DUMBO occupies about 20 square blocks between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges in northwestern Brooklyn. It went from a genuinely industrial neighborhood where artists moved in the 1970s to one of the most expensive ZIP codes in New York City in about two decades. The loft buildings that artists converted into studios now sell as luxury condominiums. The warehouses that stored industrial goods are now tech company offices and boutique retail. What remains from the earlier era is the physical character of the neighborhood — the granite cobblestones, the brick warehouse facades, the unique spatial quality of being underneath two enormous bridges simultaneously — and that physical character is genuinely extraordinary.
The Washington Street View
The photograph that everyone takes in DUMBO is from Washington Street looking west toward Manhattan: the cobblestones, the Manhattan Bridge arch in the foreground, and the Empire State Building framed precisely in the center of the arch. It’s one of the most reproduced views in New York City photography, which means on weekends you’ll share the optimal shooting spot with dozens of other photographers. Go on a weekday morning before 10am for the clearest shot and the fewest people.
The reason the view works geometrically is specific: Washington Street runs at exactly the right angle to frame the bridge arch around the Empire State Building. One block in either direction and the frame collapses. The magic is entirely a function of the street grid.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Bridge Park runs along the East River waterfront from DUMBO south to Atlantic Avenue — 85 acres of park built on former industrial piers. The sections adjacent to DUMBO (Piers 1-6) include sports facilities, a beach, lawn areas, and the most complete views of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge available from Brooklyn. The park is free, open from 6am to 1am, and one of the best urban parks built in New York in the past two decades.
Jane’s Carousel at the Brooklyn Bridge Park is a 1922 carousel that was restored and placed in a glass pavilion designed by Jean Nouvel at the water’s edge. It’s beautiful as an object and the location — with the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Manhattan skyline as its backdrop — makes it one of the more memorable experiences available in Brooklyn for children and adults alike. Rides are $2.
Eating in DUMBO
Juliana’s Pizza on Front Street is Patsy Grimaldi’s sequel to Grimaldi’s — which he sold and which moved, while Juliana’s occupies the original Grimaldi’s coal-oven pizza location. The coal-oven pizza (available only as full pies, no slices) is one of the best in Brooklyn, and the ongoing Grimaldi’s vs. Juliana’s debate is genuinely unresolved. Lines are long on weekends; arrive before noon or after 3pm.
Time Out Market New York in DUMBO’s Empire Stores is a food hall with 21 vendors curated from established New York restaurants. The quality is consistently above food-hall average because the selection process has been rigorous. Good for groups where everyone wants something different.
Cecconi’s on Water Street is the neighborhood’s upscale Italian option — the room is beautiful (in the historic Empire Stores building with river views), the pasta is properly made, and the prices reflect the address. Worth it for a special dinner in one of the borough’s most impressive settings.
Getting There and What to Know
DUMBO is small enough to arrive, see everything worth seeing, eat, and leave in 2-3 hours. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan and descending into DUMBO at the Brooklyn end is the most satisfying way to arrive — you get the bridge experience and you arrive at the most photogenic part of the neighborhood. The walk from the bridge’s Manhattan approach (City Hall park area) to the Brooklyn landing takes about 25-30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does DUMBO stand for?
Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass — the name was coined by artists in the 1970s who moved into the neighborhood’s industrial loft buildings and named it with deliberate unglamorousness to discourage development. It didn’t work.
Is DUMBO worth visiting?
Yes — the cobblestoned streets under the bridge, the view of the Manhattan Bridge framing the Empire State Building from Washington Street, Brooklyn Bridge Park along the waterfront, and Jane’s Carousel make DUMBO genuinely worth an afternoon. The neighborhood is small enough to see completely in 2-3 hours.
What is the famous view in DUMBO?
The view from Washington Street looking west through the arch of the Manhattan Bridge, with the Empire State Building visible in the center of the arch. It’s one of the most reproduced photographs of New York City and genuinely worth seeing in person.
How do I get to DUMBO Brooklyn?
The F train to York Street is the closest subway stop. The A/C to High Street-Brooklyn Bridge is a short walk. Water taxis from Manhattan’s Pier 17 dock at Brooklyn Bridge Park adjacent to DUMBO. Many visitors walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and enter DUMBO from the bridge’s Brooklyn end.
Also see: our Brooklyn transportation guide
Also see: our Brooklyn date night restaurant guide
Also see: our Financial District guide
