As
I stroll across the central walkway, I can’t help but stop and stare at the
picturesque landscape ahead of me. The view is breathtaking, though, nothing
less should be expected from New York City. It’s a “all you can eat” buffet for
the senses. From where I stand, downtown Manhattan
looks like something more imaginary than real.
Ellis
Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Fulton Fish Market, the Manhattan Bridge;
you name it, you can see it from here, too much of a good thing, if that’s
possible. Yet, if you take all those landmarks away and just leave the towering
skyline in front of you, the view would probably still be too much to absorb in
just one trip.
Simply
put, this is the magic of the view from the Brooklyn Bridge,
a span that is as towering and immense as it is heartwarming. The sight alone
is enough to put a smile on one’s face. Whether it’s your first time here or
your hundredth, it is not hard to understand how special this place is to the
people of this city.
Standing
on the Brooklyn side, staring back at Manhattan, I close my eyes and try to
imagine what this place looked like hundred of years ago, before the
skyscrapers and buildings that form the Manhattan
skyline were erected. However, no matter how hard I try, I can’t imagine New
York without the Brooklyn Bridge. It just wouldn’t be New York City. It just
wouldn’t be right. It might as well be Jersey.
Ever
since the construction of the bridge and its opening in 1883, people have been
walking, jogging, cycling, and driving across the East
River. Today, I have chosen to walk across on the wooden planks
designated for pedestrians. As I move closer and closer to the middle, I tune
out the sounds and the shaking caused by the cars below me and I cannot help
but feel at ease. The combination of the breeze and the incredible view is
something truly therapeutic for the soul. It is as if the bridge was a mile of
peacefulness connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.
I
guess if you were to compare downtown Manhattan
to “Oz,” the Brooklyn
Bridge would have to be
your yellow brick road. But, the Brooklyn Bridge is more than just a road, it’s
more than just a bridge; it is an experience, a presence, and a character that
still to this day makes this city feel dreamlike.
Matthew Malysa is a Rutgers-Newark student. Posted September 2009.
