The Financial District of Manhattan is the central business district of New York, located at the southern tip of the island. It represents the site of earliest European settlement in the New York area, the historical core of the modern city - a fact well reflected in the relatively 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 accessed by ferry from the Financial District, as is Ellis Island, the preserved immigration center nearby.

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.

Attractions

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. (This is now somewhat ironic as 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 derives its name from 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 formalized in 1817.
 • New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), 18 Broad Street at Wall Street - 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 facade 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) - Closed for renovations until late 2005 or early 2006, 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 - 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 - Built in 1776 and located directly opposite the devastated 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 - 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 - 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.

Other destinations

 • Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, tel +1 866 782 8834 (within USA) or +1 212 269 5755 (international) - 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 Circle Line Ferry below). After closure since 9/11 (2001), the Statue reopened to visitors in 2004. No entry ticket is required to visit the island. 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. The Promenade Tour 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. Admission is free, but you need to pay for the ferry. Audio tour $6.
 • Ellis Island - 8:30am-5:30pm. Served by the same ferry as the Statue of Liberty.
 • Ellis Island Immigration Museum - Allow 3 hours. Free admission. Audio tour $6.
 • Circle Line Ferry - The only means of access to Liberty and Ellis Islands. One ticket is good for sailings to both islands and return to starting point. New York ticket office is in Castle Clinton National Monument, Battery Park, Manhattan (subway 4 or 5 Lexington Ave Express to Bowling Green; N or R BMT Local to Whitehall St; 1 or 9 7th Ave Local to South Ferry. Broadway M6 bus to South Ferry). New Jersey ticket office is in CRRNJ Railroad Terminal, Liberty State Park, New Jersey. Ferries depart for the islands 8:30am-4:30pm every 30-45 minutes. Fares $10 (adult), $8 (senior), $4 (child).