On a recent trip to New York city, I was lucky enough to have 4 nights staying in the Financial District, right on the southern tip of Manhattan. Most visitors to NYC tend to spend 0.5-1 day in the area, but there is easily enough to see and do to fill 2-3 days! I really enjoyed my time exploring, and thought it would be well worth showing you around. Let’s go!
If you’re looking for more information on New York, check out my Itinerary HERE.
Contents
A bit about FiDi
The Financial District is where modern day New York City was founded in 1624, being roughly where “New Amsterdam” was established when the Dutch first settled in America (until the British took over and called it New York, of course). Given its history, it’s packed with interesting sites covering the American revolution and independence. The architecture is also some of the most beautiful in the city, largely reflecting that of the “Gilded Age” of the late 1800s.
It’s also where, much more recently, the World Trade Center was attacked in 2001, changing the face of the neighbourhood forever. Today, FiDi is a busy district, and perfect for spending at least a day in on your visit to NYC.
Things to see & do
9/11 Memorial & Museum
No visit to the neighbourhood would be complete without learning about, and paying respect to the victims of, the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. There are two large reflection pools bearing the names of victims, on the site of where the two towers previously stood. There is then also a large museum explaining the build up to, events of, and lasting impact of, the attacks themselves. I think it’s impossible not to cry, and it’s a deeply moving experience.
The Oculus & One WTC
Right next to the Museum is the incredible Oculus building, and the large tower known as One World Trade Center. The Oculus is well worth going inside to see the unique design and explore some of the shops. You can also head up to the observation deck at the top of One WTC for an incredible view out over the city.
Trinity Church
One of my favourite spots in the area is Trinity Church, founded in 1697. The current church was built in 1846 and was the tallest building in the whole of New York until almost 1900 (hard to believe now)!! It’s provides a nice respite from the tourist crowds.
Wall Street & New York Stock Exchange
Wall Street is a New York icon, and the heart of the world’s financial markets. Whilst you obviously can’t go in to many of these buildings, the highlight is the exterior of the NYSE building which is an 1800s masterpiece. Even better, they have the statue of the “Fearless Girl” staring it down – perfect!
Federal Hall
Another stunning building just around the corner is Federal Hall. It is at this site that City Hall was completed in 1703. The 1703 building had served as New York’s City Hall and hosted the many meetings of Congress prior to the Revolution. After the United States became an independent nation, it served as the meeting place for the Congress of the Confederation, the USA’s first central government. With the establishment of the US Federal Government in 1789, it historically hosted the very first congress where George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States.
That original building has since been demolished, to be replaced in 1842 with the popular Greek traditional style columns. Sadly, the building’s exterior was covered in scaffolding on my visit, but the inside was stunning and there’s an interesting museum on the building’s history.
Fraunces Tavern
Fraunces Tavern is another Revolution history highlight. It’s here that hosted many a night for the founding fathers, including Anthony Hamilton and George Washington – who had his “farewell dinner” with his officers before becoming President. After independence, America made New York its capital and it was in Fraunces Tavern that the departments of Foreign Affairs and Finance were set up!
Today, the pub itself is absolutely incredible, and still operating as a bar and restaurant on the lower levels. on the top floors is now a museum telling the story of the building and its famous visitors.
Museums
The Financial District is a hotspot of the city for Museums. Everywhere you turn there is something of interest, be it ones already mentioned, or additional ones to add to the list. These include:
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Museum of Jewish History
- Skyscraper Museum
- Mercer Labs Art Museum
I haven’t managed to visit them all, but spent a couple of hours in the National Museum of the American Indian, which was incredibly informative and interesting.
Charging Bull
A true symbol of the financial district is the Charging Bull, a representation of prosperity and strength. The sculpture was created in the wake of the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash, and illegally dropped outside of the NYSE building. It was going to be removed, but it proved so popular with tourists, he was allowed to stay! Today, he gets VERY busy with people rubbing him for good luck and taking photos.
The bonus of staying in the area – you can go and see him early before the tour groups get there!
Rockefeller Park & The Esplanade
The Esplanade is a beautiful walkway along the Hudson River, up the west side of Manhattan, running from Battery Park to Rockefeller Park. We strolled it on our first morning on our latest before breakfast (we were up early with jetlag) and it was beautiful to explore a quieter part of the city that felt like “real life”.
Battery Park & Ferries to Liberty/ Ellis Island
Battery Park, right at the tip of Manhattan, is the spot from which ferries across to Liberty Island and Ellis Island run. That means a visit to FiDi is perfect to combine with a boat trip, if you can spare the time. That said, to visit Liberty and Ellis island properly and experience the museums will take roughly 4-6 hours depending on your interest, but if you just want to sail past you could get the Staten Island Ferry for the view of Lady Liberty.
Even if you don’t have time for the boat, you can still get a decent (ish) view to the Statue of Liberty directly from Battery Park – on a clear day only!
You can read my full post on visiting Liberty Island & Ellis Island HERE.
Seaport Neighbourhood
One of my absolute favourite parts of the Financial District was the Seaport area. It’s packed full of nice restaurants right on the water front, surrounded by old boats which are part of the Seaport Museum AND it has the most lovely views out to Brooklyn Bridge. It’s perfect for a spot of lunch or dinner with a view.
Places to eat & drink
There are so many great places to eat and drink in FiDi, and here are some of my tried and tested recommendations:
- Liberty Bagels – home to the famous “Rainbow Bagel”, this incredible bagel stop is one of the most famous in NYC
- Joe’s Pizza – often voted the best pizza in New York City, it’s hard to argue. It really is that good!
- Pisillo Italian Panini – a perfect choice for a quick lunch time sandwich. I can highly recommend the pastrami and mozarella; delicious!
- Delmonico’s – if you’re looking for the fanciest restaurant in the neighbourhood, then look no further than Delmonico’s famous steaks. They’re pricy, but totally delicious.
- Fraunces Tavern – as well as its museum and bar, Fraunces Tavern serves traditional pub style comfort food. The mac n cheese was tasty.
- Conwell Coffee Hall – a great choice to pick up a coffee in a stunning old building.
- Gansevoort Liberty Market – an easy stop off for lunch, this foodhall offers great value smoothies, Poke bowls, sushi, curries, coffee, pizzas, bao buns, and lots of other tasty treats. It also has a little convenience store for picking up drinks and snacks.
Where to stay
Budget
Hotels here (and NYC more generally) are costly. It’s hard to find “budget” options, but there are lots of options for below $200 in the Financial District. Some great options include FiDi Hotel, plus there are multiple chain hotels available such as the Holiday Inn.
Mid Range
Between $200 – $500 a night, there are many options, including Hilton Garden Inn, multiple Marriott hotels, or the more unique Cloud One or Moxy Downtown. Most hotels in the area fall in to this bracket, at somewhere between $250 – $400 a night. In peak season even the “budget” options will be upped in to this price bracket. That said, you can find good off peak deals for the mid-range hotels below $200.
Luxury
The Beekman and the newly opened Wall Street Hotel are the two hottest tickets for lux hotels in the area. My home for 4 nights, The Wall Street Hotel was incredible; I cannot sing its praises highly enough. The rooms are modern and absolutely stunning, the bathroom is luxurious and the bar is wonderful with live jazz 2 nights a week.
You can read my full review: HERE (coming soon).
So there you have it – the Financial District in all its glory. What did you think of the tour? I hope you enjoyed seeing a bit more of this famous area. I was blown away with how much there is to see and do, and we had the best stay on our recent visit. Let me know what you think in the comments – stay safe and happy travelling!
Saasdia Travel Gid
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