Set sail with us and uncover the secrets of New York’s bridges

Connects: Lower Manhattan ↔ Brooklyn 

As you head away from Liberty Island and back toward Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the next show-stoppers of the cruise. Completed in 1883, it was an engineering miracle of its time and remains one of New York’s most beloved landmarks. 

From the water, you really understand its elegance – the stone towers, the web of cables and the sense of history hanging in the air. It’s a spectacular way to properly begin the bridge-spotting portion of the loop. 

Connects: Chinatown ↔ Downtown Brooklyn 

Often overshadowed by its famous neighbour, the Manhattan Bridge reveals its beauty when you sail directly underneath it. Painted a distinctive blue, its steelwork and sweeping arches look especially striking from below. 

Bonus fun fact: subway trains run across it and you can often hear them rumbling overhead as you pass beneath. 

Connects: Lower East Side ↔ Williamsburg, Brooklyn 

When it opened in 1903, the Williamsburg Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Designed to handle growth, it was built wider and stronger than strictly necessary at the time, a decision that paid off as New York rapidly expanded. 

From the water, it feels sturdy, practical and unapologetically urban – very on brand for the neighborhoods it connects.

Connects: Midtown Manhattan ↔ Queens 

Also known as the 59th Street Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge is pure steel elegance. There are no stone towers or sweeping suspension cables here, just intricate cantilevered steelwork that looks especially impressive from below. 

It’s one of those bridges people recognise instantly, they just can’t always remember its name. 

As you pass, keep an eye out for Roosevelt Island, a narrow strip of land with a surprisingly big history. Once home to hospitals, asylums and prisons, it’s now a peaceful residential neighborhood with some of the best skyline views in the city. 

Connects: Manhattan ↔ Queens ↔ The Bronx 

Technically a complex of bridges, the RFK Bridge (still affectionately called the Triborough by many locals) is an engineering marvel. It links three boroughs, which already makes it impressive before you factor in its multiple spans and sweeping curves. 

As you sail beneath it, look out for Randall’s Island just below – a green, sprawling island packed with parks, sports fields and waterfront paths. It’s one of New York’s great hidden open spaces and seeing it from the water really highlights how the city manages to tuck pretty vast recreational areas into the gaps between its busiest routes. 

Connect: Manhattan ↔ The Bronx 

For the next section, the Harlem River quietly steals the show with a series of swing bridges. For those not in the know with all the latest bridge terminology, that means compact, functional crossings that pivot open to let boats pass through. 

You’ll spot a few different examples along this stretch, including the Third Avenue Bridge, Madison Avenue Bridge and 145th Street Bridge. Unlike suspension bridges, these rotate horizontally on a central pier, a surprisingly mesmerising sight if you’re lucky enough to see one in motion. 

They may not be the most famous bridges on the route, but they’re some of the most characterful and good reminder that New York isn’t just about spectacle – it’s also about clever, practical engineering quietly keeping the city moving. 

Connects: Manhattan ↔ The Bronx 

Dating back to the 1840s, the High Bridge is the oldest bridge in New York City. Originally built as part of the Croton Aqueduct, it once carried fresh drinking water into Manhattan. 

Now a pedestrian bridge, sailing underneath it is a quieter, more reflective moment – proof that not all NYC landmarks need to shout to be impressive. 

Connects: Washington Heights ↔ The Bronx 

Often overlooked in favor of flashier neighbors, the Alexander Hamilton Bridge plays a vital role in moving traffic between Manhattan and the Bronx. Named after the Founding Father himself, it feels fittingly important. 

From the boat, you get fantastic views of its layered roadways and the dramatic cliffs nearby, a side of Manhattan many visitors never see. 

Connects: Manhattan ↔ New Jersey 

Once you’ve gone around the top of Manhattan Island and you’re heading back down the Hudson it’s time of one of the biggest of the batch: The George Washington Bridge towers over the river and is one of the busiest bridges in the world. Its sheer scale is jaw-dropping from the water – it feels less like passing under a bridge and more like entering a steel canyon. 

Fun fact: it was originally meant to be clad in granite. Thankfully (for everyone’s eyes), that idea was scrapped, leaving the exposed steel towers that define its look. 

Even more fun fact: when I was onboard, Captain Ken let me drive the boat down this stretch! Find out more about our chat with the Circle Line legend here.