The elevated walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge is an ideal vantage point from which to admire the sweep of Manhattan. As you cross the East River, you can glimpse the length of the island and, in the right light, it’s a thrilling urban spectacle. Off to the left are the tightly clustered towers of the financial district and the bland shaft of 1 World Trade Center (replacing the Twin Towers); to the right is a wider sweep of high-rise offices presided over by the Empire State Building.