How to Visit NewYork City in an RV(Part 2)

A man and his dog in downtown Manhattan

I was tired after yesterday, traipsing around lower Manhattan and seeing all the sights. Some of the people (and dog) watching was excellent (these two were a favorite),  but I wish we had been able to park the RV in Central Park. It would have been nice to have it close by when it was time to head home.  This trip we have been focusing on getting out of midtown and seeing what the other Boroughs of New York City have to offer. We took the ferry to Staten Island yesterday, but were only there long enough to get off and turn around to come back and catch the sunset. Today it’s Brooklyn and the Bronx.

The view from Brooklyn

First a coffee, a bagel and a ride downtown on the subway gets us to Brooklyn.  We got off at the Brooklyn Bridge stop and walked a short distance to the base of this iconic landmark that spans the East River. It was opened in 1883 and at the time was the worlds longest suspension bridge. We walked along the Brooklyn shore, admiring the views of the bridge and Manhattan across the river. With all the walking we had worked up an appetite and were ready for lunch. The upscale River Cafe is right at the rivers edge, under the bridge. A lovely spot, but we opted to get on line and wait for a seat at Grimaldi’s for one of Brooklyln’s best pizza’s, cooked to perfection in a coal fired oven.

There’s no pizza like NY pizza

Full and satisfied it was time to walk off that pizza, what better way than to walk back to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge. It is set up for walking, running and biking. All the traffic is below you and all of New York City is around you. Fresh air, a little exercise and magnificent views. You want more?

New Yorkers enjoying the day on the Brooklyn Bridge

Our next exploration of the Boroughs took us to the Bronx. We rode the A train to 190th street and it was a short walk through Ft. Tyron Park to the Cloisters. The Cloisters, is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to medieval Europe. It is set on a hilltop overlooking the Hudson in Ft. Tyron Park.

A cloister is a covered walkway and the museum is constructed of actual cloisters, monastery chapels and halls that were built in medieval times and reconstructed  in the Bronx, then filled with sculptures, stained glass, tapestries and paintings of the 13th through 15th centuries.  (The building, land and much of the collection was provided by John D. Rockefeller. He even bought the land across the river in New Jersey so the view would always be undeveloped.) Not many people could read back in medieval times and artwork was used by the church to instruct people so it’s mostly religious focused works. It’s a beautiful place and a favorite spot to spend a few quiet hours before ending our visit, getting back to the RV and moving on down the red roads to our next stop.