Photo Friday: On the Brooklyn Bridge

Photo Friday: Brooklyn Bridge Park at Night

The "Other" Brooklyn Bridge Park

I'd long considered it the "other" Brooklyn Bridge Park, since it was on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, where we rarely went. I'd seen it from the subway, crossing the East River on the Manhattan Bridge, but I'd never been there. Since I wanted to visit Jane's Carousel, however, a visit to the "other" park was imperative.

It's worth a trip back, mostly because we didn't have time to visit a playground that looked terrific and that I'm sure Edith would have loved. Besides the carousel, there was a small park practically underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and, of course, beautiful views of the Manhattan Bridge and the city across the river.

Jane's Carousel: A Ride with a Manhattan View

If there was one thing I wanted to do on our recent trip to New York City, it was this: take Edith on her first carousel ride.

Jane's Carousel is nestled in Brooklyn Bridge Park, right along the East River and practically under the bridge. The carousel -- originally installed in Youngstown, Ohio, some 90 years ago, according to its history -- was restored and opened in Brooklyn only in 2011.

Tickets are $2, and kids three and younger are free if accompanied by an adult. So Paul and I doubled Edith's fun by riding separately with her.

The carousel is covered and in a transparent enclosure. The doors were wide open during our rides, providing lovely views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan. But I was equally paying attention to Edith's reaction.

She wasn't scared, nor was she thrilled. Just another day in the life of a toddler in which every day unveils surprises.

Squibb Park Bridge: A Bounce in Your Step at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park and the nearby Brooklyn Heights Promenade both offer some of the best views of Lower Manhattan and, of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.

But although they sit practically next to each other, it's not as easy as a hop, skip and a jump to get from one to another. The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway bisects them -- the promenade is above and to the east, while the park is below and to the west, right along the East River.

My favorite way to get from the promenade to the park is over Squibb Park Bridge. It isn't as dramatic as the nearby Brooklyn Bridge, but Squibb has something its sibling doesn't: a bigger bounce.

"The bridge was designed with trail bridge technology and is meant to be lightweight and flexible like the trail bridges in our state and national parks," according to the Brooklyn Bridge Park's website.

If you're prone to motion sickness, beware. A few steps is nearly enough to make you seasick.

I like the feeling, however. And although Squibb Park Bridge probably doesn't warrant a special trip, it's worth a stroll if you're in the area and want a good view of that other bridge.

Edith Crosses the Brooklyn Bridge

My Brooklyn baby couldn't leave New York without first crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, could she? So last weekend Paul and I made our more-or-less annual trek, this time with Edith in tow.

Although the scenery changes very little from year to year, it's one I never tired of. I always loved making the walk with out-of-town visitors.

This time, however, we did something we rarely ever did when crossing the Brooklyn Bridge: We walked in both directions. The three of us started in Brooklyn and turned around only when we reached Manhattan. Usually we walk only in one direction, or cross halfway before backtracking.

The Brooklyn Bridge isn't too exciting for some babies.

The bridge is always crowded with sight-seers and bikers, and I was afraid that taking a stroller was going to be much more annoying than it actually was. But we weren't the only ones up there with a baby by far, and in a way the stroller was an asset. It parted the Red Sea of tourists.

Afterward we walked down to Brooklyn Bridge Park, but only long enough to get a few photos of Edith before her squeals were too much for even us to handle. So my Brooklyn baby is going to have to wait for a really good shot of her with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background!

The Annual (or So) Walk Over the Brooklyn Bridge

Once, maybe twice a year we walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Sometimes it's with friends, or maybe one or both of my parents. Usually it's just Paul and me.

Each time is the same, and each time is different.

The crowds are the same, and the dawdlers inevitably ignore the stripe that separates the walkers from the bikers. Angry cyclists ring their bells to caution people out of the way. I've never seen a collision, and I'm rather surprised.

The chance that I'll get out my camera is always the same: 100 percent. Paul patiently waits as I take photos I've snapped a dozen times before. But to me, they all look different: the color of the sky, the precise lights glowing from the skyscrapers, the angles I can get when other amateur photographers get out of the way.

So the views are different, but I love them just the same.

Dessert at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

Visitors and New York residents alike gather underneath the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge for many reasons.

