After the trip on the Staten Island Ferry, it's time to stroll the streets of the most famous business district in the world.
View Financial District - Downtown in a larger map
started in the ferry terminal on Staten Island, from where we started our journey by Battery Park, a small green lung in the southern tip of Manhattan Island.
From this park, looking out to sea in the background we can see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and a little closer to the neighboring New Jersey.
Besides being a good area to relax while we enjoyed good views of the skyscrapers near the sea, we also find several historical references, is that in the middle of the park is the East Coast War Memorial, a set of 8 plates of marble on which are engraved the names of the fallen during World War II, each guarded by an enormous bronze eagle.
A little Later, we find the strong Castle Clinton, now converted into lockers where we can buy tickets for the visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Throughout the park, but especially around Castle Clinton, there are plenty of places where to buy a souvenir of the city and regain your strength with a Hot Dog.
Before leaving Battery Park and completely immersed in the narrow streets that form the skyscrapers of the financial district, we find Sphere, a sculpture that was in the central plaza of the twin towers and after the attacks of September 11, 2001 he moved to this place as a tribute to all who lost their lives on that day.
Beside her is always on fire in remembrance of the victims and all those who helped that day.
The next point of interest is Bowling Green, the oldest park in the city and birthplace of New York City, because it was here where Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island from Indians place for the modest sum of $ 24.
And how could it be otherwise, this is where is located the Museum of American Indians.
As if there were few reasons to visit This small park, we will add that this is the beginning of one of the most famous streets of the city, Broadway, and the place where we are with the Charging Bull, a daunting bronze bull that has become the symbol of Wall Street, as it was originally located in front of the Stock Exchange building on nearby Wall Street.
We walked down Broadway to meet with the Trinity Church, a church alcove huge office and residential buildings.
After visiting the interior of Trinity Church, descended the street that is directly opposite the main gate to meet the very heart of business district, the place where are the Federal Hall National Memorial and the headquarters of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE.
Looking back down the street just to lose, we can see the tower of Trinity Church appears enclosed between two buildings that form a narrow street.
The Federal Hall National Memorial has served as city hall, office or bank, but its most important use has been without doubt the exercise as the first capitol of the country, as it was in this place where the first president U.S., George Washington, was sworn in 1789.
across the street in another building is known around the world, the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE, but many Wall Street call him directly.
This building has witnessed great economic disasters like the famous crash of 29, and most recently the 2008 that even today we are suffering, and that any euro, yen or pound moves in the world, has spent some time the parquet of the bag.
From here we continue on Wall Street and bordered the Trump Building, one of the most emblematic skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan to get to the Chase Plaza, where we feel really small skyscraper surrounded by nearly 300 meters.
From another place nearby we can see the building of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the American equivalent of our bank in Spain.
From this place, we saw our next destination, the area 0, but before we get crossed by Zuccotti Park, a place with two curious sculptures, which appears in the photo and the better known " Red Cube ", a huge red dice that rests on one corner.
Zucotti Right at the end of the Park, we stopped to see the enormous gap that lies before us, Zone 0. Even being completely rebuilt or about to finish the buildings bordering the site, the image is quite striking and it is difficult not to pause a moment to think it had to be that place that distant September 11, 2001.
construction site in front of the stores are Century 21, where we parked for a while the financial district tourist route as far-fetched an offer from counters and lots desordenadísimos people. To summarize, here what you will find good deals on brand underwear and accessories such as gloves, hats and scarves, with the other items going to waste time even in the early hours of the morning when I read that You can find good bargains.
After buying we maelstrom, bag in hand, our route through the downtown, and the next stop is St. Paul's Chapel, a small church located about 100 meters from where the twin towers were erected and almost miraculously suffered no damage during the attacks, so it became one of the main places to find information about missing. In fact, inside there is an extensive collection of artifacts, photographs and messages collected during the days after the attacks and remained in the gates of the small cemetery that borders the church with candles and flowers, thousands of people placed as shown support to victims.
From here, go round the sun in the direction of the buildings on the other side, and going through a temporary bridge that allows us not having to cross half of the works we can see the army of cranes constantly working on the foundations of the new World Trade Center.
We below the World Financial Center buildings, crossing through the Winter Garden, a shopping mall with palm trees inside.
Once on the other hand, we overlook the Hudson River near the North Cove Marina, a small port from which to get a different view of the Statue of Liberty, the financial district and the skyline of New Jersey.
Back to Winter Garden, there is a viewpoint from which to observe the coming and going of trucks on the lot in front of us with the silhouette skyscrapers among which we have walked hours before.
Bordering the gate of St. Paul's Chapel, we arrived at City Hall Park, where there are several municipal buildings how the New York City Hall (City Hall).
From the park we see another huge municipal building, the Manhattan Municipal Building.
In the center of City Hall Park is a fountain with several lanterns that illuminate with a small flame.
Before leaving the park, we take a look at the last of the major skyscrapers this area of \u200b\u200bManhattan, the Woolworth building.
From here, we make a visit to one of the most famous electronic shops of the city, J & R, where we can get a fancy address in a digital camera, laptop or mp3 at good prices.
Then we went down first and Beekman St. Fulton St. after reaching the South Street Seaport, an area with restaurants and shops where they entered the exhibition "Bodies: The Exhibition."
On exit, cross under the highway to be impressed by some of the best night views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the district Financial from Pier 17, but all this deserves its own I will share with you in the next article.
