Tuesday - September 22, 2020 - New York Bridges & Views - No. 1.

Through the view of Manhattan from the Manhattan Bridge, the Empire State Building stands alone, midtown. From the view of Manhattan from the Williamsburg Bridge –––– especially in the morning –––– one long glance up the East River will create a mirage, one in which neither the river, nor the island of Manhattan ever reach an endpoint.

While the views from the Manhattan and the Williamsburg bridges have a way of entering, then never quite leaving one’s subconscious mind; the view of Manhattan from the George Washington Bridge goes further: it reaches not just the mind, but if you’ll allow, it can occupy a space within your heart as well. Here’s why: the views of Manhattan from the bridges that stretch over from Brooklyn lack the dramatic arc, which is inseparable from the view of Manhattan from the George Washington Bridge.

While viewing Manhattan from the east –––– from Brooklyn or Queens, one is either coming in from Long Island, or more likely, has already passed through or driven around Manhattan from the west.

But entering New York from the great west, and seeing Manhattan in the distance for the first time just before crossing the Hudson River –––– which separates New York City from not just New Jersey, but also, from the rest of the United States –––– offers a first breath, one in which entering Manhattan from the east simply cannot match.