2 bridges

There are two bridges that stretch between Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. The Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge. They are close together and serve a similar function, but they are two very different bridges. They also represent the two routes I can take when biking back and forth to work.

My personal preference, and this is a little controversial, is to take the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s an oft criticized route because you share a relatively narrow path with tourists and pedestrians. The only thing that separates the walkers and the cyclists is a line painted down the middle. It’s a direction taken lightly by pretty much everyone besides the tourists, who ignore the line altogether. This is obviously a substantial annoyance, but it is avoidable in the morning. The tourists and their selfie sticks aren’t out in full force until around 10am. The Brooklyn Bridge is also more of a direct shot for me, so on my way in to the office the decision is easy.

The ride home is a tougher call. The Manhattan bridge offers two completely separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians on either side of the train tracks. No need to worry about running over somebody with a selfie stick. It never gets too steep on the way up either, making for a relatively easy ride. Yes, the Manhattan Bridge has it’s perks, but it’s a little bit further out of the way for my commute and the entrances and exits on both sides of the bridge require you to ride around in a big circle. It’s not a huge deal but for whatever reason it annoys me. The Brooklyn Bridge is easy on, easy off, and I actually kind of like riding through the crowds. It makes for great people watching.

Biking across either one is a great way to get into Manhattan. From the peak of both bridges you get an incredible view of the city skyline. It’s sort of inspiring taking it in from afar before just before you cruise into the bowels of the concrete jungle.