Car Rental New York City and Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

When one thinks of New York, certain attractions come to mind such as The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building and Times Square. Not many would consider The Brooklyn Bridge as a must see destination in their Brooklyn car rentals! But once you see this truly spectacular piece of architecture you will want to put this at the top of your must-see destinations in your Brooklyn car rental!

The Brooklyn Bridge: Then & Now

Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began in October 1869 and was officially opened to the public in 1883 as the world’s longest suspension bridge. On its opening day over 150,000 people crossed the bridge, paying a fee of one penny to do so. The same day, 1800 vehicles drove on the bridge paying five cents. Although the bridge is not the world’s longest anymore, after nearly 120 years, the bridge still has the 44th longest main span among the world's suspension bridges.

In recent years, the bridge has been reconstructed to handle traffic demands which has included an expansion to six lanes which carries approximately 145,000 vehicles per day. Today, over 2,000 pedestrians, bicyclists and skaters take the 30-minute, 6,016-foot trek across the bridge daily. Crossing the wooden planks and peering through the lattice work of the high-rising cables, it’s easy to see why the bridge has inspired countless artists, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Walt Whitman, Hart Crane and Georgia O’Keefe! Park your Brooklyn car rental and take a stroll you will never forget!

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

To walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, you can start at Centre Street, which is between Chambers and Murray, east of City Hall. Be sure to stay on the south side, or pedestrian side, as bicyclists tend to occupy the adjacent area.

If you have already traveled to Brooklyn in your car rental and want to walk to the Manhattan side, make your way to High Street. The walkway entrance is next to the Federal Court Building. There are stairs on Cadman Plaza East and Prospect Street or a ramp entrance on Johnson and Adams Streets.

Walking across the bridge takes approximately 40 minutes to an hour depending if you decide to stop and read the informative plaques along the way. If you have the time to stop and read the plaques they will give you the bridge's history and also describe sights seen from the bridge as it would have looked to pedestrians back in 1883 when the bridge opened. As you walk closer to the Brooklyn side, more plaques provide descriptions of various sites including Ellis Island and Governors Island, a former Coast Guard installation.

Looking north from the bridge you can see midtown Manhattan in the distance, as well as the Empire State building which is about two miles away. You will also be able see the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Once you are ready to head back to your Brooklyn car rental, you can head towards the Brooklyn side which will have you on Adams Street. If you are looking to head back to Manhattan, then you will want to head to High Street or Jay Street. If you’re not in a hurry though, leave your Brooklyn car rental parked and continuing strolling around pretty Brooklyn Heights, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Big Apple!

Check out the Brooklyn car rental All Car Rent a Car location at 1941 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234