New York City Financial District

Once a dock where oystermen shucked their daily catch, Pearl St. is now one of the richest streets in the world. Wall St., the cornerstone of the district and the financial universe, once served as the northern border of the New Amsterdam settlement, taking its name from the wall built in 1653 to shield the Dutch from British attacks. Thanks to an influx of funding following the September 11th attacks, the area is one of the fastest-growing parts of New York City. Even so, the bustle is mainly reserved for weekdays; its power-lunch and after-work crowds clear out on the weekends.

Battery Park. Battery Park is located at the southernmost tip of Manhattan. The earth under your feet is actually the accumulation of landfills that crowded New York Harbor between State St. and the formerly offshore Castle Clinton. Castle Clinton served as an immigrant processing depot from 1835 to 1890 and now acts as a visitors center and ticket booth for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The park features beautiful views of Brooklyn and Lady Liberty, and some elaborately landscaped gardens. New York Unearthed, an urban archaeology museum, is across from the park’s northern border between Pearl and Whitehall St. Recent exhibits have included a look at surviving artifacts of the 19th-century neighborhood Five Points, which inspired the film Gangs of New York . The museum sits on the site of Herman Melville’s birthplace. Call ahead for info on the museum’s free exhibits. (Located on the southern tip of Manhattan. S 4, 5 to Bowling Green; R, W to Whitehall St. CASTLE CLINTON: Open M-F 8:30am-5pm. Tours of the Castle by request. Free. NEW YORK UNEARTHED: 19 State St. ☎212-748-8753; www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org. Open by appointment. Free.)

Bowling Green. This tiny, triangular piece of land is Manhattan’s oldest park. It’s a perfect perch for the Peregrine falcons who have a nest on Wall St. and occasionally alight here in the summer months. The commanding statue in the park is Charging Bull, a shrine to the god of strong stock markets. (Intersection of Battery Pl., Broadway, and Whitehall St. S 4, 5 to Bowling Green.)

Us Custom House. The Custom House was completed in 1907, when the city still derived most of its revenue from customs. In 1979, it was narrowly saved from demolition, and it has since been transformed into the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (see Museums). The magnificent Beaux Arts building is fronted by sculptures of four women representing Africa, America, Asia, and Europe. The face of Mercury crowns each of the building’s 44 columns, which pay homage to the most successful city-states in history. The rotunda holds a series of 1936 murals by Reginald Marsh depicting famous explorers and New York’s port. (1 Bowling Green. S 4, 5 to Bowling Green.)

New York Stock Exchange. In 1792, 24 stockbrokers met beneath a buttonwood tree outside 68 Wall Street and signed a trade agreement, which formed the precursor to the world’s largest stock exchange. The NYSE in its present form was incorporated in 1817, moving to its current site in 1865 and moving to its current building in 1903. Designed by George B. Post in Classical Revival style, the building is closely modeled on a Roman temple, ringed by imposing Corinthian columns and clothed in reliefs representing commerce. Over 2 billion shares change hands here every day. The trading floor has been enclosed in glass since 1967, when the radical activist Abbie Hoffman and his merry band of “Yippies” dumped hundreds of $1 bills on the floor, causing the traders to stop their work to snatch up the money. Prior to 2001, the NYSE was one of New York’s most popular tourist attractions, but it has been closed to the public since the September 11th attacks, with some exceptions made for large groups. Security inside and out is among the tightest in the Financial District. (18 Broad St., between Wall St. and Exchange Pl. S 2, 3 to Wall St./William St.; 4, 5 to Wall St./Broadway; 1, R, W to Rector St.; J, M, Z to Broad St. ☎212-656-5165 or 212-656-5168; www.nyse.com. Closed to the public indefinitely.)

Trinity Church. Around the corner from the NYSE sits this Gothic Revival Episcopal church, which owns much of the land on which its towering, hyper-wealthy neighbors sit. When it was finished in 1846, the Gothic spire of Trinity Church was the tallest structure in all of New York. The church’s sanctuary and cemetery (the site of Alexander Hamilton’s grave) are peaceful oases amid the biggest rat race in the world. (Broadway, at Wall St. S 1, 2, 4, 5 to Wall St./Broadway; 1, R, W to Rector St. ☎212-602-0800; www.trinitywallstreet.org. Open M-F 7am-6pm. Museum open M-F 9-11:45am and 1-3:45pm, Sa 10am-3:45pm, Su 1-3:45pm. Concerts most Th at 1pm. Su Eucharist 9, 11:15am. Free tours daily at 2pm and following Su 11:15am Eucharist.)

Let’S Not Go. From 2006 to 2009, weekend service on some lower Manhattan subway lines may be suspended for the construction of the Fulton Transit Center and the new South Ferry Terminal. For up-to-date subway information, check www.mta.info.

