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| Manhattan
at Night1 |
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Most districts and neighborhoods in New
York enjoy artistic, historical and shopping areas. Distinct boutiques,
specialty shops and cultural joints are found in a number of vibrant and lively
sections of the city, especially in the southern part of Manhattan,
usually referred to as Lower
Manhattan. Festivals and fun activities take place in this area, adding
a lively atmosphere to the city's streets and boulevards. Each district in Lower
Manhattan has a unique flavor, an interesting history and a compelling story
behind its name. Visitors can easily reach the city's districts by public transportation
and public parking lots are provided within their boundaries. To complete the
New York experience, visitors cannot miss seeing unique galleries, enjoying
family-friendly activities and taking in major festivals in Lower Manhattan's
famous districts and neighborhoods.
Flatiron District
The Flatiron
District, located on 23rd Street between Fifth
Avenue and Broadway,
earned its name after the triangular, 20-storey Flatiron
Building—once the tallest in New York. This district boasts Madison
Square Park, which is situated between Fifth and Madison
Avenues and 23rd and 26th Streets, featuring a 5600-seat theater and the landmark
Madison
Square Garden (MSG). MSG offers views of the Flatiron and the Empire
State Buildings and brings concerts, events and major sporting activities
to the city throughout the year.
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The
Flatiron Building2 |
Another attraction in this district is Madison
Square Park Conservancy, an area that hosts entertainment and amusements,
especially for children. In the summer months, the park features various programs
such as literary readings, festivals and music performances, as well as outdoor
contemporary art exhibitions from around the world. This district is unique
for its family and child-friendly events.
The Flatiron District features the Toy
District, with a line of toy manufacturers. Also, the area holds preserved
buildings and a number of concert halls, theaters, galleries, wholesalers and
interior decorators, as well as a cluster of publishing and architectural offices.
For a more adult attraction, visitors 18 and older can visit the Museum
of Sex, which adds color to the Flatiron District. Often referred to
as the MoSex, this museum was founded by Daniel Gluck in 2002, dedicated to
the history, evolution and cultural significance of human sexuality. There are
a wide range of topics and material in the museum from different continents
and cultures, time periods and media, all presented in an educational format.
Moreover, there are drawings, paintings and photographs, as well as film, video,
ancient artifacts and old and new technology.
Greenwich Village
Divided into the East
and West
Villages and often called the Village, Greenwich
Village is bound by Broadway to the east, the Hudson
River to the west, Houston Street to the south and 14th Street to the
north. This district is famous for its galleries, arts and nightlife and is
known for its liberal and bohemian culture, as many of the area's artists, poets
and writers challenged mainstream ideas in the late 1950s. This district played
a major role in the gay liberation movement and founded the world's oldest gay
bookstore in 1967, creating a unique culture and holding a strong, unconventional
character.
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| The East Village3 |
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Attractions in Greenwich Village include Washington
Square Park, a popular area with various statues and monuments, such
as George Washington Monument and a Garibaldi
Statue, an Italian patriot and soldier who led many military campaigns
to form a unified Italy. Washington Square Park is surrounded by a major research
university, New
York University, which maintains a lively atmosphere. This area also
features the 77-ft (23 m) Washington
Square Arch that celebrates the centennial of George Washington's inauguration
as the first president of the United States.
Throughout the year, Greenwich Village hosts various remarkable events, such
as Washington
Square Music Festival in July and August, walking tours in the Ukrainian
Museum from May until September and the Urban
Pumpkin Festival and the Halloween
Parade in October. The Village bustles with colorful events, historic
landmarks and diverse arts.
Meatpacking District
A name like the Meatpacking
District brings up images of butchers chopping and packing meat. Today,
however, not much meat is left in this district as designer shops have moved
in, earning the area a more stylish acronym—the MePa District.
The MePa District functioned as a wholesale market for more than 150 years,
first as a farmers' market, then as a produce market and, for the last century,
a meat market. Recent years have seen a noticeable increase in trendy restaurants,
bars, boutiques, galleries, dance clubs, furniture stores and antique shops.
This district anchors the northwest corner of Greenwich Village from West 14th
Street on the north end to Gansevoort Street at the south. The buildings and
the old streets have a distinctive character with open views of the river and
sky. In 2003, this area was declared a historic district as it is the last market
neighborhood in New York City. By stopping in this area of Lower Manhattan,
visitors explore one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in the city, full
of trendy restaurants, exclusive clubs and higher-end boutiques.
TriBeCa
TriBeCa, the Triangle Below Canal Street, never ceases to surprise visitors
with its events and activities. TriBeCa
stretches from Canal Street south to Park Place and from the Hudson River east
to Broadway.
TriBeCa prospers by the arts. The district's Performing
Arts Center is a leading arts presenter in Lower Manhattan. More than
100,000 visitors attend TriBeCa's own programs, independent productions and
performances. Every year, July and August features shows with different themes,
such as jazz and salsa. Most productions include a diverse mix of theater, music
and dance by national, international and local companies.
The area is also distinct with the multiple annual activities and festivals
that take place, such as Tribeca
Film Festival and Tribeca
Open Artist Studio Tour (T.O.A.S.T), which provides a glimpse into the
work and workplaces of some of the neighborhood's artists.
