Financial District

The Flatiron district, a really nifty area of Manhattan that gets better every year, gets its name from the Flatiron Building, an iconic piece of real estate where 23rd Street meets the crisscrossing paths of Fifth Avenue and Broadway.

‘Officially,’ in terms of real estate anyway, the relatively small neighborhood area known as the Flatiron District runs from the tip of Union Square (at 20th Street) north to just 25th Street, with Sixth Avenue (aka Avenue of the Americas) and Lexington Avenue providing the west and east boundaries, respectively. Despite its size, the Flatiron District packs more to enjoy in a few short blocks than most small cities!

The price of homes in the Flatiron has fluctuated dramatically since 2,000. From a low of just under $1 million in 2008, the average sale price rebounded to $2.64 million in the first quarter of 2010 before plummeting again to $1.5 million just a few months later. Fee and no-fee rental apartments are available through condo and coop owners as well as residential building owners. The prices are average for ‘good’ areas in New York...about $3,500 for a one-bedroom.

23rd Street is the heart of the Flatiron and you can spend warm weather enjoying Madison Square Park at 23rd Street and Madison Avenue. During the day office workers and nannies with the charges fill the park and enjoy burgers, fries, and ‘concretes’ (milkshakes) at Shake Shack in the center of the park.

Residents can find everything they need to make their apartments homey nearby. There’s a Home Depot on 23rd Street for do-it-yourself-ers. Eataly – the enormous shrine to all things from the Italian kitchen – sits across from Madison Square Park and can provide you with pantry items as well as prepared foods.

Sixth Avenue is a major shopping hub, and that means it’s crowded with tourists pretty much 24/7. The stores are mostly off-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory. For upscale fashion, head over to Fifth Avenue.

The Flatiron District is a favorite with models, art directors, ‘Mad Men’ of advertising, and media moguls. The atmosphere is unself-consciously hip and self-involved. If you’re a young professional on the move, this is the place to move to.

The majority of the Financial District’s traffic is made up of people who work there – and people who leave the area come 5PM, 6PM – or whatever time their workday is done. For that reason, the neighborhood has never been one known for great nightlife, or even for great shopping or restaurants. But this reputation has allowed the region to foster an incredibly cool, yet laid-back, small-town atmosphere.

While industry-laden streets like Wall Street and Water Street go from bustling with suits to deserted come nighttime, charming streets like Stone Street, John Street and Broad Street feature old New York atmosphere with stone-paved streets, outdoor taverns and cafés, and the occasional cozy park. Of the more desolate streets, you can find shopping megastore Century 21 – loaded with tourists, but also loaded with discount designer wares. And when in need of something to do for the weekend, you can head down to the Financial District for a ride on the Staten Island Ferry or to wander through Trinity Church – established in 1697, it’s New York’s oldest parish. And when you want to hole up in a neighborhood joint with good food and good drinks, try Stone Street Tavern – or indulge your foodie side at Brasserie Les Halles Downtown. For now, the neighborhood’s genius lies in the fact that no one seems to know how charming the area can be, and that there’s more to do there than work. So take advantage of the quiet now while you still can.

From a resident's standpoint, the thing that sets the Financial District apart from almost every other neighborhood in the city is the huge difference in the streets between different times of the day. If I were a cheekier, punnier person, I would probably say something along the lines of “it is, quite literally, like night and day.” But I will spare you my wit and just tell you the facts.

During the day the Financial District is crawling with tourists like pigeons on bread crumbs. They are absolutely everywhere, squinting into the sunlight to see the shiny buildings, creeping in hushed tones through the amazingly anachronistic tilted tombstones of Trinity Church’s cemetery. For a tourist, this neighborhood is great to explore. It’s unexpected, it’s twisty, and it’s full of both history and modernity.

For a resident it’s a pain to get around during the day and offers no sort of life at night. Even if you exclude the tourists entirely, there is a tremendous population swell of office workers during the day and a mass exodus at night. I once went to the grocery store at 11:30pm and got smacked in the leg with a tumbleweed. But if you like a quiet neighborhood for sleeping, the Financial District is amazing. It also has a decent selection of restaurants , every amenity you might want, and fantastic public transportation. I, personally, loved living there and cherished the very un-New York quiet.

