Financial District Real Estate Market Trends

Top most expensive neighborhoods in Manhattan

Financial District median price compared with other neighborhoods in Manhattan

Financial District property values are on the higher-end for neighborhoods in Manhattan .

Financial District median price compared with all the neighborhoods in Manhattan

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Financial District Neighborhood Guide

The Financial District will likely never be known as a residential neighborhood. This is, after all, where the world comes to do business. But more and more there are signs that people have discovered its hidden residential side and that not all those meals are just power lunches. As expected, weekdays are fast-paced and hectic, but if one craves a quiet Saturday morning neighborhood stroll there is no better place to live than in the Financial District. In recent years some three dozen restaurants and an eclectic mix of big name and boutique shops have opened as the Financial District has shed some of its veneer as a "9-5" neighborhood. And there are residual benefits to living in the heart of the world's economic engine - the public WIFI connections in the neighborhood are outstanding!

Architecture and landmarks

This was the birthplace of New York City, so old that the main streets have names and not the numbers that came later with the Manhattan street grid. However, precious few reminders of Manhattan's early days survive today in the canyons of skyscrapers. The Fraunces Tavern is still here, a landmark since the 1700s. And enough buildings remain on Stone Street to have created a historic district. Trinity Church on Broadway, at the head of Wall Street, was far and away the tallest building in New York when the Neo-Gothic house of worship was completed in 1846 - it is dwarfed by its neighbors today. The Customs House is one of the city's best Greek Revival structures and stands on the spot where George Washington took the oath of office as America's first President, back when New York was the nation's capital. And unlike most neighborhoods, the Financial District has its own symbol - the Charging Bull on Broadway at Bowling Green. It has stood there since 1987, even though the snorting bronze bovine is not owned by New York City and is classified as "art on loan", which is technically limited to a one-year display.

Things to do

There is a laundry list of activities in the Financial District that people travel across the world to do and that should be done at least once while living here. They include checking out the New York Stock Exchange from the observation platform, sailing on the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty, and looking up at the tall ships in the South Street Seaport.

The financial office buildings are a great source for seeking out public art and more conventional museums include the National Museum of the American Indian that is part of the Smithsonian Institution and free of charge, the Museum of American Finance (naturally), and the Castle Clinton National Monument. The magnificent Beaux-Arts Battery Maritime Building is the point of demarcation for free ferries to Governor's Island, and it's small enough to explore by foot or bicycle.

Stone Street has been reimagined with shopping boutiques and outdoor cafes lining the cobblestones. Food aficionados can make the pilgrimage to Delmonico's, which pioneered the concept of the American sit-down restaurant in 1837. Or just take advantage of the many buildings that have accessible rooftops and world class panoramic views. Battery Park is the Financial District's premier open space with views across New York Harbor but there are several other pocket parks including Zucotti Park, Hanover Square, Mannahatta Park and Pearl Street Playground.