The 14-year construction nightmare
Construction began in 1869 and didn't finish until May 24, 1883 — fourteen years, multiple deaths, and a saga that almost killed three generations of one family.
The bridge was designed by John Augustus Roebling, a German-born civil engineer who had already built suspension bridges in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. In June 1869, while surveying the East River for the bridge's location, his foot was crushed between an incoming ferry and a piling. Doctors amputated his toes. He developed tetanus and died three weeks later, never seeing construction begin on his own design.
His son Washington Roebling — a Civil War veteran and Roebling's collaborator — took over as Chief Engineer at age 32. The bridge required underwater caissons (pressurized chambers) to lay the foundations 78 feet below the East River surface. Roebling supervised the work personally, going down into the caissons with the workers. In 1872, he came up too fast and contracted what was then called "caisson disease" — decompression sickness, the bends. It left him partially paralyzed and bedridden for the remaining 11 years of construction.
He never returned to the work site. His wife, Emily Warren Roebling, became the effective Chief Engineer. She learned higher mathematics, materials science, and bridge engineering from her bedridden husband. She visited the site daily, gave instructions to crews on his behalf, and corresponded with politicians, financiers, and contractors. Many in NYC believed she was actually designing the bridge.
On opening day, May 24, 1883, Emily Roebling was the first person to cross. She rode in a carriage carrying a rooster as a symbol of victory.
What makes it remarkable
The 1,595½-foot main span made it the longest suspension bridge in the world for nearly 20 years. The Gothic stone towers stood 277 feet above the river — taller than any building in Manhattan at the time, save for Trinity Church's spire.
John Roebling designed the cables to a safety factor of six — meaning the bridge could theoretically hold six times its expected load. That over-engineering became famously important: in 1884, P.T. Barnum led 21 elephants and 17 camels across the bridge to publicly prove it was safe. (One week after opening, a stampede had killed 12 people who panicked believing the bridge was collapsing.)
What you probably don't know: the bridge is a hybrid — part suspension, part cable-stayed. Look up at the diagonal cables radiating from the towers. Most suspension bridges only have vertical cables. Roebling added the diagonals for redundancy. When one of his contractors substituted inferior wire (a scandal at the time), the redundancy is what saved the bridge from collapse.
The route from our shop
From Astra Bike at 873 7th Avenue, the ride to the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian/bike entrance is about 5.4 miles, mostly downhill or flat, and takes roughly 35 minutes at a relaxed pace. The full out-and-back including the bridge crossing is around 14 miles — call it 2 hours with photo stops in DUMBO.
- 0.0 mi — Leave Astra Bike, head south on 7th Avenue (bike lane on the right side)
- 1.4 mi — Pass Times Square. 7th Avenue becomes Fashion Avenue.
- 2.2 mi — Cross 23rd Street. You're in Chelsea.
- 3.0 mi — At Houston Street, jog east to Lafayette/Centre Street (Soho/Little Italy)
- 4.5 mi — Approach City Hall Park. The bridge entrance is just south of City Hall.
- 4.8 mi — Enter the Brooklyn Bridge bike lane (north side, ramp at Centre Street)
- 5.4 mi — Off the bridge into DUMBO, Brooklyn
Important — bike lane location
Since 2021, the Brooklyn Bridge has a dedicated separated bike lane on the north side of the roadway. Before then, bikes and pedestrians shared the famous wooden promenade — chaotic, slow, dangerous. Now: pedestrians on the wood promenade (south), bikes on the new lane (north), separated by a Jersey barrier. Use the bike lane. The view of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty is the same.
The DUMBO photo spot
Once you're off the bridge in Brooklyn, ride two blocks east and turn onto Washington Street. Stop just past Front Street, look up, and you're staring at the most-photographed corner in Brooklyn: the Manhattan Bridge framed by 19th-century brick warehouses, with the Empire State Building visible in the gap below.
"DUMBO" is an acronym — Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. The name was invented in the late 1970s by residents who hoped it was ugly enough to keep real-estate developers away. It did not work.
What to see in DUMBO (beyond the photo)
- Brooklyn Bridge Park — a 1.3-mile waterfront park with the best views of the Manhattan skyline. Free.
- Jane's Carousel — a fully restored 1922 carousel inside a Jean Nouvel-designed glass pavilion. $3 a ride.
- Almondine Bakery — the croissants are why we ride here every Sunday.
- Empire Stores — converted coffee warehouses, now shops and a rooftop with skyline views.
- Pebble Beach — small pebbly beach under the bridge, surprisingly nice in summer.
Practical advice from people who do this ride every week
Best time of day
Sunset, hands down. Leave Astra Bike around 90 minutes before sunset. You'll arrive at the bridge as the sky turns gold, and ride back across with the bridge lit up. In summer (June–August), that means leaving around 6:30 PM.
What to avoid
Don't try this on summer weekends between 11 AM and 3 PM — the bike lane gets clogged with families, tourists who stop in the middle of the lane for selfies, and influencers staging photo shoots. The bridge is still doable, just slow. Sunset and early morning are much better.
Coming back
You have two options for the return ride:
- Back over the Brooklyn Bridge — same way you came. Best at sunset when the bridge is lit.
- Up the Manhattan Bridge — slightly longer (6 mi back to our shop) but you get a different view, including the famous Washington Street perspective from above. The bike lane is on the north side.
Either way, you'll be back at Astra Bike in about 35 minutes from DUMBO.