I got to know Dumbo pretty well during more than four years of lunchtime walks from Lower Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge. It takes just about an hour to do a roundtrip from Foley Square. I shot this video in 2008 during the Waterfalls public art project.
Hundreds of tourists crossed my path, often getting in the way of speeding bicyclists. A lot them leave padlocks behind with their initials.
This itty bitty park opened in 2010. Say what you will about Mayor Bloomberg, he certainly has revitalized the City's decaying waterfront. I think he'll be remembered for this more than anything.
You won't find better views of the Brooklyn Bridge or Lower Manhattan than those offered by the promenade in this park.
Here's the money shot in Dumbo:
Turn the corner and you're back on the waterfront. The bicyclists aren't quite as aggressive as they are when crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and competing for very limited space with pedestrians.
The changing seasons always kept my walks interesting, if a little repetitive.
These lovely trees at Anchorage Plaza are in bloom only for a couple of weeks in late April and early May.
The time of day makes a difference, too. I love how these shoes reflected my flash on an unseasonably warm October evening.
But it wasn't until last week that I ever took the walk at night. It felt a little bit like coming home because my office moved to Long Island City early last year.
Returning from a visit to the Brooklyn Museum via bicycle in November, I noticed that Jane's Carousel finally had been installed in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Once housed in Dumbo warehouse, it now twinkled like a child's music box under glass.
And the rest of the nighttime views? Awesome.
I love the shadows cast by this couple who just stepped off the ferry. What a great way to end your commute home!
