NYC’s Most Beautiful Bridges
![](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/20x11/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shutterstock_5107745021.webp)
Bridges are so much more than a means to get from place A to place B. New York features a number of bridges that are perfect for pedestrians looking to experience beautiful architecture and engineering. Whether designated primarily for traffic or pedestrians, the following bridges are all strikingly beautiful.
1. Brooklyn Bridge
Bridge
![Walking through the Brooklyn Bridge](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shutterstock_555537403.webp)
Manhattan Bridge
Designed by Leon Moisseiff, the Manhattan Bridge opened on December 31, 1909. It is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River and connects lower Manhattan with downtown Brooklyn. To celebrate the beauty of the city, the Manhattan Bridge Archway was completed in 1915; it was declared a landmark in 1975. Pedestrians can walk on the lower level of the bridge, and there is a beautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
![Manhattan Bridge](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shutterstock_555200476.webp)
2. High Bridge
Bridge, Park
Bayonne Bridge
Designed by Othmar Ammann and Cass Gilbert, the Bayonne Bridge opened on November 15, 1931. It stretches across the Kill Van Kull and connects Staten Island to Bayonne, New Jersey. In 1981, the bridge was deemed a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Its design is unique: it looks like a parabola, but it’s actually made up of 40 different linear segments. The pedestrian walkway is currently under reconstruction, but it is scheduled to reopen in 2017.
Bayonne Bridge, Staten Island, NY, USA +1 855 265 5482
![Bayonne Bridge at dusk. The Bayonne Bridge, is the 5th longest steel arch bridge in the world](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shutterstock_279942056.webp)
3. Hell Gate Bridge
Bridge
![Hell Gate Bridge and Triboro Bridge at night, in Astoria, Queens, New York](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shutterstock_513671728.webp)
4. Bow Bridge
Bridge, Park
![Bow Bridge, Central Park in Manhattan, New York City](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shutterstock_544580113.webp)
5. Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge
Bridge, Museum
![](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/images/default_location.webp)
6. Gapstow Bridge
Bridge, Park
![Central Park gapstow Bridge with city skyline in background](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shutterstock_552341530.webp)