Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Walk Through Civic
Center and South
Street Seaport
Morning
Most subway routes lead to
City Hall. When you come
up to street level, walk
down Broadway to see the
lobbies of the
Woolworth
(see p79)
and the former
AT&T Building
(see p79)
and the Georgian interior of
St. Paul's Chapel
.
New York County
Courthouse
Ascend the wide staircase of the
1926 New York County Courthouse
(adjacent to the 31-story, pyramid-
topped U.S. Courthouse dating
from 1933) and enter to admire
the marble columned rotunda with
Tiffany lighting fixtures. Note, too,
the ceiling murals depicting Law
and Justice. The hexagonal
building has a courtroom in each
of its six wings.
d
60 Center Street
• Map P4 • Open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri • Free
Return via Park Row, once
known as Newspaper Row
because it was lined with
their offices. Printing House
Square has a statue of
Benjamin Franklin with his
Pennsylvania Gazette.
West of the Row lies City
Hall Park, where the
Declaration of Indepen-
dence was read to George
Washington's troops in July
1776. The park was re-
cently restored and has a
new granite time wheel
telling the city's history.
Surrogate's Court/
Hall of Records
An interior inspired by the Paris
Opéra is one of the glories of
this 1907 Beaux Arts beauty,
boasting a magnificent central
hall with marble stairways and
ceiling mosaics. The façade
features statues representing
justice, the seasons, commerce,
and notable New Yorkers, as
well as figures depicting the
various stages of life.
d
31
Chambers Street
•
Map Q4
•
Lobby open
9am-5pm Mon-Fri
•
Free
A walk along Center and
Chambers streets takes
you past the ornate
Municipal Building
.
Afternoon
At midday, head east for a
seafood lunch at the
Bridge
Café
(see p83)
, housed in
a 1794 wood-framed
building. From here the
East River is a short stroll
away, offering excellent
views of lower Manhattan.
Police Plaza
Constructed in 1973, the
city's police headquarters can be
found on a spacious pedestrian
plaza, a welcome area in a
district with very few public
spaces. The 75-ton Tony Rosen-
thal abstract sculpture, Five in
One, made of five sloping inter-
locked discs, symbolizes the
city's five boroughs.
d
Park Row
at Pearl St
•
Map Q4
Spend the afternoon at
South Street Seaport
(see
p79)
, visiting the museum
and maritime crafts center,
perhaps taking a cruise on
one of the ships. Have
dinner on Pier 17, enjoying
Caribbean fare at the lively
Cabana
(see p83)
, or
New American fare at
Harbour Lights
(see p83)
.
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