Brooklyn Bridge is falling down, falling down...

...wait is that the lyrics? Hehe. Well I walked across the famous Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. I like its architecture and that its mix of tourist and local use. On one side is the jogging/bike path and the other is the walking/dawdling/picture taking path. You walk above the cars and through the two arches. Its about a 25 min walk not stopping, but we probably took about 35, stopping to enjoy the amazing view and take photos. There is views into Brooklyn (obviously) but also of downtown Manhattan and some of the Manhattan skyline. You can usually see the Statue of Liberty, but our view was obstructed by a large, menacing crane! When we (me & Emma) got to the bottom we just wonder the streets of Brooklyn, through an area they call DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). New York is big on their acronyms. The famous neighbourhoods Soho, Noho, Nolita and Tribeca are all aronyms. South of Houston Street, North of Houston Street, North of Little Italy, Triange Below Canal Street are their meanings respectivley. It's like fancy nicknames haha! So back to the story...wandering around DUMBO, we walked under to a park that sits diagonally under the Brooklyn Bridge and offers a nice view up of it, and of the water. We stopped at a deli for lunch and they had 'flake' 'crunchie' and 'malteasers'. It had some middle eastern writing on the packet as well though but I tried a crunchie and it tasted the same from what i could tell.

We then took a subway back to Manhattan to then catch the free Staten Island Ferry. It drives (or floats or whatever the word is for boats haha) past the Statue of Liberty and gives you a fantastic look for free - I decided to actually go there another day. It also gave you a breathtaking view of lower Manhattan - so amazing that so much fits on such a small island!! Then we got to our destination - another island - Staten Island. We didn't see much, just sat on the pier looking back at New York and the water.

So a little lesson about New York....

New York is a state, and then there is New York City. Which is actually not the capital (Albany is) but is the most populated city in America, and 3rd in the world (behind Tokyo and Jakarta).

So when people are talking about New York City they are referring to the 5 burroughs (see map one) Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Manhattan and Staten Island are both islands, and Brooklyn is on Long Island (which is where the Hamptons are, a famous vacationing spot).The Bronx and Queens however are attached to the state of New York. So all 5 burroughs are what is referred to as New York City. HOWEVER, when people visit New York City, they primarily go to or are talking about Manhattan. This is where Times Square, Central Park, 5th Avenue, Empire State and most of the places I mention, or you here about, are on Manhattan. Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx are more residential areas where people live slightly out of the city so they can have backyards and less noise. There is a few touristy things in these burroughs - Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Bridge (which connects Manhattan to Brooklyn) but not much.
THEN to make it even more confusing, Manhattan is broken down into neighbourhoods. The main ones you may have heard of are Harlem, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, Greenwich Village, Soho, Chinatown, Lower East Side, Financial District, Battery Park...there a quiet a few more. This is similar to having the Gold Coast (as Manhattan) and having Nerang, Surfers, Burleigh, Helensvale (as the neighbourhoods or suburbs).
So there you have it...a lesson in New York.
xoxo