When you think of Lower Manhattan, you think of Wall Street, of power, countless banks, and impressive skyscrapers. This guide shows you what Lower Manhattan has to offer, why this part of the city is of particular historical importance, and why many residents have a very personal connection to this district.
In addition to the Charging Bull, there was another sculpture on Wall Street until December 2018: “The Fearless Girl” stood head to head with the bull and declared war on him as a courageous girl. Today The Fearless Girl is across from the New York Stock Exchange. It stands for the influence and power of women in leadership positions. Both sculptures represent a tourist hotspot in Lower Manhattan.
The best thing to do is to take the 1,2,3 subway to the “Christopher Street” stop or the A, C, E train to the “Chamber – then you’re right in the middle! If you want to start in the very south, take the red line 1 to the “South Ferry Station”.
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Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown, is the southern part of the island of Manhattan. Surrounded by China Town and Tribecca, the East River and the Hudson River converge at the southernmost point.
Adjacent to Battery Park is this district, which offers a wonderful view of the Statue of Liberty, one of the most important in New York.
The history of New York City, the former capital of the United States, began in Lower Manhattan. In 1621 the famous Dutch trade was made here, who bought Man-a-hatt-a island from the Algonquin Indians for jewelry worth only $ 24. The originally Dutch settlement of Nieuw Amsterdam developed into a mixture of old churches from the colonial era and imposing skyscrapers by the 21st century. Until the middle of the 20th
In the mid-19th century, immigrants arrived in New York in Lower Manhattan after they had passed Ellis Island. This is where the New Yorkers’ very personal relationship to this part of the city begins. For the immigrants, it was the gateway to a new, hopefully, expected, better life. The streams of immigrants from Europe (1892-1954) were received here and one in four Americans can trace the history of their ancestors back here.
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Where the twin towers were back then you can find two large water basins today. The moving 9/11 Memorial Museum and New York’s answer to the attacks: The tallest building in the United States at 541m, the One World Trade Center. It is often incorrectly called the Freedom Tower, but the name has been changed to 1WTC. So Lower Manhattan has its landmark back and this is a sight to be seen. The void left by the World Trade Center, which opened in 1973, is always visible, but the 1WTC represents the strength and willpower of New Yorkers never to give up.
Who knows whether this little street on the southern tip of Manhattan would ever have become so significant and well-known if a world hadn’t collapsed in this place in 1929. The stock market became a symbol of the misery and power of the punters with Black Friday.
At the latest after the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” with Leonardo Di Caprio, you will find an exaggerated answer to the question about the working life of stockbrokers. Whoever enters his office here in the morning is one of the city’s top earners. The 600 m long street forms the center of the financial district in Manhattan and also names the entire financial industry of the United States with the term “Wall Street”.
Battery Park is popular with walkers, joggers, and nannies. As the setting for many film scenes, it is one of Manhattan’s most popular green spaces.
The view is impressive: The Statue of Liberty looks just a stone’s throw away and the view over the Hudson River to the state of New Jersey is impressive. Over six million people, including local residents, workers, students, and tourists from around the world visit the park and its landmark annually: Castle Clinton National Monument.
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Lower Manhattan is a very good starting point for various visits to the adjacent islands. One of the most famous and popular tourist attractions in New York is the Staten Island Ferry, which shuttles between the southern tip of Manhattan and Staten Island. The crossing is free and passes the “Mrs. New York” – the Statue of Liberty.
With a boat tour to Miss Liberty and a subsequent visit to Ellis Island, you can even see New York’s landmarks up close.
In the summer, the former military island of Governors Island is worth a visit. The Governors Island Ferry takes you across the East River with the Governors Island Ferry for a humane $ 2. The Governors Island Ferry Terminal is right next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The trip takes about 3 minutes and you will see that this is mainly used for New Yorkers and their children, older residents of New York, and really only for a small part of tourists. So it’s never overcrowded and a great, quiet change from the loud, often stressful Manhattan.
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