After September 11, the rents in the Financial District plummeted for several years, which encouraged a new set of residents to move into the area. Traditionally known as a place where office workers and finance businessmen converge for work, the area has seen several commercial buildings converted to residential buildings in recent years. The area surrounding the World Trade Center is strange and will continue to be strange for years to come, as a result of the constant stream of tourists and memorials related to the site. A serious effort to rebuild after the attacks means that there are new developments and a feeling of revitalization in the area, with South Street Seaport as the newest target of investment capital and planned redevelopment and expansion. Among the tourist attractions are the Museum of the American Indian, the Wall Street Wall and Wall Street Bull, Trinity Church, the Statue of George Washington, and a tiny museum called New York Unearthed which has artifacts from New York City on display. I don't know if this still happens, but there used to be a time around late July in the summers when there was a drumming jam session in Wagner Park. On Fridays, park employees would bring drums to the lawn, and invite people to join the drumming circle as the sun set over the Hudson.

Fidi has a few must - see spots in it; but, apparently, everyone in the world would tend to agree. The streets are packed any given day of the week. And, it's not just NY packed, it's slow - walker / gawker packed. It's almost impossible for the poor Wall Street hotshots to get passed all of the tourists. And, aside from a few stragglers, that's really all Fidi is: tourists and finance guys.
There is some great history to the neighborhood: Wall Street used to really be a wall to protect colonials from the Indians. The Trinity Church is one of the oldest churches in America. It was built in 1697. And, it's connecting cemetery has beautiful and ornate mausoleums and holds graves for famous New Yorkers such as John Jacob Astor.
Ground Zero is clearly the biggest tourist attraction these days, sadly. It's hard to get a look in because of the construction fences, but for anyone who hadn't been to New York prior to September 11th, it's a pretty crazy thing to see. Just how much space these buildings took up; the destruction is haunting.
There isn't really anywhere to eat in the neighborhood and there's definitely nothing in the way of nightlife. It's good for a sight - seeing trip during the day when you have plenty of patience. But, that's about it.

Who would want to live in the financial district? It's known for Wall Street and other hallmarks of business, not pleasure - and the crowd is decidedly white-collar office, with a nightlife and restaurant scene catering to business lunches and after-work drinks. And yet there's much to be said about wandering through, or even living in or near, the Financial District. Below Houston Street, the Financial District ignores NYC's traditional grid pattern and meanders through charmingly haphazard streets with names, not numbers. Furthermore, the district's location at the southernmost tip of Manhattan Island renders its water views superb, and the historic buildings, many nineteenth century, are charming.

That said, there's not much to do here for the average resident. While the South Street Seaport - with the historic Fulton Fish Market - is a charming nightlife getaway, and some sights like Trinity Church are well worth seeing, the neighborhood lacks a real neighborhood, family-friendly vibe. That said, the Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington bid his famous farewell to the Revolutionary Army, is a notable tourist site that also is a wonderful place to sit and eat or drink.

Located at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, is the Financial District which is almost synonymous with New York City for it has within its folds its very own ‘boulevard of dreams’ - Wall Street which is home to the New York and American Stock Exchanges.

Actually the Financial District is much more than the abode of wheeler dealers and power brokers, the area which extends from the West Side Highway to the East River and from the tip of Manhattan to Brooklyn Bridge and Park Place is also known as the birth place of New York City as it was the first area that was settled by the Dutch settlers who established a New Amsterdam in lower Manhattan in 1624. History continues to live on in the Financial District’s many quaint cobble stone streets and museums (Museum of American Finance, Museum of Jewish Heritage) and the area is also home to the magnificent Federal Hall National Monument, where George Washington took the oath of Presidency in 1789. The Financial District was especially devastated by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 which flattened its iconic World Trade Center buildings so much so that the site on which the towers stood is today one of most visited tourist attractions in New York City. In fact the area hosts several other attractions like the South Street Seaport which boasts of a network of shops, restaurants, bars and antique ships and the Century 21 discount designer department store located on Fulton Street which is especially popular with European tourists.

