Manhattan is an island connected by lots of bridges, but the Brooklyn Bridge is in a class all of its own. It really is a New York icon and I always wanted to walk across it.

When Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883 after 14 years of construction, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world. The span between its 2 support towers is 1,596 feet. Today the bridge continues to dazzle. It is one of the architectural gems of New York.

The Brooklyn Bridge connects Lower Manhattan with the 19th Century neighbourhood of Brooklyn Heights.

We took the subway to City Hall and quite easily found the entrance to the bridge. There is a nice pedestrianised walkway right in the middle. We walked across this between huge stone pylons and a spiderweb of steel support cables.

Traffic flows on the level below the pedestrian walkway.

We were well wrapped up against the weather, but were nonetheless almost frozen. Make sure you wear lots of layers if you brave the bridge in winter.

We walked to Brooklyn and then turned and came back to Manhattan. Most people seemed to be doing this. The views of the Manhattan skyline are unforgettable. We couldn't stop taking pictures - there is also a great view of the Empire State Building. You can just about see the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

Back in Manhattan, South Street Seaport and Pier 17 are only a short stroll away. We found this a good place to have a coffee and generally warm up. There is a shopping mall with quite a few very nice shops and a food court at the top level. From the food court and the outside terrace you get excellent views of the water and the Brooklyn Bridge.

This is quite a nice area to spend an hour, as outside there was a lovely Christmas tree, a choir singing, cobbled streets and old ships.

On August 20, 2006, I went with my son and a friend of mine for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and it was well worth the time spent. It was not only great exercise, but the views were out of this world! It took us around 45 mins. to an hour to complete the journey. Make sure that you bring plenty of water to drink and an umbrella to create shade if it's a very sunny day and/or you're prone to heat stroke. Stay in the walkers' lane, as bikers come down their lane at full speed. Wear comfy shoes and bring your camera! The views looking back at Manhattan, toward Brooklyn, over in the direction of the BB's neighbor The Manhattan Bridge and in the direction of the South Street Seaport and Statue of Liberty were all amazing. It took my breath away. Speaking of which, BEWARE! I had a few spells of dizziness, so if you're afraid of heights like I am, avoid the sides. Cars wizz by underneath you and boats cruise down the river below them. It's like standing on the hub of NYC's wheel.

There are also fascinating plaques describing the history and details of this elegant suspension bridge. We even passed a musician playing the saxophone at around the half-way mark (see pics). This is a really fun thing to do on any nice day of the year. ENJOY!

It's a 45-minute walk across, but the pictures and views are great. I think it's what made me fall in love with NYC! I had to buy an I love NY sweatshirt after the walk!

If you only want to go one direction, take the subway into Brooklyn and walk towards the city. The view is better! Watch out for bicyclists and stay to the left of the yellow line. The bikers come fast and furious--and in my opinion aren't biking responsibly for their safety and others... you need a helmet to walk across.

Convenient water station on the way across, this guy was probably not licensed but it was tempting to buy a water for $1 (only!!!).

Do it; you won't be sorry!

We took the subway at 6pm to the City Hall Brooklyn Bridge stop. It was still light out, and we planned to walk the bridge if the height did not scare me too much. I hate heights. The walk is in the middle of the bridge and starts out at the same level as traffic but gradually rises above the traffic. There is enough metal, the walkway is mostly boards without gaps, and the edge looking down to the water is far enough away. My vertigo did not bother me enough to keep me from walking over the bridge.

Although we walked towards Brooklyn, rather than towards Manhattan, there were lots of opportunities and plenty of space to stop, turn around, and take a lot of pictures of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the bridge itself. Because we timed it at sunset, it was a spectacular view.

We left the bridge down the steps and walked until we reached Cadman Plaza. We ended up on the Esplanade, from which we could see that we had walked too far, as we were trying to get to the River Cafe. We headed along the Esplanade until we were on Old Fulton Street and followed it to the wharf next to River Cafe. From the wharf, there were lots more photos as the sun set.

The walk was very easy and lasted about 30 minutes with many stops. It was a not-to-be-missed experience.

We didn't actually get to drive over the bridge, but we stopped at a port to go shopping and were able to go in back of the building and see the bridge. It's amazing how people can build huge bridges over water.