The famous shot
Washington Street between Front and Water Streets frames the Manhattan Bridge dead-center between two rows of historic buildings — one of the most photographed street views in New York, and busy with photographers and couples doing engagement shoots most days with decent light. Go early morning on a weekday if you want the empty-street version.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
DUMBO sits at the northern end of a long waterfront park that runs along the East River, with Jane's Carousel (a beautifully restored 1922 carousel housed in a glass pavilion) and some of the closest, most direct Manhattan skyline views available from Brooklyn.
What's there beyond the photo
St. Ann's Warehouse, a well-regarded experimental theater; a growing tech and startup office presence that's changed the neighborhood's daytime population significantly; and a small but strong food and coffee scene, largely priced for the tech salaries now based here.
Getting there
The F train (York St) drops you closest to the water; the A/C trains (High St) are a short walk. The NYC Ferry also stops directly in DUMBO, with a particularly scenic approach.