Walking to DUMBO Over the Brooklyn Bridge: A Half Day From the Financial District
By 17John
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Quick answer
Walking to DUMBO from the Financial District takes about an hour door to door: roughly 12 minutes from 17 John Street to the Manhattan pedestrian entrance near City Hall, then 30 to 40 minutes across the Brooklyn Bridge, and you come down the stairs at Washington and Prospect Streets in DUMBO. Go early, before about 9am, if you want the bridge without crowds. Spend the rest of the morning at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Jane's Carousel and the Washington Street photo spot, then take the NYC Ferry from Fulton Ferry Landing back to Pier 11 at Wall Street instead of walking twice.
This is the walk we recommend most often, and it works best as a morning. From 17 John Street you're about 12 minutes from the Manhattan pedestrian entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge, the crossing itself is roughly a mile, and you land in DUMBO with the whole waterfront in front of you. Plan on four to five hours if you take your time in Brooklyn Bridge Park, or three if you're moving.
One piece of advice before you go: walk it early. The bridge gets shoulder-to-shoulder by late morning, especially on weekends in summer, and the photos everyone comes for are much easier at 8am. Bring water in warm weather, because there's no shade out on the span. And take the ferry back rather than walking both directions. The view of Lower Manhattan from the water is better than anything you'll see from the bridge, and your legs will thank you.
