Dining in the Financial District quick links: Heartland Brewery.
Shopping in the Financial District quick links: Century 21 Department Store; J&R Music and Computer World.
Cultural Arts in the Financial District quick links: Bodies...The Exhibition; Ellis Island Immigration Museum; Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust; New York City Police Museum; Skyscraper Museum; South Street Seaport Museum; National Museum of the American Indian.
Sightseeing in the Financial District quick links: Statue of Liberty; Helicopter Flight Services; Liberty Helicopter Tours; Manhattan Helicopter Sightseeing Tours; New York Waterway, The Alexander Hamilton Financial District Tour
In 1625, Dutch settlers landed on Manhattan’s southern tip and established the Dutch West India Company. This land mass later became the first capital of the United States, the center of world finance, and a gateway for millions of immigrants. It is now commonly known as New York's Financial District.
A tour of the entire neighborhood can be taken courtesy of the Downtown Alliance. Ninety-minute tours, offered every Thursday and Sunday at noon, guide you through the U.S. Custom House (home to the National Museum of the American Indian), historic Trinity Church, Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, and other cultural and architectural sights. Meet at the front steps of the US Customs House at One Bowling Green rain or shine; the cost is free. For details, call 212-606-4064.
The historical area of the neighborhood is centered around Wall Street. The name is derived from the 12-foot wall that was built in 1653 to protect the area’s northern boundary. Since then the unofficial symbol of Wall Street has become the “Charging Bull.” The bronze sculpture was installed after the 1987 stock market crash as a symbol of “strength and power of the American people” and can be found in the plaza at Bowling Green facing up Broadway. Wall Street is the home to several influential United States stock and other exchange companies.
Located north of Wall Street at 89 Broadway, Trinity Church Episcopal parish was founded in 1697 and has been remodeled three times. The current Neo-Gothic architecture was open to the public in 1846. The church is located near the World Trade Center and is famous for surviving the destruction. The rescue workers used St. Paul’s Chapel as a headquarters during their heroic efforts at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. Unwavering Spirit, an interactive exhibit in the Chapel honors that ministry and its legacy. Tours are conducted at the church on Broadway at Wall Street seven days a week at 2pm and after the 11:15am mass every Sunday.
Continuing north, at the intersection of Dey Street and Church Street, you'll find Century 21, the Millennium Hotel, and the former site of the World Trade Center, soon to be the location of the Freedom Tower, with an ultimate height of 1,776 feet. Although the existing spot is barricaded with high walls and resembles a busy construction site, all three World Trade Center Towers are slated to be opened in 2012. The National September 11 Memorial Museum will be opening in 2011. This will be followed by a transportation hub, retail complex and performing arts center. Tours of the current site begin at 120 Liberty Street and last about one hour and fifteen minutes, running Monday through Friday at 11am, noon, 1pm, and 3pm and on Saturdays at 11pm, noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm. Tickets are $10 and all children under the age of 12 are free. Arrive an hour early in order to reserve a spot.
Now heading south of Wall Street on this historical journey, Stone Street cannot be missed. As a narrow cobblestone street, it is one border of Hanover Square that was created by the Dutch Settlers in the 1600s, and has not lost its ambiance. Now a popular spot for out-of-office lunches, visit Adrienne’s Pizza for the true Stone Street experience. After ordering a slice of old-fashioned, gourmet, square, thin-crust pizza, sit outside at a picnic table in the street with future friends.
Afterward, grab gelato or another sweet delicacy at the Financiers Patisserie and escape to the raised green behind the Chase Building. Take the escalator from the street at One Chase Manhattan Plaza between Pine and Liberty Streets and enter the garden for an amazing view of the city.
Directly across the street from the Chase Plaza on Liberty Street between Nassau and Williams Streets is the Federal Reserve, where many of this country’s major financial decisions take place. Serving as part of the United States’ central banking system, it was created in 1913 and tours runs Monday through Friday at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30am as well as 1:30 and 2:30pm. Tours are free and limited to 30 per time slot; reserve by calling 212-720-6130.
Heading further south to Battery Park, one will learn that before the emergence of Ellis Island, Castle Garden became the world’s first immigrant depot in 1855. Previously a United States Army Fort during the War of 1812, millions of newcomers arrived here from Europe and beyond. The Castle Clinton National Monument is also found within the park. Guided tours are offered daily at 10am, noon and 2pm. Other monuments within the borders of the park are: The Sphere by Fritz Koenig, dedicated to the lives lost in the 1993 and 2001 World Trade Center attacks; the New York North Korean War Veterans Memorial, the statue of Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Netherlands Monument, and the East Coast Memorial, among many others.
Battery Park is now the departure point for ferries to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, a universal symbol of political freedom. Statue Cruises depart seven days a week between 8am and 6pm for both Ellis Island and Liberty Island. For more information, call 212-363-3200. The Staten Island Ferry also departs from Battery Park.
For the best views of New York Harbor and the Brooklyn Bridge, visit the South Street Seaport. This Seaport has been a commercial business center since the 1600s and is located where Fulton Street meets the East River. The Seaport is reminiscent of the 1800s, and operates as a mall and tourism center with shops such as Coach, Brookstone, Godiva, and TKTS. The South Street Seaport Museum incorporates six historical ships in a plethora of nautical exhibits.
With plenty of history and information inside its grounds, the Financial District is home to several museums regarding a variety of topics. The Federal Hall National Memorial is home to the Bible that was used during the inauguration of President George Washington, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage, a living memorial to those who perished during the Holocaust. In addition, the National Museum of the American Indian has the largest collection of Native American crafts and artifacts and the Skyscraper Museum investigates the design and technology of skyscrapers. The New York City Police Museum explores the history of the NYPD, from its inception in 1845.
-- Kaela Mahon
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