Thousands of people travel to New York City every year on New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop in Times Square. But if big crowds and noises aren’t your ideas for fun, you can still get involved in something truly New York: crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on New Year’s Eve. Here are some tips to make your hike safe and enjoyable so you can start the new year off right.
Best time to walk the bridge on New Years Eve
You can go anytime, but if watching fireworks is your main goal, you’ll want to start your trip long before midnight. From the bridge, you can watch the fireworks in New York Harbor near Liberty Island. You will also see fireworks in the distance, for example Staten Island
Things to look for on New Years Eve
The main attraction is the Empire State Building, which is projected in special tones for the occasion. Also, look for the lower Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge, the Chrysler Building, and the traffic on East River Drive.
Distance from Brooklyn Bridge to Prospect Park Fireworks
Brooklyn’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are held in Prospect Park in the Park Slope neighborhood. Grand Army Plaza at the entrance to Prospect Park is where you’ll find the festivities and entertainment before the fireworks. It would take almost an hour to walk there from the Brooklyn Bridge. But you can catch a subway from Clark Street or Borough Hall stations (both in Brooklyn Heights, not far from the Brooklyn Bridge) and get to Park Slope in less than 20 minutes, assuming the trains aren’t too crowded to board.
It is safe?
Probably. The crime rate in New York City has dropped, and the city is generally safe if use your street smarts. That means not displaying expensive jewelry, watches, and cameras in crowded, public places. It also means not being drunk.
If you believe in safety in numbers, take comfort in the fact that there will be crowds on the bridge to watch the New York Harbor fireworks display. The bridge will probably also be packed with revelers all night long if the weather is nice. The pedestrian walkway to the Brooklyn Bridge is illuminated, and people walk at night at their own risk. There will be cops in the area, but should I walk at 3am? The Big Apple is a great city, so use your best judgment.
How cold is it?
It is usually cold in December, and when you are on the Brooklyn Bridge, you are exposed to the wind. Dress warm if you don’t want to freeze.
Can you drink champagne on the Brooklyn Bridge?
It is illegal to drink alcohol in public in New York City. (This is why in old movies, winos and drunkards always carried their bottle hidden in a brown paper bag.) The NYPD may or may not enforce this on New Year’s Eve. Drink at your own risk.
Can I wear high heels on the Brooklyn Bridge?
You may want to forgo vanity for practicality if you walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. The pedestrian walkway is made of wood, and it would be easy for a heel to get stuck. Consider putting some cute shoes in your bag to change into after crossing the bridge.
Will there be protests on New Year’s Eve?
You never know; The Brooklyn Bridge is the most historic protest bridge in New York City, after all.
Returning to Brooklyn
See the instructions for DUMBO here.
Guided tours of the Brooklyn Bridge
Walking tours are always fun. Check out the special Brooklyn Bridge Walk Into the New Year Tour conducted by NY Walks and Talks (646-844-4578).