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| Dining in SoHo4 |
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SoHo
Bound by Houston Street, West Broadway, Canal and Lafayette Streets, the energetic
neighborhood of SoHo,
(standing for South of Houston Street) is home to modern design, collectibles,
antiques and furniture, as well as a haven for prestigious fashion houses and
unique shops carrying original items, national and international name-brands
and luxurious souvenirs.
SoHo gained fame and a hip reputation when it became a neighborhood for artists
in the 1960s and 1970s. The glamour of this neighborhood has been contagious
as a number of districts in several American cities followed SoHo's trend in
architecture and renovations, typically known as the SoHo Effect.
Little Italy and NoLita
Little Italy is bordered by Houston, Canal, Lafayette and Bowery Streets. Italian
districts were created after a rise in Italian immigration to the United
States, especially in the 19th century. While few Italians live in Little
Italy today, the Feast
of San Genarro attracts them and other revelers every year in September.
This festival initially started as a one-day gala party, evolving into an 11-day
festival. During the festival, there are more than 100 street vendors selling
a variety of goods and merchandise, international cuisine, official Little Italy
souvenirs, jewelry and clothing. Carnival rides, arcade games and a number of
fun activities for youngsters are also featured in this festival.
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A
street in Little Italy5 |
The northern side of Little Italy is called NoLita,
which was nicknamed in the mid-1990s when many new-to-the-job designers moved
from the celebrity-clustered, high-rent SoHo and TriBeCa areas and transformed
pizzerias and shoe-repair shops into stores for their arts and fashion. Since
1999, NoLita's Mulberry, Mott and Elizabeth Streets have been boasting a number
of boutiques with designer goodies, embroidered purses, silky and colorful shawls,
hand-tooled boots and custom-designed jewelry.
Italian cuisine is an important aspect of the Italian culture and this has
been reflected in these areas. NoLita and Little Italy flourish with authentic
restaurants such as Il
Cortile, Carmine's
and Café
Fiorello. The home-like atmosphere, small-sized furniture, friendly
setting and, of course, Italian music accompany each meal.
Chinatown
Like any other heavily-populated North American city, New York has its own Chinatown.
Considered one of the biggest Chinatowns in the Americas, the neighborhood is
another busy area in Lower Manhattan. The district encompasses Mott, Park, Pell
and Doyer Streets, bustling with small stores selling imitation perfumes, watches
and hand-bags, as well as more than 200 Chinese restaurants offering authentic
food and groceries.
The Chinese culture and history is captured in the neighborhood's statues and
memorials: the Kam Lau memorial archway at Chatham
Square, which honors Chinese-Americans who died in World War II; the
statue of Lin Zexu, a Fuzhou-based Chinese official who opposed the opium trade;
and the statue of Confucius in front of Confucius Plaza.
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New York's Stock Exchange Building |
The Financial District
Covering the southern tip of Manhattan Island, the Financial
District is home to New York's financial pillars such as South
Street Seaport, Wall
Street, New
York Stock Exchange and the World
Trade Center Memorial. After 9/11, the government offered many residents
and businesses incentives to stay or relocate to the area, which has helped
to restore its liveliness. Despite its towering office buildings, the Financial
District is also an exciting neighborhood packed with various stores and restaurants,
such as the Pearl
Street Diner, a 55-year old landmark serving eggs around the clock,
cheeseburgers with fries, chicken souvlaki and many other food options.
At 60 Wall Street, many of the area's workers gather to play backgammon at
the Public
Place, an indoor location for lunch breaks and after-work hours. Games
usually last from noon until 10pm and during the warmer months, players move
outdoors to Liberty
State Park.
This district also provides places for lunch breaks and relaxing afternoons,
such as Hanover
Square, which is historically-linked to the British colonial era. Lined
with yew trees, topiaries and boxwood hedges, Hanover Square is one of many
historic Manhattan squares and has the honor of commemorating the British victims
of the World Trade Center attacks.
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| Visitors in Battery Park City6 |
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Battery Park City
Another area of Lower Manhattan is Battery
Park City, a park that covers more than 90 acres (36 ha) by the Hudson
River and holds a number of Lower Manhattan's major attractions, such as the
Police
Memorial and the Museum
of Jewish Heritage, a living memorial of the Holocaust in Germany. Also
within the park, the National
Museum of the American Indian is dedicated to the life, languages, literature,
history and arts of American Indians. There are also more than 90,000 images
depicting both historic and contemporary American Indian life in this museum.
Battery Park City's green areas provide opportunities for relaxing walks and
the park's Winter
Garden, a steel-and-glass atrium, features indoor screenings of old
movies. Battery Park City also includes the World
Financial Center, which boasts towers for headquarters of international
corporations such as American Express, Merrill Lynch, Dow Jones and Deloitte,
as well as over 30 specialty restaurants and shops, including Banana Republic,
Godiva Chocolate and Eckerd.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau; Manhattan at Night; New
York, NY, USA
- New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau; The Flatiron Building;
New York, NY, USA
- New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau; The East Village; New York,
NY, USA
- New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau; Dining in Soho; New York,
NY, USA
- New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau; A street in Little Italy;
New York, NY, USA
- New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau; Visitors in Battery Park
City; New York, NY, USA
