Bridges in New York: the 10 You Should Know

New York's suspension bridges are a marvel of modern engineering and one of the top attractions in NYC.

These bridges are the structures that connected the neighborhoods of this city built on islands, turning New York into the great metropolis it is today.

Not every bridge in New York is as famous as the Brooklyn Bridge or the Manhattan Bridge, but during your visit you'll notice they're a constant presence all across New York.

I'd encourage you to get to know them and to walk across the bridges with pedestrian paths, and further down I'll give you all the details so you can do it. These walks are some of the most spectacular free activities NYC has to offer.

How many bridges are there in New York?

There are more than 2,000 bridges in New York City, if you count every vehicle, rail, and pedestrian bridge.

They're the critical urban infrastructure that allows traffic to move between Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and they also connect the city with the rest of New York State and with neighboring New Jersey.

Below, I'll walk you through the 5 most famous bridges in New York. Then I'll introduce you to other iconic bridges, less well known but still landmarks of the New York skyline.

In each case, I'll tell you which bridges you can cross on foot and how to do it.

The 5 Most Famous Bridges in New York

The best-known bridges are the ones that link Manhattan and Brooklyn over the East River:

🌉 The Brooklyn Bridge

🏙️ The Manhattan Bridge

✡️ The Williamsburg Bridge

There's a simple memory trick to remember where they are: the letters BMW give you their order from south to north: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg.

💡 A cheap and original way to see the 3 most famous bridges in New York up close is from the deck of the NYC Ferry, East River Route, from DUMBO.

Now let me mention another pair of well-known bridges that deserve a spot in the Top 5 most important bridges in New York:

🕷️ The Queensboro Bridge: known in pop culture as the Spider-Man Bridge

🏃‍♂️ The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge: famous for being the New York Marathon bridge.

Let's look at each one in detail:

1. The Brooklyn Bridge

This is without question the most famous bridge in New York, perfect for crossing on foot or by bike thanks to its wide walkways.

Given how important it is, the Brooklyn Bridge has its own page. There you'll find all the details for crossing it.

But here's a preview: one of the best viewpoints of the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan is from Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO, and at night it's even better.

2. The Manhattan Bridge

The Manhattan Bridge is the suspension bridge that links Manhattan's Chinatown with DUMBO in Brooklyn. Along with the Brooklyn Bridge, it's the other most photographed bridge in New York.

You've surely seen the iconic shot taken from DUMBO, where the Manhattan Bridge is framed perfectly between the red brick buildings of one of Brooklyn's most popular neighborhoods.

Since I know you enjoy these details: that framing became famous thanks to the poster for Sergio Leone's film Once Upon a Time in America (1984). It's the corner of Washington Street and Water Street.

If you want to see the Manhattan Bridge up close, head to the entrance of Brooklyn Bridge Park. From there you can even walk right up to its base and hear the roar of cars crossing overhead.

It has a bike lane and a pedestrian path that starts at Canal Street. The downside is that it's at the same level as the cars and the subway, so it's a pretty noisy walk.

If you decide to cross it, do it during business hours. At night and on holidays it's quite deserted.

Walk on the south side, where you'll get incredible views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

3. The Williamsburg Bridge

Few tourists know you can walk across the Williamsburg suspension bridge (opened in 1903). Every day it carries pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and the J, M, and Z subway lines.

It's not the best option for photos, since the pedestrian ramp is covered by a fence, but crossing this New York bridge on foot is a great way to start exploring Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish neighborhood.

The pedestrian entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge is in the Lower East Side, at Delancey and Clinton Street, an area I don't find all that pretty.

To check it out, you could do what I did: get off at the Marcy Avenue subway station in Brooklyn (J, M, and Z lines).

From there you can walk out onto the bridge for a while and then head back to Brooklyn.

And if you get the idea to cross it in the middle of winter in New York 🥶, bundle up, because the cold wind cuts right through you! Here's a photo from that day, so you can see how much I love crossing bridges and how I sacrifice for you to put this guide together 😆.

