Brooklyn Runner

It was twenty-something degrees, windy, a Saturday afternoon. I was hoping I’d find the Brooklyn Bridge walkway a little less crowded than it usually is, weather and all. Alas, seems nothing short of a hailstorm (or an ungodly hour, like 6 a.m. on the weekend) could keep the throngs away.

This is New York, after all.

The thing about living and running in one of the greatest cities in the world is learning to share it with tourists. I’m tempted to get annoyed by the crowds, just the sheer volume of people crossing through such a narrow space. But I’m reminded of why they’re here: To catch a glimpse of the sights I pass by every day — and sometimes take for granted.

Take the view as you’re going over the Manhattan Bridge on the Q train (which I take to work every day). There’s just nothing like it. Especially in the morning. Coming out of the tunnel, rising above the water, the industrial buildings of DUMBO to your left, the financial district to your right, the iconic webbed span of the bridge straight ahead. . . And at the right angle, on a clear day, you can see the Statue of Liberty too.

I just never get tired of it.

So it’s a small price to pay, having to be a little more nimble as you dodge camera-toting tourists, maybe saying “excuse me” to the group that insists on walking four-abreast across. You are out there to enjoy a good run, after all, in one of the most beautiful places in the city, and it’s hard to complain about that.