Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Federal Hall National Memorial
Keep walking south on Nassau Street and in 3 blocks you'll reach Wall Street. At this corner is
Federal Hall
(
212/825-6888;
www.nps.gov/feha
)
, which is not a heavily trafficked site, probably because the really interesting
stuff happened in predecessor structures. The current building was built in 1842 to serve as a U.S. custom house,
and it's now a Park Service museum. Exhibits touch on Washington's inauguration, the drafting of the Bill of
Rights, and the first stirring of rebellion against British authority, all of which occurred right here. The building
itself is a preeminent example of Greek Revival architecture, with an impressive rotunda, and the 1767 Bible used
by George Washington for his 1789 presidential inauguration is on display. Otherwise, there's not much to see
beyond a comprehensive collection of New York brochures. The vertiginously steep stairs outside are a popular
spot to spy on the chaos that surrounds the
New York Stock Exchange.
The 1903 classical structure that houses
it is just in front of you, at 18 Broad St.
7
Trinity Church
One block to the west is Broadway, where
Trinity Church
(
212/ 602-0800;
www.trinitywallstreet.org
) wedges
in at the intersection of Wall Street. They've been ministering Episcopal-style on this spot since 1698. The current
Gothic Revival church was built in 1846, under architect Richard Upjohn, and was the city's tallest building for
over 4 decades. The interior is dark and somber. The churchyard is also of interest, with its ancient headstones
(Alexander Hamilton is one of the boldface names buried here) somehow surviving in the shadow of mammon.
8
Zuccotti Park
Head back out to Broadway and turn north for a couple of blocks. At Cedar Street you'll see
Zuccotti Park
(
212/442-4500
), made famous by the Occupy Wall Street encampment. Grab a spot in the shade if you'd like to
impersonate a member of the 99%. If you've reserved passes to the
9/11 Memorial
(p. 96), keep on Cedar Street
for 2 blocks until it ends at Greenwich Street. Just to your left, at Albany Street, is the entrance. Try to avoid the
siren song call of legendary discounter
Century 21
(p. 201), another block up at 22 Cortlandt St.
9
National Museum of the American Indian
When you get back to Broadway, make your way south. The enigmatic markers in the sidewalk commemorate
ticker tape parades held in this “Canyon of Heroes.” Across from 26 Broadway you'll see Arturo Di Modica's
bronze
ChargingBull,
which in an act of guerilla art was snuck into the neighborhood in 1989. Behind it is
Bowl-
ing Green,
Manhattan's oldest public park. It was here or very close by that Peter Minuit, director general of New
Netherland, traded the legendary $24 in beads for Manhattan. Just a few feet away the Smithsonian maintains
the
National Museum of the American Indian
(
212/514-3700;
www.americanindian.si.edu
)
, which shows of
the unparalleled craftsmanship of Native American art. Even if the walls were bare, the building itself, the former
U.S. custom house, would be worthy of a visit. It was completed in 1907 to the specifications of Beaux Arts mas-
ter Cass Gilbert (he also did the nearby Woolworth Building), and the central rotunda by Raphael Guastavino is
a structural marvel.
10
The Sphere
In Native American times, Broadway was a trading route known as the Wiechquaekeck Trail. Its southern ter-
minus is Battery Park. If you follow the promenade that begins at the intersection of State Street and Battery Place
(headed toward Castle Clinton), you'll pass a 9/11 memorial. Fritz Koenig's sculpture
The Sphere
stands behind
an eternal flame lit on the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Koenig designed
TheSphere
as a symbol of
world peace and for 30 years it adorned the plaza at the World Trade Center. The sculpture was salvaged from
the rubble and placed here, where the shoreline would have been in 1625 New Amsterdam. Though battered and
abused,
TheSphere
is surprisingly intact, with 1 World Trade Center visible behind it. There's a metaphor in there
someplace, I hope. Through 2012, there was a long-running battle about moving the sculpture to accommodate
a running path. Some want it moved to the 9/11 Museum. At press time, it was still at Battery Park, but do check
before you come to see if it's been relocated elsewhere.
