What a lovely view from, heaven looks at you from the Brooklyn Bridge

If we weren't still doing songs or song references as titles, today's post would be called 'bridge to bridge' like the skiing race on the Hawkesbury River in Sydney.  However, Sinatra wins again, this time with Brooklyn Bridge.  Yes, dear reader it was taking the easy way out, but I am not a journalist and submitting a post every day can become stressful.

The Williamsburg Bridge

During our walking tour of Williamsburg on ... um ... Saturday, the days are running together, the tour guide talked about how the walk across the Williamsburg Bridge was a superior walk to that of the Brooklyn Bridge.  Not just because it was less crowded but the view was more spectacular because you could see more of the sights.

With that in mind and the sun in the sky and the predicted clouds hiding in the bags of the weather forecasters, we walked to the subway and headed under the river to Brooklyn.  Then it was a memory game to find the pedestrian ramp onto the bridge.  Success.

From the outset it didn't look that impressive.  We were surrounded by the industrial landscape of the bridge, complete with 2 metre wire grids to stop people getting to the other side and causing problems.  The same metal mesh impeded any clear shot of the skyline in either direction.  The other compounding issue was the gap between the edge of the walkway and the safety wall which made photography even more of a problem.  Challenge accepted.  Some of the photos are below. Basically the information provided by the tour guide was, um, rubbish.

The views might have been great had we been able to see them minus the prison-like barriers and they may still be so in future plans because the banks of the Brooklyn side of the East River are under significant redevelopment.  Multiple apartment blocks are being constructed where industry previously ruled and this will add to the changing status of Brooklyn in general and Williamsburg in particular being identified as "the place to be". Waterfront properties will have amazing views of the Manhattan skyline as well as the harbour complete with Lady Liberty.  They are trying to preserve some of the heritage of the original buildings amid all this renewal although not all the Brooklyn locals are so thrilled.  Walking around the area now is very crowded and I cannot begin to think what the real estate price hikes will be like.

Anyway, we walked across the bridge and then back home to East Village.  As it was on the way, we checked out Katz's Deli.  While it was not as crowded as last week, there were still no tables available, so it remained a no go zone - for now. I figure if we get there early one morning we will score a table and a massive pastrami sandwich.  If not, nothing really lost.

Back home, earlier than expected, we replanned the day and researched lunch/dinner.  Given it was so early and such a gorgeous autumn day, we thought another bridge crossing may well be in order.

The Brooklyn Bridge
Off to the subway station again, re-charge our tickets and down to the subway and under the river to pop up in Brooklyn one more time, but at a different point chasing a different bridge.  The day was looking even better for the second bridge, the remaining haze had burnt off and the sky was crystal clear.

We navigated our way to the promenade overlooking the river and the redeveloped pier below.  On the way we saw my new car, a red MX-5.  Nice.

The reclaimed pier now has an ice skating rink and was popular with locals today - Columbus Day.

After a brief break we navigated our way to the steps to the footbridge and then up onto the bridge with half the population of Brooklyn.  It was crowded.  It was crowded with brain-dead tourists with cameras and selfie-sticks, both of which engrossed them as they wandered all over the walk way and totally disregarded any other person on the bridge.  This included the poor cyclists trying to ride in the 'dedicated' bike lane.  "Dedicated" only in the sense that it is marked for cyclists because any tourist with a camera and a labotomy knows that the rules don't apply to them.

The view, though crowded, was far superior to the Williamsburg Bridge.  The only thing the Williamsburg Bridge had going for it was the lack of moronic, labotomised, selfie-stick-wielding tourists.  Selected pictures are below.

Is that the Sydney Harbour Bridge?

Off the bridge back into Manhattan and into a protest meeting of taxi drivers.  They were wearing yellow T-shirts that said: We are yellow, We are New York, We deserve better.  They, like drivers across the world, are not happy with Uber.

A couple of map reading stops saw us end up at Little Italy for lunch - which was also dinner for us too.  We have become one meal a day people - no breakfast, just lunch or dinner.




After a reconnoitre of Mulberry Street we selected Pellegrino's and a table on the sidewalk in the afternoon autumn sunshine. Rehydrating with a beer was decidely pleasant and lunch was lovely - a shared plate of calamari followed by gamberi and linguine. Wine?  Of course, dear reader, a fruity little Italian Pinot Grigio.

Hydrant in Little Italy

As pleasant as it was sitting there soaking up the afternoon sun, it was time to recommence our walk home.  A fairly uneventful stroll home, unaided by maps now since we possibly may have walked more of New York's streets than a native NYC inhabitant. The most notable sight was the lady, at least aged in her forties, who was waiting at a bus stop on 1st Ave in East Village, twirling a hoola hoop around her waist.  Impressively she kept it going apparently without effort and was totally focussed on the activity she was engaged in on a busy footpath in the lower East side of one of the world's great cities.  Even more impressive was the fact that she was texting at the same time.

The round trip and two bridge crossings today have resulted in us walking over 16km.  Time to relax and plan tomorrow.