THERE are famous bridges and there are famous bridges.
Tower, Golden Gate and Sydney Harbour are three that are right up there in the instantly-recognisable stakes.
But the Brooklyn Bridge more than holds its own and we’ve come to be put in the picture about not just the bridge but Brooklyn itself.
It’s one of New York’s five boroughs and if the best way is learning from a local, we’re truly in unbeatable company.
We’ve booked on to the pizza tour from A Slice Of Brooklyn. It was started by Tony Muia 12 years ago after he turned showing visiting friends and relatives around his borough from a proud hobby into his business.
And a hugely successful one too. It’s a combination of food, film and fun.
The food comes in the shape of pizza stops at two famous eateries.
First up is Grimaldi’s, which sits directly under the bridge itself. History oozes from every pore of the roughly-mortared brick walls which have pictures of some of its celebrity customers including Bryan Adams and Geoffrey Rush. The Obamas have been, too.
It gets through two tons of coal a month for the massive oven which makes the lip-smacking Neapolitan, the best I’ve ever tasted.
That’s put to the test later in the tour, though, with a second stop, L&B Spumoni’s, a local institution since the 1930s.
Here it’s a thicker, square Sicilian and oh my goodness it’s a tough call (though for me Grimaldi’s just shaded it). Both can have big queues but you are ushered straight in on the tour.
The film aspect is a neat way of showcasing the borough while pointing out famous celluloid locations.
So, we’re at the sidewalk John Travolta strides down at the start of Saturday Night Fever and under the elevated railway tracks where Gene Hackman is chased in The French Connection.
We see the scenes on screen, matched with the location outside the bus window.
Part of the fun comes with guide Marc’s revelations, like how 7000 devoted Travolta fans nearly ruined filming and how Hackman was almost mown down by motorists who had no idea a film was being shot.But there’s loads of general insight, too, like how the borough with its 2.6 million residents is really on the up. We can see that from the multi-million-dollar homes in Bay Ridge.
The great thing about the tour is that it lets you note what you want to see more of, and later we make a beeline back to Coney Island. Luna Park, opened in 2010, was the neighbourhood’s first new amusement park for more than 40 years and has brought back the old-style thrills with a modern-day twist.
We walk some of the iconic two-and-a-half-mile boardwalk and see some of the famous old rides like the 90-year-old Cyclone.And then there’s the much-photographed Nathan’s Original Hotdog store which hosts an annual eating contest with the current record holder scoffing an incredible 72.
But the thing that has to be experienced more than anything is THAT bridge.
Looking at it is all very well, but walking it in the early evening sunlight is something else.
Allow yourself 30 to 40 minutes for a stroll of a lifetime.
Walking on the slatted wooden boardwalk you can feel history all around.
We’re coming from the Manhattan side as we’re staying at the fabulous Best Western Hospitality House in Midtown, which has huge apartment-style suites perfect for couples and families alike.
The Statue of Liberty and the majestic One World Observatory – located by the site of the World Trade Center – are to our right and it’s picture postcard perfect.
Upriver are two other bridges, the Manhattan and Williamsburg. If you want to remember which is which by the way, it’s Brooklyn then Manhattan then Williamsburg. BMW like the car.
Looking up at the oh-so-famous support towers and the skyline all around instantly sealed the Bridge, and indeed Brooklyn, in our hearts forever.
Facts
The Best Western Hospitality House on East 49th Street has one-bedroom suites starting from $200 plus taxes and two-bedroom apartments from $300 plus taxes. Visit HospitalityHouseNY.com
A Slice of Brooklyn run various different tours, including Christmas ones. asliceofbrooklyn.com
For all there is to see and do in NYC, visit nycgo.com
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