If you decide to do the full walk between Williamsburg and the Lower East Side, you'll need about half an hour.

4. The Queensboro Bridge: the Spider-Man bridge

The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, links Midtown East in Manhattan with Long Island City in Queens, crossing over Roosevelt Island (a Manhattan neighborhood on a narrow island in the East River).

The best way to see it is by riding the Roosevelt Island Tram, the cable car that runs alongside the bridge.

If you're a Spider-Man fan, you'll remember the thrilling scene where Spider-Man (2002) rescues Mary Jane Watson and a group of kids trapped on this tram right next to the Queensboro Bridge 🕷️.

💡 Liked that tidbit? Then you'll enjoy this article about other famous movie scenes filmed in New York.

Another Queensboro Bridge viewpoint, with first-class views, is the Riverview Terrace at the northern end of Midtown East, on 58th Street next to the East River.

Another film buff note: from this spot, Woody Allen shot the Manhattan (1979) scene where he talks with Diane Keaton sitting on a bench. None other than the image on the movie poster.

5. Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge: the starting line of the NYC Marathon

You probably know the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge as the starting line of the New York City Marathon (read up on where to watch the New York City Marathon, a can't-miss activity in November in New York).

Did you know it's the longest suspension bridge in the United States? The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge links Staten Island with Bay Ridge in Brooklyn over The Narrows, the strait that serves as the gateway to New York Harbor.

Its name honors Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European navigator to sail through this part of the world back in 1524 (if we leave the Vikings out of it ⛵).

Most of the maritime traffic heading to the ports of New York and New Jersey passes beneath the Verrazzano Bridge.

This bridge has no pedestrian walkway. If you want to see it up close, head to Fort Wadsworth (210 New York Avenue) on Staten Island, a 25-minute bus ride from the ferry terminal.

Other bridges in New York

As I mentioned earlier, there are more than two thousand bridges in New York. And even though I love crossing bridges, I haven't come close to walking or photographing them all. There are just too many!

Now let me introduce you to a few other impressive bridges you can photograph from different New York neighborhoods:

The bridge from New York to New Jersey: the George Washington Bridge

The George Washington Bridge spans the Hudson River and connects New York with New Jersey. It's the main gateway into Manhattan and a New York landmark.

It's a magnificent piece of engineering that opened in 1931, with its foundations planted in Washington Heights in Manhattan and Fort Lee, New Jersey. It's one of the busiest bridges in the world, with 14 lanes of traffic!

In the movie «In the Heights», based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, the George Washington Bridge shows up in several scenes, presented as a symbol of the identity of this Latino neighborhood in New York.

One of the best places to see the George Washington Bridge is from J. Hood Wright Park in Washington Heights. Cinematic views and photos guaranteed!

Honestly, you'll spot it from most streets in Washington Heights. It's the star of the neighborhood.

If you have time, I recommend the walk to Fort Washington Park, part of Manhattan's Riverside Park along the Hudson River. It's gorgeous in the fall!

There you'll find a little red lighthouse -the Jeffrey's Hook Light– tucked beneath the giant George Washington Bridge.

Besides reminding us of New York's maritime past, the lighthouse is famous thanks to the children's book «The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge«. It's a story with a lovely moral: even small things matter.

If you're heading to Philadelphia from New York by car or bus, you'll cross the George Washington Bridge.

High Bridge: the oldest bridge in New York

The High Bridge is the oldest bridge in New York. It opened in 1848, linking Manhattan with the Bronx over the Harlem River.

It was built as part of the Croton Aqueduct, which carried drinking water to Manhattan's growing population. It's a witness to 19th-century engineering, and it stayed in operation until 1970.

In 2015 the High Bridge was restored and reopened to the public after decades of being closed.

This is another one of the New York bridges you can walk across. Along the way you'll get panoramic views of the Harlem River, the surrounding area, and the water tower that was once part of the aqueduct.

The easiest way to visit the High Bridge is from Highbridge Park in Washington Heights. If you're after a quiet walk far from the crowds at New York's tourist attractions, this is the place!

