Financial District

February 27, 2024

Stunning nine-story atrium at The Beekman Hotel is up for landmark status 

Once part of New York City architectural lore, the nine-story Victorian atrium at The Beekman Hotel may soon be formally recognized. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the central atrium of 5 Beekman Street for consideration as an interior landmark. Built as part of the 19th-century commercial building Temple Court, the space consists of eight tiers of galleries topped by a cast-iron pyramid-shaped skylight. For decades, the atrium was walled in and off-limits to the public, until work began in 2014 to restore and transform the historic building into a hotel. Now a decade after the project began, the stunning atrium, restored to its former glory and the centerpiece of the luxury Beekman Hotel, is up for landmark status.
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February 22, 2024

Westfield sued over plans to ditch Fulton Center

A plan from the Westfield Corporation to exit its 20-year retail lease at Fulton Center early is being met with a lawsuit from the New York City Transit Authority. As first reported by Bloomberg, the NYCTA sued Westfield after the mall operator announced it wanted to terminate its lease 10 years in. The suit, which aims to keep Westfield as the mall's operator, claims the transit agency would suffer major financial losses that could impact commuters if Westfield pulled out of the lease.
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February 7, 2024

A millwork-wrapped co-op in FiDi’s iconic Morse Building asks $2.25M

This co-op in the Financial District offers a designer-crafted residence at a historic address. On a high floor within the 19th-century landmarked Morse Building, the home was designed by architect David Hotson, known for his work on the SkyHouse penthouse at 150 Nassau Street and the Pinnacle of the Woolworth Building. On a slightly smaller scale than those projects but sophisticated nonetheless, the available two-bedroom home, asking $2,250,000, is wrapped in white oak millwork and features two clever lofted spaces.
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February 1, 2024

Play with giant light-up dominos in the Financial District

A new interactive public art installation in the Financial District is injecting vibrant color and sound into New York City's dreary winter. Created by Montreal-based design studio Ingrid Ingrid, "Domino Effect" features 120 giant dominos scattered across 12 tables in Fosun Plaza, with each domino giving off a unique sound and color. Presented by the Downtown Alliance in partnership with Quartier des Spectacles International, the installation is on view at Fosun Plaza in front of 28 Liberty Street through March 6.
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December 7, 2023

Leasing launches at Pearl House in the Seaport, NYC’s largest office-to-rental conversion

Leasing has launched at New York City's largest office-to-rental conversion to date. Developed by Vanbarton Group and designed by Gensler, Pearl House at 160 Water Street in the Seaport District includes 588 luxury apartments and three levels of resort-style amenities at what was a 1970s-era office building. Pricing starts at $3,500 for studios, $4,700 for one-bedrooms, and $6,400 for two-bedrooms, according to Bloomberg.
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November 10, 2023

A festive roller rink is opening inside the Oculus

A roller rink is opening inside the World Trade Center's Oculus this month. "Winter Whirl" invites skaters of all ages to skate inside the Lower Manhattan shopping mall and underneath the architecturally stunning skylight designed by Santiago Calatrava. The rink will open for the season on Friday, November 24, and operate through late January.
go for a winter whirl
October 19, 2023

The best bar in North America is on the Lower East Side

The best bar in North America is in New York City. The annual list of the world's 50 best bars was unveiled this week and the Lower East Side's Double Chicken Please took second place, making it the best bar on this continent. Two other Manhattan bars made the list: Overstory in the Financial District at 17 and and Katana Kitten in Greenwich Village at 27.
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October 12, 2023

Three major public art installations explore sustainability, social justice as part of NYC’s annual Design Pavilion

Three new massive public art installations have been unveiled in Manhattan as part of NYCxDESIGN's annual public design exhibition Design Pavilion and the monthlong Archtober festival. The three thought-provoking artworks center around themes of social justice and sustainability. The installations, on view at One World Trade Center and Gansevoort Plaza, are open and free to the public through October 18.
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August 7, 2023

Once listed for $110M, Woolworth Building penthouse sells for $30M

Six years and an $80 million price cut later, one of New York City's most iconic penthouse properties has found a buyer. The Woolworth Building's seven-story penthouse has sold for $30 million, not even a third of the original $110 million asking price. According to the Wall Street Journal, Scott Lynn, chief executive of Masterworks, an online art-investment service, is the buyer. After hitting the market for the jaw-dropping price in 2017, the penthouse, known as the Pinnacle, saw several price chops in recent years and was last publicly listed for $59 million, according to CityRealty.
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August 1, 2023

See plan to convert FiDi office tower 55 Broad into 571 market-rate apartments

The plan to convert the Financial District office tower at 55 Broad Street into apartments is finally moving forward, with a closed deal and the release of new renderings this week. Silverstein Properties and Metro Loft Management on Monday announced they bought the tower for $172.5 million with plans to turn the 30-story office tower into a residential building with 571 market-rate apartments; upon completion, it will be one of New York City's largest office-to-residential conversions ever. Construction is expected to start in August and take roughly two years.
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July 27, 2023

400 units of affordable housing approved for 5 World Trade Center

The 900-foot-tall mixed-use skyscraper planned for 5 World Trade Center will include 400 units of affordable housing, a slight increase from the original proposal. After stalled negotiations, the Public Authorities Control Board on Thursday approved the mixed-use development at 130 Liberty Street, which calls for 1,200 new apartments, one-third of which will be permanently affordable to New Yorkers earning between 40 and 120 percent of the area median income. Plus, 20 percent of the affordable apartments will be offered to individuals who lived or worked in the neighborhood on September 11, including first responders and families of victims. Construction is scheduled to start next year, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
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July 20, 2023

