Financial District

The Financial District is in Lower Manhattan and encompasses a large portion of the southern area of the island. Its most famous site is probably the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.

The district is the second largest business district in the

United States, after Midtown Manhattan (approximately 34th Street up to 42nd Street). In recent years, the Financial District, known commonly as FiDi, has shed its reputation as merely a destination for daytime traders and office workers from around New York City. The area's burgeoning residential status – as evidenced by more apartments within the district itself, as well as several hotels and luxury condominiums, such as The Exchange at 25 Broad, a property built by Swig Equities LLC in 2006 – owes its success in part to the local tourist attractions, such as the South Street Seaport, located in Civic Center.

Education[]

Pace University's Manhattan campus is located at 1 Pace Plaza (accessible from Gold Street, City Hall, and William Street)
New York University holds some classes in the Financial District, and also has student housing there
New School University holds classes in the Financial District
Borough of Manhattan Community College (in Tribeca) is within walking distance.

Siteseeing and Shopping[]

The Financial District features a bustling street life by day, and is relatively quiet at night. Boasting the first large-scale skyscraper development in human history, and the mostly pre-1950s skyline is very impressive even by today's standards.

New York Stock Exchange
Trinity Church (located at Broadway and Wall Street)
Federal Hall was the original seat of government for the United States
The Excelsior Power Company Building, located on 33 Gold Street (at Fulton Street), was the location of one of the first power companies ever built. The building is now more an architectural and historical curiousity and cannot be entered by the general public.
The South Street Seaport is nearby, but is sometimes considered a separate historical district from the Financial District.
- It includes the Fulton Market and well-preserved post-colonial architecture.
- A few old sailing ships and a maritime museum catalog the history of New York as a major center for sea trade.
- The Seaport includes a mall with a food court, one of the few in Manhattan. Great views of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge are available.
Battery Park is at the very southern tip of Manhattan. It's often considered a separate residential district distinct from the Financial District
- The Staten Island Ferry can be caught from Battery Park.
- The park includes a fairly large playground.

Events[]

Concerts are held at the South Street Seaport during the summer.
Seaport Pub Crawl

Bars and Nightlife[]

The financial district operates on largely on a routine work schedule, and the nightlife (as of April 2005) caters more to an after-work than late-night crowd. The night life may be more exciting for many people in neighboring Tribeca, easily within walking distance. Largely devoid of clubs, there are places that might greatly please those looking for a quiet place to sip a beer or indulge in a well-cooked pub meal.

Amarok (Bar and Grill) is the only bar consistently open until 4:00AM (located at Fulton and Cliff Streets)
John Street Bar and Grill
Ryan's Sports Bar (Irish bar located at Fulton and Gold Streets)
Pound and Pence (British pub)
Heartland Brewery (at 93 South Street and Fulton Street, across the street from the South Street Seaport)
Ulysses on 58 Stone Street (at Pearl Steet)
Pussycat Lounge - strip joint, one of the few sexually charged venues in the Financial District

Food & Restaurants[]

As with streetlife, the eateries of the Financial District tend not to be very busy after the stock market closes. There are countless delivery services in the area, including many ethnic restaurants.

Pound and Pence is a British pub
Bennie's Thai Cafe located at 88 Fulton Street (at the intersection of Gold Street) is open until 9pm and deliveries
Steve's Pizza (on Trinity Place, right below the World Trade Center), open 24 hours, is a good spot for a late-night slice of pizza or a delivery
Jubilee Market is open and delivers 24 hours a day. It serves hot food on weekdays, and operates all day as a supermarket and deli.
Texas Rotisserie has a location on Fulton Street, but service is limited to delivery and takeout

A large number of restaurants can be found at the South Street Seaport, but few remain open after midnight.

Transportation[]

The Financial District is very convenient from most of the city by subway.

Fulton Street Station is one of the major hubs in the city. It's serviced by the A,C, 4, 5, 2, 3, J, M, and Z trains.
Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station is convenient from the financial district. The 4, 5, 6, J, M, and Z trains amy all be accessed here.
The PATH train is located at the World Trade Center.

A downtown transportation hub is planned within the next decade.