Local's Guide to Manhattan's Financial District
The Best of the FiDi in 24 Hours in 10 Detailed Steps (Coffee, Food, Sights, & more)
After living and working in the FiDi for six years and hosting dozens of visitors, I’ve nailed down the best route to tackle the most historic part of New York City in the least amount of time. There’s a lot to see deep downtown, and it takes a lot of walking to do it best. The only way to get the courage to brave the crowds and get anything accomplished here is on a full stomach with lots of coffee. Expedia and TripAdvisor will warn you to be skeptical of Manhattan (and cautious of pickpockets) but to be honest I’ve never felt safer in any other big city. Absolutely none of this area is “dangerous” (like to walk around with a nice camera). Be mindful but live your life.
1. Sunrise in Brooklyn. Yes, you read that right. This FiDi tour actually begins outside Manhattan. It might seem counter-intuitive, but you really don’t need to walk the Brooklyn Bridge both ways—there will be plenty of walking later. Take the A or C train to High Street and turn back the direction you came, towards the water. Head up the Brooklyn Bridge and walk across into Manhattan. About a mile, it’s a great entry point to the city, and a fun way to keep your head up towards that epic Manhattan skyline the whole way instead of craning your neck only to run into smarter tourists. But with that said, there’s usually not too many people early in the morning. Watch the city come alive with a warm glow and enjoy the slow approach into madness—but stay out of the bike lane if you want to live to see the city.
2. Once in Manhattan, walk down the first stairs you see to get out of the growing crowd ASAP. Meander on over towards the South Street Seaport, where you can hit some touristy shops like McNally Jackson or the Fulton Market Building. If you are in need of some quick bites, head to Dorlan’s, Cobble & Co, or Fresh Salt for sandwichy lunch vibes. Now’s a good chance to add a little side excursion to Pier 17 for some nice views of Brooklyn if you really want to get in your steps. Good breakfast options are limited around here, but Made Fresh Daily is a fine hip choice, and Plaza Deli has great cheap breakfast sandwiches and burritos (like bacon, egg, feta, avocado, hot sauce) with great (lightning fast) service to get you back on the streets. Skip Jack’s Coffee, there are better options later.
3. Head a little down Pearl, one of the widest streets in the FiDi for the views and taxi options (in case you are already tired of walking). From here you have two amazing coffee options: Blue Spoon and Black Fox. Both great in their own right, Blue Spoon has that quintessential NYC feel with great everything bagels and cold brews. If you are looking for something sit-down with more of a bougee feel (or you just need a bathroom…) head over to the midcentury-modern Black Fox for their floral coffees, specialty lattes, elitist hipster sandwiches and pastries. Exit out the back door into the beautiful lobby of the 1930s art-deco styled 70 Pine Street for a short-lived blast from the past.
4. With either option, you are only a few blocks from Wall Street—the iconic NYSE and Federal Hall (Walk in for free: it’s a cool building where Washington was sworn into Presidency, and the Bill of Rights was written, among other things). In case you missed Black Fox or Blue Spoon (or just want more coffee) there’s always the Love NYC Truck parked at Wall and William on weekdays, and Blue Stone (not to be confused with Blue Spoon) in the alley behind the Stock Exchange (get the “Aussie Latte”—it is 2 shots of espresso over 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream… you’re on vacation, live a little). If you don’t have muscle tension, a racing heartbeat, and inexplicable anxiety then you didn’t follow my instructions very well and you aren’t living like a true New Yorker.
5. For healthier to-go options, check out Sweetgreen (Salads) or Cava (Mediterranean) and expect to spend $15/bowl on Wall. The other option is to head down Broad Street towards Stone Street, where you can stop for a sit-down meal. For my fellow history buffs, I’d recommend Fraunces Tavern, the oldest bar in the States. The Sons of Liberty met here to scheme their overthrow of the once oppressive British. Washington said farewell to his generals after the Revolutionary War here. Abe Lincoln got shit-faced here. The great whiskey and beer selection, along with good food and service makes it worth the stop. If you want something a little less pricey, but still pricey (welcome to Lower Manhattan), head over to Mad Dog (Mexican—great Marg pitchers and steak nachos) or Ulysses’ (Irish—big burgers and a good IPA selection), but either way make sure to at least walk down Stone Street for the most European-like vibes in the whole city. I know I’ve given you a lot of food options so far, but if you aren’t inundated with choices it’s not New York city. Get here before closing bell when the herds of Suits arrive. Grab a cocktail from the top level of the Dead Rabbit (which claims to be the “best bar in the world”) hopefully before 6:00 when the clone army shows up. With just a block of backtracking you can check out the Bull over on Broadway, and get a picture holding its balls if that’s your thing. Yes, there will likely be a line to hold some giant bronze bull balls. Idk, man. After the balls head down towards the tip… of the island.
6. Battery Park—and further up along the water in Battery Park City make up some of the most beautiful parts of Manhattan. I often found myself wondering how NYC got started and this is the farthest back you can trace it. This fort was the first thing ever built on the island. It guarded the valuable Hudson river which lead up into the great fur-trading countryside upstate. The Dutch and later the British used the canons in the Battery to enforce travel tolls along the Hudson and protect the citizens of New Amsterdam/New York. Effectively, it’s the original reason New York became New York. But now it’s just a dope park worth checking out. Take a much-needed break from the walking, lie in the grass, or grab a bench and watch the ferries come in for a while. There are a few beer gardens if you wanna keep your lunch buzz going—I recommend the one by the Battery Fountain as it’s got the better views.
7. Continue uptown along the water towards Hudson River Park and you’ll get to Merchant House where I recommend you stop for dinner. The food and drinks are good, the service is good, and the views are unbeatable. Great spot to catch sunset. Try the Ahi Tuna or the Chicken Sandwich, and the shareable drinks.
8. Cut across town at Brookfield Mall (make sure to stop at Eataly if you’ve never been!) to the WTC and check out the Oculus and the vast emptiness that is the endless pools of the 9/11 Memorial. Chilling, haunting, and awesome (in the literal sense), this really is an amazing tribute to a terrifying event in history. The museum itself is beautifully done, but, obviously a huge downer. Expect highly personal touches like the last words of people left on loved-one’s voicemails, and dying notes crumbled up and thrown from the falling windows. Expect to spend over an hour here if you make the call to go in, otherwise, it’s a short stop. Continue downtown on Broadway for the corporate art (like Noguchi’s Red Cube), food trucks/cart food, and taxi options.
9. End the night in style—Get your second dinner (I always recommend eating two small meals instead of one large one!) at the well-known Nobu, or skip straight to cocktails & apps at Blacktail or Cedar Local.
10. If you don’t want to end up bankrupt, you can skip those options and head to Shake Shack in Fulton Center, Irish American, La Parisienne, or Harry’s Pizza bar for a $28 (craft) pitcher and pie.
