Rob McFarland provides the lowdown on downtown Manhattan’s new appeal
Back in 1961, The New York Times described the atmosphere around Wall Street thus: “A deathlike stillness that settles on the district after 5:30 and all day Saturday and Sunday.” It’s true that ever since the area became a financial hub in the mid-1800s, it’s been a predominantly commercial, rather than residential, neighbourhood. Thousands of people stream into the area’s gleaming array of skyscrapers each morning and then, just as quickly, file back into the subways to depart each night.
At least that’s what used to happen. However, over the last few years there’s been a noticeable residential shift back into the district. Numerous high-end apartment buildings have sprung up offering spacious, modern alternatives to the traditional New York shoebox. Businesses have quickly followed with new hotels restaurants, shops, cafés and bars.
Visit on a weekend today and you’ll find people walking their dogs, runners pounding the pavements and friends gathered in bars. Sure, it still doesn’t have the cosy neighbourhood feel of the West Village or the Upper West Side, but it’s come a long way from “a deathlike stillness”.
For visitors, there are lots of reasons to base yourself in Lower Manhattan. It has the city’s newest hotels, it offers convenient access to many of New York’s biggest tourist attractions, and it has arguably the best subway connections in Manhattan. If you’re also doing business in the area, you’d be mad to stay anywhere else.
Chow down – delectable dining
If you’re looking for a good selection of eateries, Stone Street, a quaint, cobblestoned thoroughfare in the heart of the financial district is the place to come. It’s lined with bars and restaurants that spill out onto the street and attract a lively, happy hour-fuelled crowd. You’ll find a wide range of cuisines from succulent steaks at Harry’s Cafe and Steak (www.harrysnyc.com) to traditional Mexican fare at Mad Dog & Beans (www.maddogandbeans.com).
The former is housed in the historic India Club; this low-ceilinged subterranean steakhouse is a seductive setting for a carnivorous feast of 28-day-aged filet mignon or bone-in ribeye. You’ll find no Philippe Starck starkness here – the stone-walled bar leads to an intimate, ebony-panelled dining room with an amusing mural of monks making wine. The best spot? A table in the nook carved from the wine cellar. (1 Hanover Square. Entrées range from US$20-50. Tel +1 212 785 9200.)
Adrienne’s Pizza Bar (open 11am-midnight every day, www.adriennespizzabar.com) serves a mean pepperoni slice and seafood fans will want to check out the lobster rolls at Urban Lobster Shack (open Mon-Fri 10am-2:30pm and 5pm-9pm, closed Saturday, Sunday 12pm-9pm, www.urbanlobstershack.com). A welcome recent addition is Demi Monde (open Mon-Fri 5pm-4am, Saturday 7pm-4am, closed Sunday, www.demimondeny.com), brought to you by the team behind former World’s Best Cocktail Bar, Death & Co, in the East Village. Savour one of their bubbles-based cocktails while feasting on tapas-style snacks.
Easily the most anticipated new eatery in the district, North End Grill is the latest venture from celebrated restaurateur Danny Meyer (of burger franchise Shake Shack fame). Located next to the Conrad Hotel, the restaurant’s black-and-white interior is strikingly simple with an open-plan kitchen and a cluster of closely packed tables. Behind the scenes is Mumbai-born chef Floyd Cardoz, who is injecting some welcome spice into a range of American bistro classics. The average entrée costs around US$35. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm and 5:30pm-10pm (till 11pm on Friday), Saturday 11am-2pm and 5:30pm-11pm, Sunday 11am-2pm and 5:30pm-9pm, www.northendgrillnyc.com
For a dose of old-school opulence, check out Cipriani Club 55, a glamorous offering that spills over three floors of the gorgeous former
home of the New York Exchange. The sensible menu features perennial Italian favourites such as scampi thermidor, beef carpaccio and veal cannelloni. The best seat in the house? A table on the impressive column-lined outdoor terrace overlooking Wall Street. Entrées cost around US$40 on average. Open Mon-Fri 7am-11pm, closed Saturday and Sunday, www.cipriani.com
For a quick bite on the run, join the throngs of downtown office workers who flock to the street carts that roam around the district. Wander down Fulton, Water and Front streets and you can sample everything from fried chicken to grilled shrimp po’boys. Highlights include comfort food favourites from Veronica’s Kitchen on the corner of Front and Pine streets, chocolate-smothered Belgian waffles from Wafels & Dinges at 60 Wall Street, and lobster rolls at Ed’s Lobster Bar Kiosk behind the World Financial Center. Note, though, that most of these carts only open on weekdays. Check out http://newyorkstreetfood.com and www.foodtruckmaps.com/nyc
