Financial District
LOWER MANHATTAN: Wall Street, Stock Exchange, Trinity Church, Bowling Green
This page is about the area on Lower Manhattan´s southernmost part, the Financial District. It includes the famous Wall Street, Trinity Church and Bowling Green. But navigate back to the main NY page if you look for Battery Park City, WTC and City Hall Park that also are parts of the Financial District.
Wall Street:
Wall Street is the center of the economical power of USA, situated in the Financial District on Lower Manhattan. It is a very short street, mostly famous for its Stock Exchange and the movie Wall Street. The street is surrounded by skyscrapers, some of them beautiful classic buildings. Just a few weeks before our visit in August 2011, USA:s economy got worse. And some month after our visit, protests have occured on Wall Street, called "Occupy Wall Street", a movement that has spread over the world. Wall Street felt very empty, since we visited it on a rainy Sunday.
Wall Street.
Bank of New York Building. 199m tall Art Deco skyscraper from 1932. 50 floors.
New York Stock Exchange. This white marble building is somewhat of a symbol for American capitalism, featured in the "Wall Street" movies. It is the world's largest stock exchange, without competition. It was founded in 1817. Note that this is a rainy Sunday, otherwise it is crowded with people outside.
Looking up at the old school skyscrapers above the stock exchange.
The Trump Building, or 40 Wall Street (left).
From the left: Chase Manhattan Bank, Federal Hall and 40 Wall Street.
Federal Hall National Monument. The old Federal Hall was built in 1700 as New York's City Hall on this site on Wall Street. It later served as USA:s first capitol building and is the place where George Washington was inaugurated as president (the bible where he took his oath is inside the current building). The current Federal Hall replaced it in 1842 as the US Customs House, but is now a museum about all the events that took place there.
Trinity Church seen from Wall Street.
Even from Wall Street you can see smoke coming from the ground.
The Trump Building, 40 Wall Street, was with a spire height of 283m the tallest building in the world for a very short time in 1930, until the spire was added to Chrysler Building. It has 71 floors. In 1946, a small plane hit the building, killing 4, but leaving only minor damage to the building.
Tiffany & Co jeweller store. There are not many stores in the Financial Districts, but there are some exclusive ones.
60 Wall Street, a postmodern 56-storey skyscraper from 1989 (right), is one of the few newer building in the Financial District. Bank of New York (left).
The entrance to the postmodern 60 Wall Street, now owned by Deutsche Bank.
The entrance to The Crest, a 35-storey skyscraper from 1929.
Hanover Square with its curved benches. A nice meating place near Wall Street, when it doesn't rain...
I don't know the name of the skyscraper with yellow elements.
A mix of Wall Street and other buildings in the Financial District. The picture is domintated by 20 Exchange Place.
Vietman Veterans Plaza. Here is also the Veterans Memorial at South Street, facing the harbour (near Wall St).
Broadway (the Financial District part):
Broadway, Financial District part. The older building to the left is Equitable Building. This neo-classical building was the world's largest office building when it opened in 1915. To the right is the beautiful Trinity Building (read more about it below).
Equitable Building and W Hotel.
American International Building, a 66-storey office building from 1932. It has a gothic spire that made it the world's tallest building upon completion, at a spire height of 290m. It was also the tallest building in Lower Manhattan until WTC was completed in 1970. A miniature version of the building is incorporated in the Art Deco entrance.
Trinity Building. A beautiful old school 21-storey highrise from 1905.
Trinity Church. New York's 2nd most famous church (after St Patrick's Cathedral). This Gothic church was built already in 1846 and was Lower Manhattan's tallest structure, with a height of 85m to the spire, long before it was surrounded by office towers.
Trinity Church and Trinity Building.
There is a tree sculpture in front of Trinity Church, made of a sycamore.
Trinity Church, a historic active parish church is situated in the crossing of Wall Street and Broadway, probably New York's most famous streets.
The Gothic interior of Trinity Church. The church survived the collapse of WTC on 9/11, just 3 blocks away.
Bowling Green:
Bowling Green is the small tear-drop shaped park and plaza where the Dutchmen bought Manhattan from the Indians (or actually fooled them). It lies at the foot of Broadway, next to the place where the original New Amsterdam fort was. It was built in 1733, originally as a bowling green, hence the name. It is the oldest park i New York.
The Charging Bull has became one of New York's most popular symbols the latest years. It stands in Bowling Green, at the intersection Broadway and Wall Street.
The space immediatley around Charging Bull is very touristy, and can be a bit annoying. It was installed in December 1989.
Charging Bull is a symbol for aggressive financial optimism. It was designed by Arturo Di Modica as a contrast to the stock market crash in 1987.
Yes, the snake is real!
Tourists in Bowling Green.
Broadway towards the North, seen from Bowling Green, where it changes name to State Street.
The Bowling Green Building from 1896.
Smithsonian National Musuem if the American Indian, located inside US Customs House. I don't think it is a coincidence that this museum lies opposite Bowling Green, where the Dutches bought Manhattan from the Indians for a very small amount.
Bowling Green with 26 Broadway, also called Standard Oil Building to the right. Built in 1928 and designed by Francis Kimball. 128m to the top of the spire. Across the park is Bowling Green Building (left).
State Street:
State Street is the short southern tip of Broadway, situated between Wall St and the harbour.
One State Street Plaza.