Downtown Manhattan gets a bad rap. Uptown New Yorkers rarely venture past the village and if they do it’s only to conduct business. Tourists often hunker down among the bright lights of Midtown, and the bohemian types from the Village and Lower East Side are, well, too hip to leave the neighborhood (unless, of course, they’re headed to Brooklyn).
Lower Manhattan is, in fact, one of New York’s most interesting places to visit and for that matter find an apartment rental. The neighborhood, consisting of the Financial District, TriBeCa and Battery Park, is filled with history, diverse architecture and Manhattan apartments and accommodations.
Downtown Manhattan has played a huge role in the history of North America. It’s the site of the first Dutch Settlement of New York in the early 17th century, the inauguration of the first American president, George Washington and the birthplace of the American skyscraper. In the 19th century millions of immigrants first touched American soil in lower Manhattan.
Downtown was also home to the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. For better or worse, the site is now a major tourist attraction and the center of a massive redevelopment project. Following the attacks the neighborhood quickly rebounded and is now more thriving then before the attacks.Among the major attractions Downtown are Battery Park and the ferries connecting it to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, The New York Stock Exchange, City Hall Park and the South Street Seaport. Once a bastion of fishermen and organized crime, the cobblestoned Seaport is now home to over 100 shops and some of the oldest remaining low-rise architectural gems in New York.
The residential population is around 30,000 but during an average workday the population balloons to more then 300,000 suit-wearing or camera-wielding people. The streets are particularly crowded at lunchtime when even hotdog stands require reservations (not really, but expect long lines!). Come nightfall, though, the quarter is downright tranquil compared to the rest of Manhattan.
Though the neighborhood is not as busy as midtown you can find restaurants owned by top chef including: Nobu, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and Bouley. For many residents the neighborhood provides a respite from the active nightlife farther north. That said, this is Manhattan. Cars honk their horns, people speak loudly and a raucous party is never far away.
To stay close to all the excitement, consider apartment rentals
Much more than business suits and opening bells, Lower Manhattan, including the Financial District, Battery Park and TriBeCa, is home to a surprising nightlife, centuries of American history and an increasing number of residents.
Photograph provided by francois-roux-photography.com
Downtown Manhattan, gives access to a wide variety of wonderful places. In my last visit to New York City I had a great time stroling down the streets and riding the free ferry to Staten Island. The view of low Manhattan from the ferry is breath taking. If you ever visit New York Make sure to go Downtown.