Financial District

See Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty, and the World Trade Center

While the Financial district and the rest of lower Manhattan may not be the most exciting part of the city, there is a lot to see and do here. This district is truly the financial hub of the United States, and things that happen here affect pretty much the entire world. There are also several famous icons that are known worldwide as symbols of New York City, and at least a couple of them are typically on a first-time visitor's list of things to see (and most of them are free!)

You can do this one of two ways... you can start a little farther north and see Wall Street, or you can start further down and skip that part; it's up to you. (I'll start with directions further up, including Wall Street.)

• Take the 4 or 5 train downtown and hop off at the "Wall Street" stop. You'll be standing on Broadway, with traffic headed south; walk North a few feet and you will come to Wall Street on your right, which at this point is more of pedestrian plaza than a drivable road. (Also, behind you stands the historic Trinity Church; make sure you take a few moments to look around there!) Venturing through this area you will see the New York Stock Exchange and several other banks and financial institutions. Keep on walking East towards the East River.

• When you arrive at South Street you have two options; head north for great views of the Brooklyn Bridge or head on South and skip this little leg of the walking tour. Turning left (north,) head towards Pier 17, which is home to many shops and restaurants. Surrounding the pier are several attractions, such as the South Street Seaport, several boutiques and shops, multiple restaurants, and the South Street Seaport Museum. You can also rent bikes here, or go on bike or boat tours that leave from the pier.

• When you're finished here, head back south, passing Wall Street and heading towards the South Ferry docks. You will pass some helicopter landing pads on your way; you can take a helicopter tour over the city from anywhere between $130 - $250 per person. When you get to the South Ferry docks, head for the Staten Island Ferry; this ferry is free, leaves Manhattan every half hour, and it totally worth the wait. Make sure to be on the right side of the ferry when you board, because this is your best view of Lady Liberty as you pass by. When you arrive at the dock in Staten Island, everyone must exit the ferry; just get off and run around to the other side to get back on! Your best view on the return trip is to be at the front of the boat; the view of the downtown Manhattan skyline is unbeatable!

(If you want to skip Wall Street and just start with this ferry trip, you can take the 1 train down to the very end of its line, the South Ferry stop. The entrance/exit stairs for this station come up right in front of the South Ferry entrance.)

• On arrival in Manhattan, exit the ferry terminal and walk left (west) through Battery Park. There are great views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and well as the docks for boat tours to both of those locations. (The tickets for these boat tours are almost always sold out in advance, so if this is something you just have to do, check into it before your trip begins.) There are also some great monuments and historical buildings in and around Battery Park, such as the Castle Clinton. Check out this website to learn more about Battery Park.

• When you're finished hanging out in Battery Park, make your way north and find Broadway again. Head north on Broadway, passing the infamous "Charging Bull." You'll eventually end up back where you started at Wall Street, but this time turn left on Rector Street. Go a couple of blocks and turn right (north) onto Greenwich Street; a few blocks north of here you will find yourself standing at "Ground Zero," as well as the new memorial and tower.

• You can backtrack to head back to the subway line you came in on, or have a look around on the map to find other lines near your final destination.

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