15 Broad Street, 1610 Downtown By Philippe Starck, Financial District, Manhattan, NY 10005

The southern tip of Manhattan, below Chambers Street on the west side and the Brooklyn Bridge onramps on the east, holds a dense and historic neighborhood. The Financial District, or FiDi, is home to many iconic sites, including Wall Street, the World Trade Center, and Battery Park. Wandering its blocks is a journey through the layers of New York’s past: Beaver, Pearl, and Nassau — and their irregular routes — evoke the days when New York was a small trading post, despite the glass-and-steel towers that today soar above their narrow lanes. Old and new coexist differently at South Street Seaport, where the tall ships and low-rise storefronts might seem completely frozen in time if not for the array of modern-day restaurants mingling alongside. A dozen subway lines and multiple ferry routes converge in the area, offering short rides to the rest of Manhattan and across the East River to DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, and beyond.