Retail therapy – upmarket shopping downtown
For more than 50 years Century 21 Department Store on Cortlandt Street has been offering designer clothes for “up to 65 per cent off, 100 per cent of the time”. The downtown store is a bargain hunter’s paradise with five levels of clothes, footwear, handbags and homeware. The best time to go is early on weekdays to avoid the crowds. Open Mon-Fri 7:45am-9pm, Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 11am-8pm, www.c21stores.com
Head for Hermès on Broad Street if you’re a fan of their exclusive handmade Birkin handbags (which can cost an eye-watering US$150,000) or the range of more affordable but still high-end clothes, jewellery, fragrances and accessories at this store in the heart of the financial district. Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, http://usa.hermes.com
Just up the street is Canali, a high-end Italian menswear chain that chose the financial district to make its New York debut in 2007. Browse through racks of timelessly elegant black and grey suits or take advantage of its bespoke tailoring service. In addition to sartorial style for the office, the store also carries a good range of casual clothes. Open Mon-Fri 8:30am-6pm, Sat 11am-5pm, www.canali.it
An oasis of calm compared to their Fifth Avenue store, the Wall Street branch of Tiffany & Co ticks all the right boxes. The jewellery is stunning, the displays enticing and the service exemplary. It doesn’t really matter what you buy, providing it comes cocooned in that little blue box. Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 11am-5pm, www.tiffany.com
lso on Wall Street is True Religion Jeans, where you’ll find a tempting selection of high-end jeans with prices starting at around US$170. Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm; weekends 10am-6pm, www.truereligionbrandjeans.com
Over on Water Street, Bowne & Co Stationers is the place to pick up a unique gift; this 19th century-style print shop, located in the South Street Seaport Museum, uses antique letterpresses to make its quaint stationery, business cards and invitations. Open Wed-Sun 11am-7pm, tel +1 212 748 8651.
City sights – on the tourist trail
First stop should be a visit to the 9/11 Memorial, where you can pay your respects at this fitting epitaph for the nearly 3,000 people who died in the September 11 attacks as well as the victims of the February 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The footprints of the towers have been transformed into two pools with waterfalls cascading down their sides and the victims’ names inscribed in parapets. Set within an eight-acre (3.2-hectare) landscaped plaza filled with 400 trees, it’s an appropriately peaceful and contemplative space. Open 10am-8pm every day; entrance is free but timed passes must be reserved online at www.911memorial.org
It’s easy to forget that Lower Manhattan is the birthplace of New York. It was here that the Dutch first landed in 1625 before the British moved in and named it after the Duke of York. Uncle Sam’s Tours cleverly uses the life of Alexander Hamilton – the first Secretary of the Treasury and founder of the US Mint – to bring the area’s history to life on an entertaining two-hour walking tour. Tours run every Sat at 1pm and cost US$25; www.unclesamsnewyork.com
You can cover more ground by hiring a bike – not many know that a bike path skirts the entire bottom half of Manhattan. Pick up a bike from Bike and Roll at Pier A in Battery Park and enjoy sweeping views of the harbour while you ride on a dedicated cycle path. A great combination is to cycle up the east side, over the Brooklyn Bridge and then hop on a water taxi back to Manhattan. Open every day 8am-8pm, bike hire costs US$14 for an hour or US$44 per day, www.bikenewyorkcity.com. A Bike and Boat combo with New York Water Taxi costs US$59 and includes eight-hour bike hire plus hop-on/hop-off New York Water Taxi pass, www.nywatertaxi.com
Don’t forget to see Lady Liberty – but if you’re not fussed about experiencing the Statue of Liberty close up, the free 30-minute Staten Island Ferry journey (www.siferry.com) from Battery Park provides an unencumbered view without the crowds. For a bird’s-eye view of altogether more expansive proportions, splash out on a tour with Helicopter Flight Services (Downtown Manhattan Heliport, Pier 6, East River) for an unforgettable aerial perspective of the city. Its choppers feature luxurious leather seats and special convex glass windows to guarantee the best views. Flights cost from US$149, available Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun 9am-4:30pm, www.heliny.com