The Financial District which is currently being revitalized and rebuilt and is today home to several luxurious condominium buildings like The Setai, 99 John, 3, Hanover Square, and 20,Pine the collection as well as several upscale restaurants like Sho Shaun Hergatt, Delmonico’s Steak house, Harry’s Steak , Trinity Place and Les Halles which ensure that the area continues to be busy and buzzing long after the traders and office folk have gone home.

We’ve been living in the financial district for roughly about four years. It’s very peaceful and quiet, especially on the weekends if you don’t mind the tourists walking around. The neighborhood is very safe as I live on Wall Street, however at nights, there are sometimes rowdy college students or skateboarders walking the streets – drunk. But the 24 hour doormen, constant patrolmen, and armed guards on Wall Street make you feel safer.

The area is within walking distance of several great locations – Native American museum, financial museum, Jewish museum, New York Stock Exchange, Battery Park City, Tribeca, Chinatown, and a 24 hour grocery store.

Thinking towards the future, the financial district has its ups and downs, even though most people I know think that the neighborhood is too quiet and boring for someone my age, I like it and don’t think I’d want to live anywhere else.

If you like peace, quiet, and the ability to walk around to several places without crowds in your path, then the financial district is the best place to be.

The New York City Financial District oozes in history and remains to be the financial hub of the United States. In the heart of the district is Federal Hall – the place that George Washington was inaugurated as the 1st president of the United States in 1789. Also, in this district are the New York Stock Exchange, World Financial Center, and the Federal Reserve Bank.

The biggest attraction in the area is the former World Trade Center site. Construction continues even today. I was here with friends and family two years ago and was amazed at the amount of construction and bulldozing left to do. The area is blocked off, but you can walk the perimeter. It is a very heartfelt experience and one that should not be taken lightly. Even as we approached the entrance, I felt my heart pounding with mixed emotion.

Just up the street on Broadway and Cedar marks a rare dining and bar experience at Trinity Place. Mahogany everywhere amidst 35 tonne bank vault doors dating back to 1904 make sipping a glass of wine an entirely new adventure.

As a tourist, this is a great area for pictures and memories. As a local, you may wish to avoid due to the mad rush of tourists after that perfect picture.

Located at the southern most tip of the isle of Manhattan, the Financial District is home to some of the oldest and most established financial institutions in America and in the world. Today, the neighborhood is reemerging as an up and coming home of culture.

The Financial District is best described by its many landmarks beginning with the world-famous Wall Street, home to some of the most prestigious financial institutions as well as the New York Stock Exchange, the premier institution of stock trading in the free world. The steps of the exchange are a perfect location to grab a hot dog on a fall day and watch the busy buyers and sellers scurry in and out for a quick break from their high octane job. This picturesque yet short street is the beginning of a wonderful neighborhood, filled with quiet delights and an almost serene atmosphere.

This neighborhood is filled with museums, perhaps most appropriately the Museum of American Finance. Also in this neighborhood is the Federal Hall National Memorial Museum, where America’s first president was inaugurated.

Across the street from this esteemed pillar of American History is one of great sorrow. Ground Zero, the memorial site formed following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, is a pivotal sight when visiting this neighborhood. Currently bound by fences denoting the tragedy, Ground Zero will eventually be home to the newly designed Freedom Towers, a symbol of American viability and resilience, not to mention unity.

History is a major aspect of the Financial District’s offerings. Battery Park and the South Street Seaport are as old as New York, and offer the best views of the Statue of Liberty from Manhattan. Both are wonderful places to visit and are major haunts for tourists from around the world.

Today, the neighborhood is being revitalized in terms of real estate, with many large office buildings being converted into residential dwellings. Dining, nightlife, shopping, and entertainment are improving throughout this neighborhood, and more and more people are viewing this old neighborhood as the new place to live.