Forty Days in Brooklyn: Days 24 & 25

Friday, Oct 14^th

Five bridges in one day. That’s right. I walked over five of them today. I think it’s a personal record for me as far as bridges go. But then, I had something to prove. 

You see, I spent all day yesterday working. In fact, I never left the apartment. It was that all-consuming sort of work where you blink and hours have gone by. I had a 1:00 deadline and that went well. But after getting detailed feedback at 2:00, I had some tweaking to do before the 5:00 conference call. Then I had another unrelated call at 6:00. And then a call with my Mom after that, while I was making dinner. And I didn’t even remember to take food photos. It was not a banner day.

So this morning when I woke up, I had a fire in my belly.

Truth is, I didn’t plan to go as far as I did. I just started walking the same direction I’d gone two weekends ago.  I knew it was only a couple miles to the Manhattan Bridge from my apartment. This is the view at 6:30 this morning.

So much beauty and promise. Until it beats the crap out of you.

On the Manhattan Bridge. Surprisingly, I don’t look my best at 6:30 am. 

When I got across the Manhattan Bridge I thought “I’ve walked the Brooklyn Bridge three or four times now. Maybe I’ll go in the other direction.” So I walked up Bowery Street and then over to Delancey and after 1.8 miles, I hit the Williamsburg Bridge.

Bridge #2: The Williamsburg, as the sun’s rising

As I crossed the Williamsburg Bridge back into Brooklyn, I saw another bridge to my left.  And upon consulting Google Maps, I realized I could get TWO bridges in a relatively short period of time. But I was almost waylaid in Williamsburg by a couple of things.

The smell of fresh bagels literally made my mouth water.

It was all I could do to not go in.

This bakery window was amazing.

The other side of the window. It was a big bakery.

But I was able to pass up those temptations thanks to a couple of apples I’d stowed in my backpack. They gave me the willpower I needed to leave that evil behind and make it 3.5 miles to the bridge that takes you to Queens, the Pulaski Bridge.

It was less like a bridge and more like an overpass, but hey, it still counts.

From the Pulaski Bridge it was only 3 miles to the Ed Koch-Queensboro Bridge. And by that time, the sun was shining and it was turning into a beautiful day. So I crossed it back into Manhattan.

At the entrance of the pedestrian path

At the highest part of the Queensboro Bridge

Now the Queensboro Bridge spits you out at 2^nd Ave and 59^th street. So I headed over to 1^st Avenue to be closer to the water.  Not right on the water, but close enough to see it now and then. And there, I saw some things I liked. Like this…

But then I saw some things I didn’t like, too.

Phfffftt!

And then, at around Mile 13, I saw it, rising up in the distance like a beautiful mirage. The Rolling Grill. Like a gift from God, dropping griddle-cooked manna from heaven. I got a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee that literally saved my life.  By then, I’d been walking for 3.5 hours.

Thank you Mary, Joseph and sweet sweet Baby Jesus.

After that, I continued to walk downtown, passing a number of interesting things along the way. Like this very pretty Fall display in front of an apartment community.

My what big pumpkins you have, my dear.

And as I was taking a photo of said Fall display, guess what came peeking out at me?

Black Squirrel! (I think he’s posing.)

I walked through Chinatown, but never got to a part that really really looked like Chinatown until I saw this.

NOW it’s Chinatown.

Fish market in Chinatown.  It smelled, um, not-so-good.   

Sort-of live crabs in Chinatown, but not really live enough for me.

Maybe they were sleeping. But I don’t think so.

The place I’ll be sent by the end of this trip, I suspect. 

And then I got to my last bridge—the one we all know and love—the Brooklyn Bridge. 

Yes, again.

And just as I entered the walkway, I saw this.

Poor them. Their walk is only 39 miles. Wussies.

As I got to the other side of the bridge, I remembered to take a photo of the sign that’s embedded in the sidewalk.

If you can’t read this, it says “Welcome to Brooklyn.”

Another 2+ miles and I was finally back in my apartment.  Total walking time: 5:16:39. Total elapsed time including time waiting for traffic, map checking, photo taking, stopping to eat a sandwich, going into a store in Chinatown, stopping to pick up some more nuts at Sahadis and stopping in a cool little store in Brooklyn: 7 hours. More details below.

The Path

The mile markets

The times MIles 1 to 10

The Times: Mile 11 to 20.