Hell Gate Bridge

The Hell Gate Bridge is a railroad bridge connecting Queens and Randall's Island in Manhattan. It opened in 1917.

It stands out on the New York skyline thanks to its distinctive arched steel structure.

You can't walk across it, but it photographs beautifully. A good spot to take in its structure is Astoria Park in Queens.

Pulaski Bridge: connecting Brooklyn and Queens

I discovered the Pulaski Bridge on one of my most recent trips, when I stayed in Long Island City, Queens, one of the best neighborhoods to stay in New York (great subway connections to Manhattan and cheaper hotels).

One day I wanted to visit Greenpoint in Brooklyn, another one of my favorite New York neighborhoods, and I thought, «I bet there's a bridge between Queens and Brooklyn.» And there it was on the map, waiting for me: the Pulaski Bridge!

The Pulaski, which opened in 1954, is a drawbridge connecting Brooklyn and Queens over Newtown Creek. Because it sits in a barely touristy area, it's a fairly unknown structure.

Newtown Creek, which marks the border between Brooklyn and Queens, empties into the East River. It's sadly famous for its high pollution levels, since it served as an industrial dumping ground for decades.

The good news is that several projects are underway to clean it up and revitalize its banks. Knowing New York, it'll be the next trendy area before long.

Crossing the Pulaski gives you a sense of the grittier New York you see in '70s and '80s movies. Don't worry though, it's safe to walk. Remember, it connects two of NYC's trendiest neighborhoods.

If you've already been to New York many times and you're hunting for new adventures like me 🤣, the Pulaski Bridge is worth a detour for several reasons.

First, the Pulaski Bridge has a comfortable pedestrian walkway and bike lane, which makes it friendly and accessible for visitors.

Add to that unusual angles on the Manhattan skyline, mixed in with the industrial architecture of a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn and Queens. In this area you can still experience everyday local life, with no tourists in sight!

Finally, the Pulaski Bridge is part of the New York City Marathon route, and the streets around it are one of the best places to cheer on the runners.

Central Park bridges

They may not have the monumental scale of New York's big bridges, but the bridges and arches of Central Park are New York icons too, and you shouldn't miss them.

If you're a movie buff, you've probably noticed that plenty of famous scenes were filmed on Central Park's bridges.

I bet you remember the bridge from Home Alone 2, the one where he meets the Pigeon Lady 🕊️. It's called the Gapstow Bridge 😉.

Take a look at the very thorough guide to the most important bridges in Central Park that I put together for you.

Why New York's bridges matter

New York's bridges, along with its tunnels and the subway, are the backbone of this city built in pieces. They're what give it coherence and hold it together.

Maintaining these bridges is a constant job in the city. Every time you visit, you'll see some section under repair.

Without that painstaking work, these megastructures, symbols of New York, would have collapsed long ago.

Tips for exploring New York's bridges

🌅 Early morning is the best time for a quiet walk, with fewer people around.

⚠️ Safety: when crossing less busy bridges like the Manhattan Bridge, do it during daytime hours, when there are more people in the area.

🚩 On the guided Brooklyn Bridge tour you'll learn more about its history and engineering as you cross it.

🚲 Several bridges, like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, have bike lanes, so you can cross them on two wheels (read how to rent bikes in NYC).

🧺 Around several bridges, such as the Queensboro, the George Washington and the Brooklyn Bridge, there are parks that are perfect for a picnic after your walk.

More New York bridges

Writing this wrap-up, I just realized how many years are summed up in this series of photos crossing bridges. And how many people I love have crossed bridges with me.

Now that I think about it, the idea of writing Newyorkando was born after a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with Flavio (the genius behind the scenes of our guide, who is going to kill me for posting this photo from when we were babies with dark hair 🤣).

Ever since, there hasn't been a single trip to New York where I haven't discovered a new bridge.

I promise I'll keep adding bridges as I cross them. In the meantime, walk them whenever you can. Getting from one shore to the other is one of the most energizing experiences in New York, and anywhere else in the world.