Brooklyn Bridge @ Sunset

A German-language adaptation of a French novel by a gay author about sexual assault and racism propelled me to Brooklyn for a Saturday matinee.  History of Violence isn't for the faint of heart.

I hadn't walked across the Brooklyn Bridge since before retirement, when the City's Health Department relocated to Long Island City, nearly a decade ago.  Since then Instagram has put DUMBO on the map.

New York's beauty differs from that you find out West, but I'd be hard pressed to rank them in a contest, especially at sunset.

The reflective surfaces of the buildings at Hudson Yards glow almost radioactively in the distance.  I noticed the same effect on the high rises that have mushroomed in Long Island City when I took the Airtrain in from JFK Airport at dawn last week.

California and Arizona weren't as crowded with tourists, that's for sure.  I saw a woman knocked down by the crush of bicyclists and pedestrians on the bridge.  NOBODY pays attention to the designated lanes and directions.

I detoured past City Hall, too.  Hard to believe I used to go there for weekly meetings in the wanting days of the Bloomberg Administration.

East River Views

My perfect day ended with a bike ride home from the South Street Seaport to the United Nations along the East River.

So many bridges (Brooklyn, Manhattan & Williamsburg)!  So much construction!

 Beep beep.

The view west ain't so pretty

. . . but you will spot one of Manhattan's most endangered species!

Brooklyn Views

Unseasonably warm weather lured me back to Brooklyn Bridge Park.  It's a short walk from the High Street stop on the C line.  You can't beat the views of Lower Manhattan.

They definitely called for the panorama setting on my camera.  These photos look best on a computer  in slide show mode because the software pans slowly across them.

The beautifully refurbished piers offer recreation of all kinds with glorious backdrops, including football

. . . swinging

. . . bocce ball

. . . and basketball.

Soccer gets its own pier.

There's plenty of space for quieter pursuits, too, though pregnant women are warned not to eat any of the eels they might catch.

There's a lot of traffic in the New York Harbor.  Tugboats make me think of "Funny Girl." Yeah, I know Barbra was going towards the Statue of Liberty in the film.

Speaking of Lady Liberty some of her body parts, replicated by Danh Vo, are scattered throughout the park as part of the Public Art Fund's "We The People" exhibit.  Here's part of the shoulder she uses to hold up the torch.

Brooklyn Heights overlooks the park with the Brooklyn Queens Expressway sandwiched in between.  How do you think real estate agents describe the views from these buildings?

The marketing for a new, waterfront condo development near the park makes me giggle.  It's probably safe to say that most hipsters have been priced out.

I circled back to the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn Heights promenade where these tourists got their "money shot."

A wreath commemorates 9/11.  Standing here that day must have been pretty traumatizing.

Brooklyn Bridge Park looks just as lovely from the promenade, especially now that the leaves are turning.  I can't believe how quickly the trees--or the new World Trade Center--have grown in the past three years.

I walked back to Manhattan as the sun was setting.  The Manhattan Bridge practically glowed.