There's the view of Lower Manhattan, of course, and just short walks away are the popular (and expensive) River Cafe and the popular (and cheap) Grimaldi's pizzeria.

But the only place under the Brooklyn Bridge whose line rivals that of Grimaldi's is the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

Located in a distinctive fireboat house at the Fulton Ferry Pier, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is difficult to miss. But, in fact, it's not difficult to miss out on the long line. If all you want is a cone -- and not a sundae, shake or banana split --place your order at the factory's ice cream cart just steps away from the store's entrance.

Same ice cream, same taste and a fraction of the wait for a peaches-and-cream waffle cone, or one of the seven other flavors. And you get to enjoy the Brooklyn Bridge view all the sooner.

Nighttime Comes to Brooklyn Bridge Park

I walk across the Brooklyn Bridge a few times a year, either with guests or with Paul. Over the years, I've watched the land under the bridge on the Brooklyn side turn slowly from gray to green as the Brooklyn Bridge Park came to life.

But while we watched the park take shape, neither Paul nor I had ever visited until Saturday night.

Only a few sections of the park are open, but that obviously hasn't stopped a mixture of locals and tourists from taking advantage of the wide yards and expansive views. Benches line the waterfront and small groups on blankets dot the lawns. It was practically impossible to snap a photo without a stranger stepping into view unless you pressed yourself against the railing.

I fully expected the amazing views. The park abuts the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and I've absolutely loved being in the passenger seat the few times we've driven home from Queens or northern Brooklyn late at night. My nose is pressed against the window taking in the view while Paul keeps his eyes on the road.

So while I was busy snapping photos Saturday night, Paul got to enjoy the brightly lit bridges and skyscrapers. A nice change for him, I'm sure.

Pier 1 of the park is right next door to the River Cafe, a restaurant known as much for its view as its food, as well as the correspondingly high prices. For my money, I'd rather grab a taco at one of the pier's food carts and then snag a bench or a coveted table and chairs right next to the water. The food, no matter how top-notch, is always going to be a mere appetizer when you have a view like this for an entree.

An Out-of-Towner at Heart

Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge

Paul and I see our families far less now that we've moved 500 miles away. I take each visit -- both of us to them and of them to us -- far less for granted than I did when we measured the distance between us in minutes rather than states.

I'm always happy to see my mom and dad, and nowadays it happens far less often than I would like. And now I have yet another reason to look forward to their visits: Seeing the city through their eyes.

I would never pretend to be a New York native: I have far too much to learn. But I can hold my own. I can debate the best way to get from point A to B by public transportation, I know that a $1,000 apartment is unreasonable in Manhattan, and I've even set myself up as something of an expert at work on the cupcakes of New York City.

I can't match the disappointment of long-time New Yorkers who regret the Disneyfication of Times Square, but I no longer stare in awe at the skyscrapers, the people or the sheer variety of activities in the five boroughs.

So I enjoy sharing what I've learned in the last two and a half years with my parents. The out-of-the-way spots for a good view or a nice rest in the middle of the city. Or getting from here to there by subway in the shortest about of time with the least number of steps. What's more, I like hearing about their own discoveries, like when they stumbled upon Bryant Park one afternoon last year while I was at work.

But despite all of this, there are still a few "touristy" things that we all can enjoy together. First among these is a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. "True" New Yorkers would probably complain about the crowds, but I'm still enough of an out-of-towner to admit that the stroll still hasn't grown old.

Brooklyn Bridge: Daytime Photos

The Brooklyn Bridge: An iconic symbol of New York City, and one I hadn't visited in the daytime since we moved here almost two years ago.

I see the Brooklyn Bridge in the daytime at least once or twice a week, usually when I take a train that crosses the East River on the parallel Manhattan Bridge. And I've crossed the bridge by foot in the evening -- the bright lights of Manhattan beautiful but unable to be captured by my weak camera.

So camera in hand and sun in sky, Paul, Allison, Phil & I walked the Brooklyn Bridge on the 4th of July. The photos were fantastic, but the crowds less so. Walkers kept bleeding into the bike lane, much to the annoyance of bicyclists unafraid to ring their bells and make snide comments which we probably deserved as they pedaled by.

Nevertheless, I ducked between the crowds and bikes, pointed my camera up and finally got the photos I'd long been seeking.