The Manhattan Bridge is usually much less crowded on weekends and holidays than the Brooklyn Bridge.
For Views, Cross on the South Side of the Manhattan Bridge
If it's views you want, make sure you can cross on the south side of the Manhattan Bridge. (Due to construction, sometimes one pedestrian lane or the other is closed.) Looking southward is where the New York magic is: the Statue of Liberty or New York Harbor, and the Brooklyn Bridge itself. It's spectacular to see the entire span of the Brooklyn Bridge against lower Manhattan.(You also get great views when take the Manhattan Bridge — by subway!)
Fewer Visual Thrills when Crossing on North Side of the Manhattan Bridge
The north-looking views are less spectacular than those you behold from the Brooklyn Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge is situated in such a way that on the north side, even Manhattan's famous skyline looks, well, vaguely Midwestern, and that's excluding Chicago.How It Feels to Walk or Jog Across the Manhattan Bridge
The experience of walking or jogging across the Manhattan Bridge depends on how much company you've got on the narrow pedestrian walkways!Unlike the Manhattan Bridge, the pedestrian path is narrow, and underneath, not above, the traffic.
Be street smart: the Manhattan Bridge can be lonesome at off-peak hours.
That said, runners and walkers headed to Chinatown or Soho, or who just can't be bothered with dodging the fast cyclists, gawking tourists, and other walkers on the Brooklyn Bridge, might just prefer the Manhattan Bridge route. It's no-nonsense. And it gets you there.
Compared to the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge offers joggers and walkers a grittier experience. Overhead subways rumble across the Manhattan Bridge, as well as cars.
Note: When the Manhattan Bridge is under construction, the lanes may vary; you can receive detour updates by requesting to be put on a list serve at manhattanbridgeoutreach@gmail.com.