Another must-visit is Governors Island, an old coastguard installation that has been converted into a national park. From May 26 until September 30, hop on the free ferry from Battery Park to Governors Island, a car-free area ideal for exploring by bike with lots of winding, tree-lined avenues that offer spectacular glimpses of the New York skyline. Ferries depart from the Battery Maritime Building and the island is open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays 10am-7pm, www.nps.gov/gois
As the day winds to a close, enjoy a twilight sail on a hand-built 1929 Shearwater schooner and watch the sun dipping behind the Statue of Liberty. Manhattan by Sail offers sunset tours departing most days of the week from North Cove Marina on the Hudson River at 7pm. The two-hour tour costs US$50, www.manhattanbysail.com
For further information visit www.nycgo.com, and you can download a handy free Lower Manhattan iPhone app from www.downtownny.com
PLACES TO STAY
W New York Downtown – the fact that Starwood Hotels’ young and cheeky offshoot, W, chose Lower Manhattan as the location for its fourth and newest New York property says a lot about the area’s fortunes. Spread over 58 floors, the 217-room hotel overlooks the 9/11 Memorial Site and has all the signature W touches including the W bed, an impressive array of in-room entertainment and the one-touch Whatever/Whenever service. Order a cocktail on the fifth-floor Living Room Bar & Terrace and it’ll come with a side dish of spectacular Manhattan skyline views. Rates start from US$399, 123 Washington Street, tel +1 866 961 2860,?www.wnewyorkdowntown.com
Andaz Wall Street – Andaz opened the first hotel on Wall Street in January 2010 and it’s a shining example of luxury without formality. A host joins guests on a sofa to check them in using a wireless PC. There’s a lounge that serves free espresso coffees in the morning and complimentary wine and snacks in the evening. There’s also free wifi, free local calls and even – wait for it – a free (non-alcoholic) minibar in the room. The rooms are spacious with sexy, black-tiled bathrooms, flatscreen TVs, two-metre-high windows and cute window seats. Rates start from US$300, 75 Wall Street, tel +1 212 590 1234, www.wallstreet.andaz.com
Conrad New York – Hilton’s luxury arm opened its first New York property in March. The 463-room all-suite hotel in the heart of Battery Park City offers sweeping views over the Hudson River and is but a hot dog’s-throw from the World Financial Center and the new One World Trade Center. The hotel features more than 2,000 pieces of contemporary art including a striking 14-storey-high installation by Sol LeWitt in the atrium. Suites start at a spacious 44 sqm with a separate lounge and bedroom, two flatscreen TVs, wifi and iPod docks. Rates start from US$349, 102 North End Avenue, tel +1 212 945 0100, www.conradnewyork.com
Holiday Inn Wall Street – for a more affordable base in the district, try the Holiday Inn on Nassau Street. Location-wise it’s hard to beat, being three blocks from Wall Street and three blocks from the One World Trade Center. It’s predictably business-oriented with a 24-hour business centre, free wifi and a 24-hour fitness centre. Rooms are on the small side but are clean and comfortable and there’s an on-site restaurant. Sure, it won’t win any awards for its design and décor, but there’s the convenience of five different subway lines within 200 metres of the front door. Rates begin at US$189, 51 Nassau Street, tel +1 212 227 3007, www.holidayinn.com
City sights – on the tourist trail
First stop should be a visit to the 9/11 Memorial, where you can pay your respects at this fitting epitaph for the nearly 3,000 people who died in the September 11 attacks as well as the victims of the February 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The footprints of the towers have been transformed into two pools with waterfalls cascading down their sides and the victims’ names inscribed in parapets. Set within an eight-acre (3.2-hectare) landscaped plaza filled with 400 trees, it’s an appropriately peaceful and contemplative space. Open 10am-8pm every day; entrance is free but timed passes must be reserved online at www.911memorial.org
It’s easy to forget that Lower Manhattan is the birthplace of New York. It was here that the Dutch first landed in 1625 before the British moved in and named it after the Duke of York. Uncle Sam’s Tours cleverly uses the life of Alexander Hamilton – the first Secretary of the Treasury and founder of the US Mint – to bring the area’s history to life on an entertaining two-hour walking tour. Tours run every Sat at 1pm and cost US$25; www.unclesamsnewyork.com
