If you think the Financial District closes when the Stock Exchange bell rings, you'd be wrong. A wave of office conversions at this southern tip of Manhattan east of Battery Park City has brought in a new population of residents eager to work, play and shop. (BMW, Hermes, and a new Tiffany's will be happy to help.)

New buildings are joining such beauties as 3 Hanover Square, 55 Liberty and 150 Nassau. But there’s plenty of history here too - two old (read 18th- and 19th-Century) eateries, Fraunces Tavern and Delmonico's, that were once frequented by the likes of George Washington and Mark Twain. At Federal Hall National Monument, you can see where George Washington accepted the Presidency. And don't miss St. Paul's Chapel, the only surviving pre-Revolutionary War building in Manhattan.

To see all this, you can walk quaint narrow cobblestone streets - or jump on the Downtown Connection, a free bus service that runs from South Street Seaport to Battery Park City. Speaking of the Seaport, it’s got more than 100 cafes, restaurants, and shops - along with a great maritime museum and breathtaking water views.

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