From Wikitravel

Lower Manhattan is the home of the Financial District of Manhattan. It is one of the two biggest business districts in New York, along with Midtown Manhattan. Located at the southern tip of the island, it was the site of earliest European settlement in the New York area, the historical core of the modern city - a fact reflected in the convoluted street pattern compared to the regular streets and avenues found uptown.

Included in this article is one of New York's most famous and evocative landmarks: the Statue of Liberty, located on Liberty Island, which is a short trip by ferry from the Financial District, as is Ellis Island, the nearby site of an historic immigration center.

[edit] Understand

The historic center of the city is today's Financial District, located at the tip of lower Manhattan and surrounded by the Hudson and East Rivers and the blue expanse of New York Harbor on three sides, and by City Hall and the World Trade Center site to the north.

[edit] Get in

Most of the city's subway lines have stops in lower Manhattan, with stations at City Hall, Wall Street, etc. Remember the express trains only stop at the bigger stops, the locals stop at all of them.

Many bus lines go there too, and you can always take a cab.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Landmarks

• Wall Street. The historic heart of the Financial District and the original home of the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street is a byword for American big business and stock trading. (Most New York financial firms are no longer headquartered on the street itself, but housed nearby in new offices). A narrow street running downhill from Broadway to the East River, Wall Street was named for the wall that was built here in 1652 to keep Manhattan's indigenous peoples out of the growing Dutch settlement - the wall was demolished by the British in 1699. By the late 18th century, there was a buttonwood tree at the foot of Wall Street under which traders and speculators would gather to trade informally - this was the origin of the New York Stock Exchange that was established in 1817.
  • New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), 18 Broad Street at Wall Street, [1]. An historic site, not least because of the Black Thursday crash of the Exchange on 24 October 1929 and the subsequent sell-off panic which started on Black Tuesday, 29 October, precipitating the worldwide Great Depression of the early 1930s. The present Exchange building opened in 1903, recognized from the first as an example of masterful architecture, with the six massive Corinthian columns across its Broad Street façade imparting a feeling of substance and stability and, to many, seeming the very embodiment of America’s growth and prosperity. The Interactive Education Center, previously open to visitors, has been closed indefinitely since 9/11.
• Federal Hall, 26 Wall Street (opposite the NYSE), [2]. Federal Hall was the scene of George Washington's inauguration as 1st President of the United States of America. Now maintained as a National Monument.
• Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street, [3]. Open daily 7am-6pm. An Episcopalian (Anglican) church and parish was first established on this site in 1697 under charter by King William III. The present Neo-Gothic Revival church building (the third incarnation) dates from 1846 and remains a significant landmark within Downtown. The original burial ground at Trinity Church includes the graves and memorials of many historic figures, including Alexander Hamilton, William Bradford, Robert Fulton, and Albert Gallatin.
• St Paul's Chapel, [4]. Built in 1776 and located directly opposite the World Trade Center site, the Chapel is Manhattan's oldest public building in continuous use.
• World Trade Center site - not referred to by New Yorkers as "Ground Zero", so be careful not to cause offence. Currently there are some displays on the fence along Trinity Place.
• World Financial Center, next to the World Trade Center site, [5]. Shopping, dining, events and the Winter Garden all open to the public.
• Bowling Green. A small park containing the Charging Bull sculpture created after the 1987 stock market crash.
• Brooklyn Bridge, [6]. You may walk across this historic bridge in either direction (takes about 30 minutes each way), or bike across it for no toll. The view is quite nice going into Manhattan. On the Brooklyn side, you can get pizza, or dine by the waterfront in the DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge) area, which is gentrifying with lofts and cool dining places. You can also take the F train to York St, hang out in the DUMBO area and then walk across the bridge back into Manhattan.

[edit] Museums and galleries

• National Museum of the American Indian in New York, The George Gustav Heye Center, Alexander Hamilton US Custom House, One Bowling Green (adjacent to the northeast corner of Battery Park), tel 212-514-3700, [7]. F-W 10am-5pm, Th 10am-8pm, closed 25 December; (museum shops every day 10am-5pm). The building is fully accessible. This Smithsonian museum is the New York branch of the National Museum of the American Indian (the other branches are in Washington, D.C. and Maryland). Free.

• Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, [8]. Su-Tu, Th 10am-5:45pm, W 10am-8pm, F 10am-5pm. A memorial to the Holocaust. $10, free W 4-8pm.

• Museum of American Financial History, 48 Wall Street (beginning January 11, 2008), (212) 908-4110 (fax (212) 908-4601), [9]. Tu-Sa 10am-4pm. A small museum with exhibits that change periodically. $2.00.

• New York Unearthed, 17 State St (opposite Battery Park between Pearl and Whitehall Streets), 212-748-8786 (to schedule visit), [10]. M-F by appointment only. Urban archaeology center. Free.

[edit] Other destinations

• Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, ☎ ''+1 866'' 782 8834 (within USA) or ''+1 212'' 269 5755 (international), [11]. 8:30am-5:15pm (hours adjusted seasonally). Take the ferry from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan or from Liberty State Park in New Jersey (see Statue Cruises Ferry below). Be prepared for airport like security screening with similar restrictions (no food or open liquids, no knives, etc.) before boarding the boat. No entry ticket is required to visit the island. After closure since 9/11 (2001), the Statue pedestal reopened to visitors in 2004. A free, timed ticket is required for entry to the statue pedestal. Tickets are limited in number and can be obtained on the day from the ferry company or in advance (for $1.75) by calling the ticket office on the phone number above (8am-7pm) or online [12]. Signs on the Island state that you should obtain your tickets '''''1 week''''' in advance to guarantee that you will be able to enter the pedestal. The Promenade Tour (which requires a second security check) consists of a tour through the monument lobby and museum (20-30 minutes) and then outside to the promenade and Fort Wood. The Observatory Tour additionally includes a trip in the elevator to the pedestal observation deck (not up into the statue itself). Security checks are rigorous so travel as light as possible. Backpacks and other large bags are not permitted on the tours but can be stored in lockers for a fee. On busy days there may be long waits. If leaving from Manhattan, you may need to arrive at Battery Park 2 hours before your timed tour to allow for security screening and ferry travel. Best to arrive at Battery Park early in the morning. From the Manhattan ferry the Statue of Liberty will be located on the right side of the boat. Admission to the Island is free – but you need to pay for the ferry. Ferry Fees Audio tour $6. edit

• Ellis Island, [13]. 8:30am-5:30pm. Served by the same ferry as the Statue of Liberty edit

• Ellis Island Immigration Museum, [14]. Allow 3 hours. Free admission. Audio tour $6.  edit

• Statue Cruises, [15]. The only means of access to Liberty and Ellis Islands. One ticket is good for sailings to both islands and return to starting point. Info [16] [17]
• African Burial Ground National Monument, 290 Broadway, 1st floor (north of City Hall), ☎ +1 212 637-2019 (fax: +1 212 227-2026), [18]. Visitor Center: M-F 9AM-5PM except Federal holidays; Memorial: Daily 9AM-5PM except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. For most of the 18th century, Africans in New York City were buried in a graveyard outside the city. The graveyard was eventually forgotten and was rediscovered in 1991. This museum and memorial site commemorate the estimated 15,000 Africans that were interred on the site of the memorial. Note that the museum is located inside of a Federal building so airport-style security should be expected. Free.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Exchange Hotel 129 Front Street (@ Pine Street)(One block north of Wall Street) New York, NY 10005 [19], A small boutique luxury hotel a block north of Wall Street.

• Millennium Hilton On the WTC Site, is business class with finely decorated rooms and great views. 55 Church Street, Telephone: 693-2001 Fax: 571-2316

• New York Marriott Downtown Luxury hotel on 85 West Street, New York, NY 10006 Telephone: (212) 385-4900 Fax: (212) 227-8136 [20] with good views and nice rooms.

• Gild Hall, A Thompson Hotel 15 Gold Street, New York, NY 10038, [21] Gild Hall, offers stylish luxury to Manhattan's financial district.

[edit] Contact

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