1. I tend to get into a rut – whether I’m in New York or in Paris – of visiting the same sort of sequence of places whenever visitors come to call. In Paris, that means Notre Dame, the Louvre, a walk through Montmartre, and a long walk along the berges de Seine. In New York, the places tend to be far more food-driven (probably because I’m getting my fill of pizza and sushi too), but it definitely includes a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
2. I’ve always believed that the best way to visit a city is on foot. That’s how I first discovered my own city, albeit long before Brooklyn was cool, so the Bridge wasn’t even on my radar. Still, I used to walk the streets of New York over and over and over again, by night or by day, getting to know each of their nooks and crannies and, somehow, becoming a part of the city myself.
3. Of course, that’s not exactly the experience you get when you cross the Brooklyn Bridge on foot. You’re there with the hoards of others, making it kind of difficult to meander or feel like anything but part of the stream of people alongside you. But it’s not all bad. After all, there’s really nothing like the view you get of Manhattan.
4. And of course, there’s always the reward at the end. Whenever I cross the Brooklyn Bridge on foot, I make sure to stop off at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory for some sustenance in the form of butter-pecan ice cream. When I brought my in-laws here, they were astounded by the “American” portion sizes, but I am of the opinion that ice cream should always be served jumbo-sized.
5. And of course, the view looking back at Manhattan is certainly nothing to spit at.