DUMBO

DUMBO, a trendy district of Brooklyn

The Brooklyn audio-guided tour takes you to the DUMBO district, partly wedged between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. No, DUMBO does not refer to the Disney character: it is the acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, that is the district located under the Manhattan Bridge.

From industrial district to artists' district

DUMBO stretches on either side of the Manhattan Bridge. It was once an industrial district which, until the 1970s, housed tobacco warehouses, paper and cardboard factories, and soap works. Gradually, these warehouses were transformed into lofts, galleries and artists' studios, making DUMBO one of the trendiest districts of Brooklyn and of all New York.

What there is to see

On its waterfront, DUMBO offers cobbled streets, former brick warehouses converted, art galleries, shops and cafés. It is also the district of the most famous viewpoints over the bridges and the Manhattan skyline, notably from Washington Street. Between industrial heritage and contemporary creation, DUMBO has become a high place of New York cultural life.

Practical information

The DUMBO district is on the bank of the East River, between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, in Brooklyn. It can be walked freely and on the level, and is served by the metro. Its cobbled streets and its waterfront invite strolling.

What does DUMBO mean?

It is the acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, that is the district located under the Manhattan Bridge, and not a reference to the Disney character.

What was DUMBO in the past?

An industrial district of warehouses and factories, transformed from the 1970s into a district of artists, galleries and lofts.