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The center of the world's biggest money exchanges, the Financial District is also an exciting neighborhood filled with numerous restaurants and stores where treasures and treats may tempt you to exchange a few bills of your own. Government incentives after 9/11 encouraged many residents and businesses to stay or relocate to the area, which has helped to restore its vibrancy.
From decadent shops to gritty pubs, darkened alleys to outdoor oases, the Financial District offers an assortment of places to explore. The following is a sample of some of the attractions that makes this historic New York City community so special.
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Taking a break on the steps of Federal Hall
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Best Spot to Catch the Midday Sun (or take a break from the hectic scene at the New York Stock Exchange)
On the steps of the country's first capitol building, trader James Dolan is taking a break from the mayhem on the floor of the Stock Exchange to catch some midday sun. Around him, on an unusually sunny November day, several others are doing the same. "I come here to think and just to relax," Dolan says. Moments of reflection on the steps of Federal Hall -- especially when coupled with the sun's warming rays -- are a saving grace, rescuing him from the frenzy he has endured as a trader for the past 12 years. Many people come here for a brief escape from the workplace, or just as an outdoor lunch spot. For thirty minutes, Dolan inches along the concrete step, moving further and further away from the statue of George Washington to stay with the sun until it disappears and a chill sets in. Then, hands slipping into the pockets of his blue frock -- the uniform he shares with other traders on the floor -- he gets up to return to the chaos.
Steps of Federal Hall, 26 Wall Street
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Pearl Street Diner -- a neighborhood establishment for 55 years
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Best Diner
Though dwarfed by neighboring tall buildings, the one-story Pearl Street Diner is anything but out of place. For 55 years, this establishment has been serving eggs around the clock, cheeseburger supremes with fries, and chicken souvlaki -- among the pages of other entrée choices -- to hungry neighborhood residents, employees, and visitors. Like many an American diner joint in this area, both the restaurant and the person who runs it, Jimmy Couliandis, have Greek roots. "Some new people come in here and say, 'What's this doing here?'" says Couliandis about his family's diner, which, especially from the outside, looks like it belongs in the suburbs. His father opened the restaurant when there were still dirt roads in Lower Manhattan, he says. In contrast to the hectic downtown streets that surround it, the diner's quaint atmosphere helps people feel at ease, as does the home-cooked food. "It's a nice getaway from the office," Couliandis says. "You can loosen your tie here."
Pearl Street Diner, 212 Pearl Street, (212) 344-6620
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A backgammon game underway in the public space at 60 Wall Street
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Best Indoor Place to Play Backgammon
The public space at 60 Wall Street, with its ample seating, warm and inviting controlled climate, and palm trees, is a great place to eat lunch, read the newspaper, and take a break from the cold. But for some, it has also been the site of serious backgammon battles over the past two years. "Sam," who chose not to give his real name, provides players with game boards -- mostly backgammon but also a few chessboards -- for a nominal fee. Scores are kept on paper or tracked in players' memory, and house rules prohibit any money exchanges on bets within the grounds.
Players come out during their lunch breaks and often again after work to keep a winning streak going or see if they can turn their luck around. "Sam" learned his technique by watching backgammon games played in Times Square, back when the midtown area was a little less clean and illuminated than it has become in recent years. The downtown public space, he says, serves as a backgammon training ground, with many of the game's best players having passed through at one point. Many players go home to study their moves and come back seeking sweet revenge. Games go on daily from noon until 10 p.m. During the warmer months, the activities move outdoors to Liberty Park, where they have been held for the past 16 years.
Public Space, 60 Wall Street
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Extraordinary designs, like this chocolate coat, are made at Christopher Norman Chocolates
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Best Chocolate Indulgence
Tucked into one of the many alleyways in the Financial District is a sweet tooth's sensation: Christopher Norman Chocolates. Celebrating its first anniversary at its newest downtown location, this ten-year-old gourmet chocolatier is known for its sumptuous selection of handcrafted chocolates. Here, a chocolate lover can find an assortment of decadent truffles and brownies as well as bite-sized chocolate pieces of deliciously blended flavors: brown butter pear, walnut rosemary, hazelnut lemon, and grapefruit pink peppercorn. Founder and chief chocolate officer John Down also fashions extraordinary designs, like an edible cup of cappuccino, bittersweet chocolate domino pieces dotted with white chocolate, and a candy overcoat made of layered white and dark chocolate. Down uses bright spices such as paprika and saffron, painting them on as colorful additions to some of the chocolate.
This cheery shop also sells hot chocolate made from real chocolate -- no powdery substitutes -- blended with steamed milk to create a creamy, rich taste. They offer seasonal specialties and exquisite packaging designed by Down, who is an artist as well as a chocolate craftsman. Christopher Norman Chocolates supplies its tantalizing confections to Dean & Deluca, Balducci's, Bloomingdales, Whole Foods, and Henri Bendel, as well as to shops around the world. The secret to Down's sweet success: "You have to be passionate about it and work with the best ingredients. Those two together make a recipe for success," he says.
Christopher Norman Chocolates, 60 New Street, (212) 402-1243
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Shoes get a great shine at Cobbler Express
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Best Shoe Shine While-U-Wait
Walking the streets in the Financial District can be hard on the feet and especially on the shoes. Scuffed or bruised shoes and boots get special treatment at Cobbler Express, serving the downtown neighborhood in two convenient locations. Shoe shines start at $2, and a customary tip is usual about $2 more (though tipping is at the customer's discretion). A wide selection of magazines and daily newspaper are available for customers to peruse while they wait. Edward Shimunov, who runs the Maiden Lane store, boasts that his family's shops are very clean and never smell of chemicals. Employees from several companies, including Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, AON, AIG, and Cadwalader, get a 10 percent discount. In addition to shining and repairing shoes, the Cobbler Express also polishes leather bags. And as a mixed-use store, like many other shoe repair shops in the neighborhood, it also sells a selection of perfumes.
