The Brooklyn Bridge, from Old Fulton Street

Photo by myself at Old Fulton and Water Streets, in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Many of the buildings in DUMBO are rather old. The one above has a nice patina of age. In the background, one of the piers of the Brooklyn Bridge.

DUMBO is short for 'Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass' and is located at the foot of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, on the Brooklyn side of the East River. The two bridges are close to each other.

There are warehouses, stores, apartment buildings and a spatter of cobblestone streets. Recently, with upgrades to the waterfront, DUMBO has become a more popular destination for visitors.

Related posts: Walking the Brooklyn Bridge, Gone Fishin', Along the East River, and From the Edge of DUMBO.

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Red Skiff, in the East River

Photo by myself from DUMBO, Brooklyn.

A photo from the edge of Brooklyn in DUMBO, near the Manhattan Bridge. It was a super sunny day, and a man paddled up the East River.

Across the water, parts of lower Manhattan are actually not very built up, due to geology. Only areas supported by bedrock are strong enough to bear the weight of skyscrapers.

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Happy Labor Day weekend!

Mark and I are planning on recovering from jetlag and relaxing. What are your plans?

Related posts: From the Streets of DUMBO, From the Edge of DUMBO and At the Foot of the Manhattan Bridge.

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On What's Down Under the Manhattan Bridge, and Down Under

Photo by myself, around Water and Jay Streets, in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
At the end of a cobblestone street, beyond the Manhattan Bridge, is the Brooklyn Bridge.

Named DUMBO for 'Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass', this neighborhood has its own vibe. There are many converted warehouses now used for offices and apartments.

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Tuesday night, I was absolutely blown away by a short film called Salt which aired on PBS, a major public TV station here in the US. It was part of POV (Point of View), an award-winning, independent documentary film series.

Murray Fredricks, a noted Australian photographer, filmed his trips to the salt flats in his country. The landscape is stunningly stark. The isolation is incomprehensible.

Fredricks shacks up in a modest tent, in the midst of what looks like a moonscape. He reflects on stuff. He experiences. He is windswept. And his images are incredible.

Using a large format (film) camera, Fredericks photographed the night sky. Since it was film, of course, he had no idea whether any of his results were good until he returned to civilization.

You may have missed the TV airing, but you can still watch Salt online until September 17. Unfortunately the streaming version is only available in the US. For those not in this country, check out Frederick's still images, here.

For the POV website, listing other interesting documentaries, click here.

Related posts: On Display at Atlantic/Pacific, Brooklyn, Backstage in the West Village and Street Photography on Display, Below Ground.

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The Brooklyn Bridge, in the Balance

Photo by myself in DUMBO, around Elizabeth Place and Old Fulton Street.

The Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge looks like it's running along the top of a building.

Related posts: On the Brooklyn Bridge, From Under the Bridge and Walking the Brooklyn Bridge.

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All Strung Up, Above DUMBO

Photo by myself in DUMBO, around Columbia Heights and Old Fulton Street.

Above, an odd memento I spotted last weekend, on a walk near the Brooklyn waterfront. Two baby dolls were strung together were hanging from a telephone wire.

There is an urban tradition of stringing things up from telephone wires. Typically you see pairs of sneakers up there. The technical term is shoe tossing, and the exact symbolism is not clear.

Mark told me that the colors of the sneakers tossed around Greenpoint, a predominantly Polish neighborhood, referred to the Polish flag (red and white). One could say then that the sneakers marked the edges of gang territory.

Click here for a photo of stuffed animals strung up. Perhaps toys mark the territories for younger gangs?

Related posts: The Jazzman, 34th Street, 7 More Random Things, 7 More Random Blogs and Holiday Cheer, Already in Bryant Park.

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From the Streets of DUMBO

Photo by myself in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

DUMBO stands for 'Down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass'. This is the overpass, formed by the end of the Manhattan Bridge.

This area is has tons of character, with many renovated warehouses and some cobblestone streets. There are some apartments here but the streets generally clear out at night.

Whether the overpass is a major feature in this neighborhood is up for debate. Jerry Seinfeld joked that the place is really 'Down Under the Manhattan Bridge', but New Yorkers added the 'O' because they didn't want a neighborhood called 'DUMB'.

Related posts: On Bridges and Changing Times, At the Foot of the Manhattan Bridge and Sunday Morning, Along the East River.

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The View from Brooklyn Bridge Beach

Photo by myself at Manhattan Beach, between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.

Yet another photo from my tour the other day of the East River. The tall buildings of the Financial District can be seen beyond the bridge.

Many people sat on steps leading to the water to watch the sunset in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The entire shoreline is being developed and will soon be beautifully landscaped.

To see the future planned park, click here.

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Incidentally, this weekend an air accident occurred on the other (west) side of Manhattan, above the Hudson River.

A helicopter collided with a small private plane on Saturday. The helicopter was one of many that take tourists out for aerial tours. The two aircraft went down into water near 14th Street. All those in the aircraft, a total of nine, were killed.

Unfortunately, Saturday happened to be a bright day. The west edge of Manhattan was heavily populated with people in the parks. There's no telling how many people witnessed the tragic accident.

Air accidents in New York are extremely rare. Actually, accidents in general are rare here, considering all that goes on (taxis, bike messengers, pedestrians and pedicabs). It's very safe to travel within New York.

For more on the crash, click here.

Related posts: Suspenseful Bridges, Running Atop the Brooklyn Bridge and On the Brooklyn Bridge.

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From the Edge of DUMBO

Photo by myself near the Manhattan Bridge, in Brooklyn.

Monday evening, people camped out on the bank of the East River to catch the sunset. The Lower East Side is visible, across the East River.

DUMBO describes the area near the foot of the Manhattan Bridge, in Brooklyn. The acronym stands for 'Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass'. The area is known for artists, renovated warehouses and some cobblestone streets.

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I finally left the house Monday, after staying many days inside, recovering from an illness.

Whew! What a day to be out. Even near sundown, the air was thick with moisture. It was HOT. The heat didn't stop others, though. Flocks of people were busy enjoying the view of Manhattan from across the East River, in Brooklyn Heights.

I walked a bit on and below the Manhattan Bridge. Then I walked a few blocks over to the Brooklyn Promenade.

Unfortunately there aren't any signs marking the way to the Promenade, a park-like area raised up above the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway with stellar views of Manhattan. If you're planning to visit, do consult a map, such as this one.

It's easy to get on the wrong level from the Manhattan Bridge area, and find yourself on desolate streets lined with uncharming warehouses. The promenade level is located above the warehouses, behind some lovely Brooklyn streets.

On the map, the promenade is not shown, but is located running along to the right of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

Related posts: Sunday Morning, Along the East River, At the Foot of the Manhattan Bridge and On Bridges and Changing Times.

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