time you can spend walking along the river and enjoying various scenic views at the edge of the Hudson River in Downtown Manhattan.
Inspiring Things to Do Near Brooklyn Bridge Park Brooklyn Side
People walking from Manhattan to Brooklyn across the bridge can enjoy the inspiring activities and things to do near Brooklyn Bridge Park's Brooklyn side. Visitors can choose the amusing activities and interesting spots to explore this borough of NYC. Locals and travelers can find the most sensational things to do in Brooklyn on weekends. Explore Brooklyn and enjoy the walking tours. This guide helps you to choose the best activities and fun spots to visit and you can plan a holiday trip or weekend visit to Brooklyn in NYC.
● Visit the Brooklyn Heights
● Visit the Dumbo
● Visit the Time Out Food Market
● Visit the Pier One to Six
● Visit the Empire Fulton Ferry Park
● Visit the Pebble Beach
● Visit the famous restaurants
1. Visit the Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn Side near the Bridge
The Brooklyn Heights neighborhood is located near Pier One and Brooklyn Bridge. It is the most famous spot, where you can take the best walks in Brooklyn to explore the waterfront vistas of NYC skylines, Brooklyn Bridge views, and refreshing vibes. This neighborhood has the inspiring scene of historical Gothic Revival, brownstone structures, row houses, and cobblestone streets aligned with lush green trees and wooden benches. It’s a great spot for photography and gets a few unforgettable clicks at row house streets or waterfront vistas of NYC.
2. Visit the Dumbo in Brooklyn Side near the Bride
Dumbo is the most famous and bustling neighborhood near the Brooklyn Bridge. This place offers incredible vistas of Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge at Washington Street. On the cobblestone street at the Dumbo, on both sides filled with brownstones and red brick buildings, you can enjoy the iconic Manhattan Bridge view and Empire Estate Tower. It’s really worth the walk at the Dumbo, taking a stroll at the iconic architecture and exploring the famous stores, boutiques, cafes, and the best restaurants in Brooklyn.
3. Visit the Time Out Food Market in Brooklyn Side near the Bridge
The Time Out Food Market is one of the famous food markets in Brooklyn. This food market offers diverse international cuisines, pastas, pizzas, seafood, lobsters, shrimp, sweet treats, and drinks. Foodies can enjoy lots of food options and spicy, hot, chili, and sweet flavors of diverse cuisines from different food vendors.
It has a rooftop area at the top of the building, which has the best rooftop restaurants in Brooklyn. People can taste the delicious dynamic flavors while enjoying the fresh breeze, inspiring views of the river, iconic bridge view, lush green bridge park, and the great skyline across the water waves.
4. Visit Pier One to Six on Brooklyn Side near the Bridge
Locals love to visit the Piers for stunning waterfront views and fresh vibes. Piers, one to six near the Brooklyn Bridge, offers great fun and amusement for kids and families.
● Pier One has a lavish green garden and fascinating waterfront views of the sunset and skyline.
● Pier Two offers green space with various playgrounds, sports fields and gaming courts for players and sports lovers.
● Pier Three has a lush green garden to stay, rest, relax, and enjoy fresh air at the edge of the river.
● The Pier Four offers a tiny beach spot and complimentary kayaking at the East River.
● Pier Five offers waterfront sports and soccer fields and playgrounds for the public.
● Pier Six has a lavish garden to rest in and volleyball courts to play for sports lovers.
5. Visit the Empire Fulton Ferry Park on Brooklyn Side near the Bridge
You can visit the Empire Fulton Ferry Park near the bridge if you have kids with your family. It’s one of the best parks in Brooklyn that has a historical carousel ride, Jane’s Carousel. The park offers a lush green garden and fun activities for kids.
6. Visit the Pebble Beach Park on Brooklyn Side near the Bridge
Pebble Beach Park is a small green park at the edge of the East River, but the significance of this park is the small, fascinating pebbles at the riverbank. This fascinating spot is located in between the Empire Fulton Ferry Park and John Street Park at the northside of Brooklyn Bridge. It’s an awe-inspiring scene at the edge of the river to explore the illuminating skyline at this pebble beach and it’s one of the best things to do in Brooklyn at night.
7. Visit the Famous Restaurants in Brooklyn Side near the Bridge
Let’s have some tasty food at the most famous eateries and restaurants near the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn Side, NYC.
Enjoy the Best Pizza Slices near the Bridge on Brooklyn Side
Brooklyn has various famous pizzerias, but a few of the most famous pizza spots near the Brooklyn Bridge are on the Brooklyn side. The Front Street Pizza, Grimaldi’s Pizza, and Juliana’s Pizzeria are some of the best pizzas in Brooklyn. Let’s check out the cheesy pizza slices with custom toppings at famous pizzerias in Brooklyn.
1. Taste the Sweet Treats at Ample Hills Creamery near the Bridge on Brooklyn Side
Taste the sweet creamy treats, desserts, sundaes, cones, ice cream sandwiches, and cup ice creams at the famous Ample Hills Creamery near the bridge. They offer various delicious flavors of ice creams and desserts for gluten-free and vegan options.
2. Taste the Lobster Rolls at Luke Lobster near the Bridge on Brooklyn Side
Seafood lovers can taste the lobster rolls and delicious seafood meals at Luke Lobster Seafood Restaurant near Pier one, Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn Side. They offer incredibly tasty lobster rolls, crab rolls, shrimp, and prawn dishes. Enjoy the great skyline vistas while having shrimp and prawn spicy meals at this restaurant.
Enjoy the Cheeseburgers at Shake Shack Restaurants near the Bridge on Brooklyn Side
Shake Shack is the famous American casual dining spot near the bridge. They serve savories, quick meals, shakes, coffee, cheeseburgers, sandwiches, fries, hot dogs, frozen custard, and more. People love to dine in, but you can take out the burgers and shakes to enjoy the picnic at the waterfront park near the Brooklyn Bridge.
Watch a Show at St Ann’s Warehouse Theater near the Bridge on Brooklyn Side
Fun and entertainment are not only available at the Broadway theaters but in Brooklyn. You can also watch live entertainment or a theater show at the St. Ann’s Theater below the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s a tiny theater located exactly below the bridge that offers exciting entertainment and live shows like a Broadway show but at an affordable price.
This tiny theater is operating in a previous tobacco warehouse. It’s not much like that Broadway theater, the exclusive stage, decorations, interiors, and, of course, the seating area is minimalistic. But they offer excellent entertainment, the best live performances, and great artists at the show for very affordable prices. You can check their website for online ticket booking and the show schedules.
Conclusion:
Locals and travelers can visit several lush green parks, waterfront piers for fun and picnic, and a great food scene near the historical architecture and great iconic site Brooklyn Bridge. Whether you are traveling from Manhattan to Brooklyn or from Brooklyn to Manhattan, you will get stunning photo ops, panoramic views, refreshing vibes from both sides of the bridge, and fun to walk over the bridge while getting a glimpse of the major landmarks of NYC.