Federal Hall National Memorial. George Washington stands guard in front of this 1703 Parthenon look-alike, which housed the original City Hall. It was renamed Federal Hall in 1789, when Washington took his Oath of Office here. The hall served as the first seat of government of the United States. James Madison presented the Bill of Rights to Congress here. The original structure was demolished in 1812, but was later rebuilt to house numerous federal agencies. A recently renovated and expanded museum features the Bible that Washington swore upon at his inauguration and a piece of flooring he stood on during the ceremony. The first floor houses a new Lower Manhattan visitors center with information about nearby parks and museums. (26 Wall St., between Nassau and William St. Wheelchair-accessible entrance at 15 Pine St. S 1, R, W to Rector St.; 2, 3 to Wall St./William St.; 4, 5 to Wall St./Broadway; J, M, Z to Broad St. ☎212-825-6888; www.nps.gov/feha. Open M-F 9am-5pm. Call for tour times.)

The Federal Reserve Bank Of New York. This mammoth neo-Renaissance building, completed in 1924, occupies an entire city block. Modeled after the Palazzo Strozzi, home of a 15th-century Florentine banking family, its stern facade protects one-fourth of the world’s gold bullion; the building is the most heavily fortified in the city. The gold, much of which is foreign, is secured by 121 triple-locked compartments and a 90-ton steel door in a vault five stories underground. On the second floor, there is a shooting range where the building’s security personnel maintain their aim. Despite the heavy security, a tour of the building is surprisingly fun. Current exhibits include FedWorks: Money, Banking, and the Federal Reserve System . (33 Liberty St., between Nassau and William St. S 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, M, Z to Fulton St./Broadway/Nassau St. ☎212-720-6130; www.newyorkfed.org. Free tours M-F 9:30, 10:30, 11:30am, 1:30, and 2:30pm. Arrive 15min. early for security screening and bring ID. Reservations required at least 5 days in advance.)

World Trade Center Site (Ground Zero) . The site where the World Trade Center once stood is a sobering one, but it won’t remain empty for long. Construction of a memorial, Reflecting Absence, is scheduled to be completed by the eighth anniversary of the attacks, on September 11, 2009. Until then, the Tribute Center across the street from Ground Zero tells the story of the victims and their families through two floors of images, audio, and video. The planned Freedom Tower is currently scheduled to be completed by 2011. (On the corner of Liberty and West St. S E to World Trade Center; R, W to Cortlandt St.; 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, M, Z to Fulton St./Broadway/Nassau St. TRIBUTE CENTER: 120 Liberty St., between Church and Greenwich St. ☎212-422-3520; www.tributenyc.org. Open M and W-Sa 10am-6pm, Tu and Su noon-6pm. 1hr. walking tours of the site, led by those affected by the attacks, are held M-F 1 and 3pm; Sa-Su at noon, 1, 2, and 3pm. $10, children under 12 free. Reserve walking tours at www.telecharge.com.)

Battery Park City. When the World Trade Center was being built in the 1970s, millions of tons of soil were deposited west of West St. The World Financial Center, on West St. between the World Trade Center and the Hudson River, was built on this landfill. The 45,000 sq. ft. Winter Garden, a grand public space and a popular lunchtime relaxation zone for downtown office workers and tourists, is its centerpiece. The garden suffered severe damage on its east side on September 11th. Some 2000 panes of the arched glass ceiling, half of the grand staircase, the marble flooring, and all 16 of the 40 ft. palm trees had to be replaced. Today, the second-floor observation area is the best all-weather perch from which to view Ground Zero. The garden, which faces the river, hosts free year-round festivals and performances (schedules and information at www.worldfinancialcenter.com). The best-known of these is the spectacular New York International Orchid Show, held in mid-spring each year. The re-opened Liberty Street Bridge, formerly known as South Bridge, connects Battery Park City to the rest of Lower Manhattan. Two spectacularly beautiful parks are also within Battery Park City limits. Recently opened Wagner Park is an ideal place for sunbathing, with unobstructed views of the Statue of Liberty. On a warm evening, watch one of the most spectacular sunsets in Manhattan here. Nearby Rockefeller Park is a popular spot for children. The Battery Park City Authority (www.batteryparkcity.org) sponsors chess lessons, volleyball tournaments, tai chi lessons, and a range of other activities. ( S E to World Trade Center; 2, 3 to Wall St./William St.; 4, 5 to Wall St./Broadway; 1, R, W to Rector St.; 1, 2, 3 to Chambers St./W Broadway; A, C to Chambers St./Church St.; 2, 3 to Park Pl. ☎212-945-0505.)