Brooklyn

---

Our cruise aboard Caribbean Princess to the Canadian Maritimes and Greenland was to sail from Brooklyn. This would be a first, sailing from Brooklyn rather than Manhattan. To reach Brooklyn, we drove up I-95 to northern New Jersey, then took I-278 across Staten Island and the Verrazzano Narrows bridge to Brooklyn. It was a raimy and gloomy trip, taking about eight hours. We stayed Sunday night at the Marriott Brooklyn Bridge. Dinner was found next door to the hotel, at Rocco's Tacos & Tequillar Bar, a popular neighborhood spot.

Monday morning I took a walk around the block outside our hotel. The rain was gone and the sun now out! This was a very central location in Brooklyn. Passerby and transit busses reminded me of the scene looking out of our Loondon hotel two years before. I could see Borough Hall (1848) from the hotel and the Brooklyn courthouse. Once on the sidewalk, I noted an imposing Romanesque building at the end of the block. It turned out to be the Federlal Bankruptcy Court, built in 1891. In front was Columbus Park. The park contained numerous statues and memorials. Among them were Henry Ward Beecher, the noted abolitionist and brother of Harriet Becher Stowe, Robert F. Kennedy, John A. Roebling, designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, and of course, Christopher Columbus. A very productive morning sightseeing walk.

Hotel checkout was at 11:00. What to do before we could check into our cruise? I had thought of driving to lower Brooklyn to see Floyd Bennett Field and Fort Tilden at Gateway National Recreation Area. But traffic conditions were uncertain. Susan suggested a drive to the nearby Brooklyn Bridge and the surrounding Dumbo neighborhood. And so, that is what we did. Turning right from the hotel and out onto Adams Street was a straig rout to the Brooklyn Bridge. We drove across it and made and easyturnaround in Manhattan to get back on e bridge, dive across it again and return to Brooklyn. We then proceeded to drive around the streets of Dumbo, the neighborhood around the bridge. It was once an industrial port area, but is now popular with visitors and residents. Lots of people were out and about. There is a waterfront park and numerous shops and restaurant. Grimaldi's Pizzeria must be good, as there was a long line waiting for it to open for lunch.

At Noon we headed for the Brooklyn cruise terminal. Infornation was that the ship would not be ready for boarding until 2:00 pm. But we were shown right on board! We were on board by 12:30 and enjoyed lunch on the Lido Deck. There was a great view up the East River to the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge as well as lower of Manhattan with the new Wotld Trade Center. Owimg to problems loading luggag and provision, the ship did not sail until 8:30 p.m., after dark. The lights on Coney Island could be seen once the ship cleared the Verazzano Narrows Bridge.

---

Photos

Borough Hall
Brooklyn Borough Hall (1848)

Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)
Henry Ward Beecher Monument. Installed in 1891.

Lobby Art
Lobby Art a the Brooklyn Marriott.

Caribbean Princess
Caribbean Princess ready to sail to Greenland.