The following descriptions briefly encapsulate the vibrant neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan. Though they are huddled closely together, each one offers a distinct experience awaiting discovery.

Battery Park City
China Town
City Hall/South Street Seaport
Financial District
Little Italy
Lower East Side
Soho
Tribeca

Battery Park City

This area of Lower Manhattan, covering more than ninety acres reclaimed from the Hudson River, is shaded by the skyscrapers of the Financial District. As part of a plan put forth by then-New York State Governor Rockefeller, more than a million cubic yards of earth and rock were used to extend Lower Manhattan into the Hudson in 1968, creating new, valuable waterfront real estate. The plan further stipulated that the new community offer a balance of commercial, residential, retail, and park space. Since its inception, Battery Park City has attracted the attention not only of urban planning and architectural groups, but also everyday tourists. The neighborhood is home to several landmarks, memorials, and museums among them the Police Memorial, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and National Museum of the American Indian. Construction of Teardrop Park, a 1.8-acre sylvan landscape designed to bring a little of the feel of upstate New York to the city, was completed in 2004. Goldman Sachs’ new 43-story tower headquarters is being built on Battery Park City’s “Site 26” and expected to open in 2009. In addition, the neighborhood is close to its final stages of development with the construction of several new residential buildings that have already been completed or are currently underway. NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: BATTERY PARK CITY

Chinatown

Delight your senses with a journey to New York's Chinatown. Covering roughly two square miles, this distinctive New York neighborhood stretches from Delancey Street south to East and Worth Streets, loosely bound by Allen Street on the east and Broadway on the west. It's right in the middle of downtown Manhattan, but with streets of restaurants serving every type of Chinese food imaginable, tiny tea shops left and right, and food markets filled with amazing varieties of fish and exotic vegetables lining the streets, you'll feel as though you've flown halfway around the world. The largest Chinatown in the United States, this New York City community holds the greatest concentration of Chinese immigrants in the western hemisphere. Tucked into its narrow side streets you can find traditional Chinese herbal-medicine shops, acupuncturists, beautiful jewelry and silk robes for sale, and countless noodle shops and teahouses. Frequent festivals and parades fill the streets, especially during the January and February Chinese New Year celebrations. NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: CHINATOWN

City Hall/South Street Seaport

The neighborhood between City Hall and South Street Seaport is one of Lower Manhattan's most bustling areas. Filled with some of the city's oldest architecture, this neighborhood attracts everyone from waterfront tourists, Fulton Street shoppers, and happy hour-bound businesspeople. The area's daily attractions and activities means there's always something new to do. Street performers and vendors cavort on cobblestone roadways, while indoor entertainment includes everything from galleries and eateries to the South Street Seaport Museum. The seaport's future as a full-fledged residential neighborhood also looks promising with developments similar to the Historic Front Street Project scheduled or already underway, and with large-scale renovation of the East River waterfront also planned. NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: CITY HALL/SOUTH STREET SEAPORT

Financial District

Constructed when there were no zoning laws, the Financial District is well known for its towering buildings built very close to one another. Government incentives after 9/11 encouraged many residents and businesses to stay or relocate to the area, which has helped to restore its vibrancy. And with some of the area's oldest buildings being refurbished or replaced by luxury condominiums, the area is currently seeing a boom in its residential population -- transforming the area into a true 24/7 community. Besides financial institutions, the neighborhood also holds grocery stores, restaurants, theaters, and hotels. NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Little Italy

When Italian immigrants flooded into New York during the second half of the 19th century, thousands settled here. Today, roughly 5,000 Italian-Americans remain in the neighborhood, which stretches from Houston Street south to Canal and from Lafayette Street east to the Bowery. The number of Italians living in the neighborhood has dwindled some from it peak, but the heavenly aromas of Italian bakeries and restaurants still waft from Mulberry Street at the neighborhood's heart. Delicious dishes like pasta fagioli, veal saltimboca, and lobster fra diavlo keep delighted diners coming back for more. The Old World neighborhood is at its very best in mid-September, when Mulberry is renamed Via San Gennaro for the Feast of San Gennaro. During this ten-day celebration, the shrines and relics of this saint are paraded through the streets, and the tantalizing smells of fried pastry and sausages fill the air. Crowds from around the city -- and indeed the world --flock to Little Italy to enjoy cappuccino and tartufo, carnival rides and games, and singing and dancing. NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: LITTLE ITALY

Lower East Side

New York's landmark historic neighborhood, the Lower East Side was once home to the world's largest Jewish community. Covering the area between Houston and Canal Streets east of the Bowery, this neighborhood is where New York's garment industry began. Today it is a bargain hunter's paradise, with great deals to be found on everything from souvenir tee shirts to menorahs, especially along Orchard Street in the neighborhood's center. But more than just shopping, the Lower East Side boasts upscale cafes, trendy bars, and music venues. And of course, you can't get a better pastrami sandwich, pickle, or bialy anywhere else. NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: LOWER EAST SIDE

Soho

This neighborhood, whose name is an acronym for South of Houston, stretches south from Houston Street to Canal Street, spanning just a quarter of a square mile. But in that small area, Soho packs in more than 250 art galleries, four museums, 200 restaurants, and 100 stores. Soho's streets, some made of original cobblestone from the 1800s, are also home to the city's largest collection of cast-iron fronted buildings. Built originally as warehouse and manufacturing spaces, these buildings have since been converted into living spaces, called "lofts," for artists and sculptors whose work makes large, open, studio-like spaces useful. NEIGHBORHOOOD SPOTLIGHT: SOHO

Tribeca

When Soho became too ritzy for the starving artist crowd, many moved a little farther downtown, to what was then a near-abandoned industrial district. And so Tribeca (which stands for the Triangle Below Canal) was born. It has since become a hot destination filled with world-famous restaurants and hip nightspots. It also hosts an annual film festival, capturing international attention each spring. And with celebrities like Robert DeNiro and Jon Stewart calling the neighborhood home, star sightings are common. Tribeca, which boasts some of the city’s best public schools, also draws many families to the neighborhood. NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: TRIBECA