Cobbler Express, 101 Maiden Lane, (212) 269-6880, 60 Wall Street, (212) 809-9814
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The window display at Flowers of the World
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Best Floral Arrangements
In July, Flowers of the World opened its newest location on Pine Street. The eye-catching floral shop is designed like an artist's studio with monochromatic tones of concrete and wood accentuated by the bright flowers on sale. Beautiful varieties of orchids, amaryllis, anthurium, hydrangeas, and other exotic flowers come in from Holland, New Zealand, and South America twice a week. Georgeanne Strakosch, front desk manager, says that several people pass by each morning on their way to work to take in the beauty continually on display in the store's windows and front area.
The overall space is profound, if in greatest part because of its simplicity -- an effect the designers go for in their arrangements as well. They use only a few elements -- and no filler -- in an effort to isolate the natural beauty of the flowers they select. The resulting arrangements provide stark contrast to the ubiquitous bouquets available at corner bodegas, which are often a dizzying array of filler and several different kinds of flowers in a single bunch.
"We have a simple, clean look," says Jimmy Gaeta, managing designer and floral consultant. They also trim the flowers short to keep them closer to their water source, which keeps them healthier, he says. The shop provides arrangements to the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park, the Westin Hotel, the Waldorf-Astoria, and many downtown corporate offices. Named for its original location within the World Trade Center, Flowers of the World has also held a spot on Hanover Square in the past. Today, its downtown Pine Street location is complemented by a second store in midtown.
Flowers of the World, 80 Pine Street, (212) 425-2234, 150 West 55th Street, (212) 582-1630
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Mark Garbulsky takes a break in Hanover Square
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Best Square
Mark Garbulsky has been coming to Hanover Square for 10 years to relax during his breaks from work as a field technician in the area. "There are not too many places to sit and catch some fresh air around here," says Garbulsky. "It gets too crowded on the steps of Federal Hall, so I come here." One of New York's most historic squares (though actually triangular in shape), Hanover Square was home to several prominent merchants and city officials during the British colonial era. As such, it has also been selected as the future home of a garden commemorating the British victims of the World Trade Center attacks. Construction is expected to begin next spring and will feature elements of British landscape architecture -- including topiaries, yew trees, and boxwood hedges -- in a traditional garden with a contemporary twist. Plans also call for paved walkways made of stone from Scotland, as well as benches made of Portland stone placed throughout the garden.
Hanover Square Park, Hanover Square and Pearl Street
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Killarney Rose bartender Pat Nestor behind the bar
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Best Irish Pub
Don't be misled by the potato skins, mozzarella sticks, and Budweiser on tap. In fact, the Killarney Rose is an authentic Irish gem in the heart of Lower Manhattan. Named after a town in southwestern Ireland, the welcoming pub celebrated its 35th anniversary last year. Gaelic sayings painted on the bar's wooden beams and walls translate to "Sit down and rest yourself" and "You never know when there is a session in the Killarney Rose." With its dim lights, friendly Irish bartenders, and wide selection of beers and liquor, this downtown spot can seem perfect to people looking to escape the daily drudgery of life.
Despite its clear Irish heritage, the pub sells more of America's classic Budweiser than anything else. According to 31-year veteran bartender Pat Nestor, Bud wins out because the intensity of Ireland's Guinness is too much for some patrons to stomach. Even so, the Guinness keg is definitely tapped from time to time as well. Nestor shares stories of English and Irish tourists spending their entire New York City vacations in the pub. There are differences though, he says, between an Irish pub in Ireland and one in New York City: In Ireland, people go to pubs to meet other people, whereas here, pub goers are looking primarily to unwind and relax. "I enjoy dealing with people," Nestor says. "And I try to make them feel better," he adds, promising that Killarney Rose bartenders will listen to customer's problems at no charge. It doesn't hurt to leave a nice tip, though.
Killarney Rose, 80 Beaver Street, (212) 422-1486
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NYC Fried Chicken truck parked daily in the Wall Street area
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Best Wings Special
Three dollars and seventy-five cents can buy three chicken wings, fries, a roll, and a soda from the NYC Fried Chicken truck stationed at the corner of Pine and William Streets. Due to construction work expected to be completed by the end of December, the truck stop has relocated temporarily to the corner of Wall and Pearl Streets. For four years, Akbar Rahyab, chef and driver, has been serving wings -- as well as the rest of the chicken -- to a sizeable daily lunchtime crowd.
Teaming up with his buddy, Azat Nabiyev, he also fries up fish fillets, shish kebab, cheese steaks, and shrimp. Though a pizza truck and grilled food truck are parked nearby, there's no other source for fried food in sight. Rahyab says his food is not too oily and that he never reuses the previous day's oil. The secret to finger-linking fried food is his breading, he says, which includes a mixture of white and yellow flour. Sometimes Rahyab and his partner get big orders of 50 or more pieces of chicken for the hungry traders in the nearby New York Stock Exchange. "Midtown people wouldn't go up to a truck like this," he says. "But here, people really like my food."
NYC Fried Chicken truck, parked daily on the corner of Pine and William Streets
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