Get to know the Financial District

Long before its trendy acronym, the Financial District was known as New Amsterdam, the birthplace of what we now call New York City. While remnants of those earliest days can be hard to find, the most visible link to the past is the area’s near-labyrinthine street plan, designed and laid out well before planners created the (more or less) symmetrical grid dividing up Manhattan above Houston Street. Broadway, Wall, Bridge, and others follow the same routes they have for centuries. Constructed in 1766 on Broadway near Fulton Street, St. Paul’s Chapel — an exemplar of Late Georgian church architecture — is the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan. And though they were built in more recent centuries, don’t discount impressive skyscrapers such as the Woolworth Building or One World Trade Center. Of course, you can also find any dose of history among the neighborhood’s collection of museums and memorials.

Given that it is primarily known for its numerous financial institutions, you could be forgiven for thinking that FiDi becomes a veritable ghost town at the end of a business day. But, an eruption of amenities has allowed the neighborhood to balance its “work hard” attitude with a “play harder” lifestyle. The South Street Seaport’s rebirth as a shopping and nightlife destination in 1982 was ahead of its time. It continues to draw diners and shoppers from points farther north, especially on sunny summer evenings. Stone Street’s eastern section is stacked with restaurants and bars, offering quaint outdoor dining along a cobblestone path. Retail space has grown exponentially along with real estate. If you’re looking for luxury shopping, the Financial District should more than have you covered.