You can cover more ground by hiring a bike – not many know that a bike path skirts the entire bottom half of Manhattan. Pick up a bike from Bike and Roll at Pier A in Battery Park and enjoy sweeping views of the harbour while you ride on a dedicated cycle path. A great combination is to cycle up the east side, over the Brooklyn Bridge and then hop on a water taxi back to Manhattan. Open every day 8am-8pm, bike hire costs US$14 for an hour or US$44 per day, www.bikenewyorkcity.com. A Bike and Boat combo with New York Water Taxi costs US$59 and includes eight-hour bike hire plus hop-on/hop-off New York Water Taxi pass, www.nywatertaxi.com
Don’t forget to see Lady Liberty – but if you’re not fussed about experiencing the Statue of Liberty close up, the free 30-minute Staten Island Ferry journey (www.siferry.com) from Battery Park provides an unencumbered view without the crowds. For a bird’s-eye view of altogether more expansive proportions, splash out on a tour with Helicopter Flight Services (Downtown Manhattan Heliport, Pier 6, East River) for an unforgettable aerial perspective of the city. Its choppers feature luxurious leather seats and special convex glass windows to guarantee the best views. Flights cost from US$149, available Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun 9am-4:30pm, www.heliny.com
Another must-visit is Governors Island, an old coastguard installation that has been converted into a national park. From May 26 until September 30, hop on the free ferry from Battery Park to Governors Island, a car-free area ideal for exploring by bike with lots of winding, tree-lined avenues that offer spectacular glimpses of the New York skyline. Ferries depart from the Battery Maritime Building and the island is open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays 10am-7pm, www.nps.gov/gois
As the day winds to a close, enjoy a twilight sail on a hand-built 1929 Shearwater schooner and watch the sun dipping behind the Statue of Liberty. Manhattan by Sail offers sunset tours departing most days of the week from North Cove Marina on the Hudson River at 7pm. The two-hour tour costs US$50, www.manhattanbysail.com
For further information visit www.nycgo.com, and you can download a handy free Lower Manhattan iPhone app from www.downtownny.com
PLACES TO STAY
W New York Downtown – the fact that Starwood Hotels’ young and cheeky offshoot, W, chose Lower Manhattan as the location for its fourth and newest New York property says a lot about the area’s fortunes. Spread over 58 floors, the 217-room hotel overlooks the 9/11 Memorial Site and has all the signature W touches including the W bed, an impressive array of in-room entertainment and the one-touch Whatever/Whenever service. Order a cocktail on the fifth-floor Living Room Bar & Terrace and it’ll come with a side dish of spectacular Manhattan skyline views. Rates start from US$399, 123 Washington Street, tel +1 866 961 2860,?www.wnewyorkdowntown.com
Andaz Wall Street – Andaz opened the first hotel on Wall Street in January 2010 and it’s a shining example of luxury without formality. A host joins guests on a sofa to check them in using a wireless PC. There’s a lounge that serves free espresso coffees in the morning and complimentary wine and snacks in the evening. There’s also free wifi, free local calls and even – wait for it – a free (non-alcoholic) minibar in the room. The rooms are spacious with sexy, black-tiled bathrooms, flatscreen TVs, two-metre-high windows and cute window seats. Rates start from US$300, 75 Wall Street, tel +1 212 590 1234, www.wallstreet.andaz.com
Conrad New York – Hilton’s luxury arm opened its first New York property in March. The 463-room all-suite hotel in the heart of Battery Park City offers sweeping views over the Hudson River and is but a hot dog’s-throw from the World Financial Center and the new One World Trade Center. The hotel features more than 2,000 pieces of contemporary art including a striking 14-storey-high installation by Sol LeWitt in the atrium. Suites start at a spacious 44 sqm with a separate lounge and bedroom, two flatscreen TVs, wifi and iPod docks. Rates start from US$349, 102 North End Avenue, tel +1 212 945 0100, www.conradnewyork.com
Holiday Inn Wall Street – for a more affordable base in the district, try the Holiday Inn on Nassau Street. Location-wise it’s hard to beat, being three blocks from Wall Street and three blocks from the One World Trade Center. It’s predictably business-oriented with a 24-hour business centre, free wifi and a 24-hour fitness centre. Rooms are on the small side but are clean and comfortable and there’s an on-site restaurant. Sure, it won’t win any awards for its design and décor, but there’s the convenience of five different subway lines within 200 metres of the front door. Rates begin at US$189, 51 Nassau Street, tel +1 212 227 3007, www.holidayinn.com 
