Walk out along the promenade and the cables fan out above you like the strings of a harp. Ahead, the stone towers rise in pointed arches, and the skyline of Lower Manhattan fills the view.

The bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on 24 May 1883, it was the first fixed crossing of the river and the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m), its deck 127 ft above the water. It was designed by John A. Roebling; his son Washington Roebling, the chief engineer, continued the work, helped by his wife, the engineer Emily Warren Roebling. Construction began in 1870 and took thirteen years.

The promenade

Its stone towers are neo-Gothic, with pointed arches. An elevated pedestrian promenade runs between the two roadways and 18 feet above them, rising just above them around each tower. Only cars, pedestrians and bicycles are allowed. It has been a major tourist attraction since it opened and is an icon of New York.

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  Promenade Between the roadways.
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  Neo-Gothic towers Pointed stone arches.
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  Skyline views Lower Manhattan.