Historic NYC restaurant Delmonico’s reopening in the Financial District

A New York City culinary icon is reopening its doors this September. Delmonico's, considered one of the country's first fine dining establishments when it opened in 1837, will once again welcome diners at its original location at 56 Beaver Street in the Financial District. Shuttered since the early days of the pandemic in 2020, the restaurant has since been renovated and features an updated menu created by Chef Edward J. Hong.
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July 3, 2023

Asking $19.5M, a penthouse in Richard Rogers’ first U.S. residential project in FiDi

This newly finished penthouse is located within award-winning architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners' No. 33 Park Row, the firm's first and only residential project in New York City. The park-front landmark joins RSHP's roster of celebrated projects, such as One Hyde Park in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Asking $19,500,000, the five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom duplex Penthouse 3 offers residents dramatic 21-foot-tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a stunning loggia terrace with sweeping views of City Hall Park and Tribeca.
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June 15, 2023

World Trade Center’s new cube-shaped arts center reveals inaugural season ahead of opening

A new arts center at the World Trade Center was included in the 2003 master plan for Lower Manhattan after September 11. Two decades later, the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC) is opening this fall. On Wednesday, the center announced the lineup for its augural season, including wide-ranging programs across theater, dance, music, film, and more. Located at 251 Fulton Street, PAC is a unique, cube-shaped building with a glowing marble facade and flexible performance spaces within. The center kicks off its season on September 19 with a five-night pay-what-you-wish event, "Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World," which will include performances from musicians from around the world.
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June 7, 2023

A public art installation in Lower Manhattan reimagines Earth using plastic waste

A timely new public art installation in Lower Manhattan depicts the devastating impact of pollution on Earth. Created by Israeli artist Beverly Barkat, "Earth Poetica" uses a mixture of plastic materials collected from the world's oceans, waterways, and forests to create a globe that appears beautiful on the outside but is in fact just trash on the inside. Located in the lobby of 3 World Trade Center, the 13-foot-tall sculpture is made up of 180 colorful panels and highlights areas of the world suffering from increasing plastic pollution.
See the artwork
May 17, 2023

Century 21 reopens in the Financial District

New York City's favorite discount department store is back. Century 21 on Tuesday officially reopened its flagship at 22 Cortlandt Street in the Financial District three years after filing for bankruptcy and closing all of its locations. The renovated store has four floors with men's, women's, and children's apparel, including footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories, and fragrances. To honor its connection to the city, the famed store has added "NYC" to its logo.
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April 3, 2023

Now complete, NYC’s largest office-to-condo conversion One Wall Street shows off latest home

New York City's largest office-to-residential conversion is flaunting its latest luxury residence. Construction has officially wrapped up at the Art Deco landmark One Wall Street, formerly the headquarters for the Irving Trust Company and now a 566-unit residential tower. Following that milestone, new images were released last week of one of the building's most impressive apartments, Residence 3404. The home represents a unique collaboration between interior designer Guillaume Coutheillas of frenchCalifornia and One Wall Street developer Harry Macklowe, who hand-picked all of the art seen in the three-bedroom apartment.
Take a look
February 14, 2023

Tours of NYC’s old City Hall subway station return this spring

After a three-year pandemic hiatus, in-person tours of New York City's abandoned City Hall subway station are returning this spring. The station, which is where the first ever subway ride departed in 1904, has been decommissioned since the 1940s. The New York Transit Museum has exclusive access to the station and offers 90-minute tours that explore its ornate vaulted Guastavino tiled ceilings, chandeliers, and skylights. Tickets will go on sale this March and are only available to members of the museum.
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December 8, 2022

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

The only house of worship that was totally destroyed during the September 11 attacks finally reopened to the public this week. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, now located at 130 Liberty Street, resumed regular parish life with a prayer service on Monday. Inspired by Byzantine architecture, Calatrava designed a facade that appears to glow from within; the church will be illuminated every night as a beacon of hope at the site.
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November 4, 2022

Vote for your favorite large-scale can sculpture during 30th annual ‘Canstruction’ contest

The annual competition that brings together architects, engineers, and contractors for a good cause is back for its 30th year. "Canstruction" asks teams to design and build intricate, large-scale sculptures made of unopened food cans, with all of the cans donated to City Harvest, the city’s largest food rescue organization, and distributed to food pantries following the contest. Held at Brookfield Place in the Financial District, the event is free and open to the public. The competition runs through November 14 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Vote for your favorite can sculpture here.
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August 31, 2022

Your guide to the Financial District, NYC’s oldest new downtown neighborhood

Located at the southernmost part of lower Manhattan–and at the center of the global financial universe–New York City's Financial District in many ways represents New York City to the world. Encompassing the area south of City Hall Park, with the corner of Wall and Broad Streets as its center, this bustling grid of streets is also a waterfront neighborhood, surrounded by New York Harbor and the East River. As a backdrop, the towering masts of South Street Seaport's tall ships recall the maritime history of the city's earliest days. The business of finance is still anchored here, but as with all New York City neighborhoods, change is around every corner, and the number of residents who call this downtown district home continues to grow.
What to do and see, and where to live in Fidi
August 17, 2022

See inside One Wall Street, the largest office-to-residential conversion in NYC

A New York City Art Deco landmark is showing off its second act as a luxury residential tower. Once one of New York's tallest office buildings, One Wall Street now boasts a new superlative: the largest office-to-residential conversion in the city's history. Developed by Macklowe Properties, the 566-unit tower sits within the restored former Irving Trust Company Building, designed in 1931 by famed architect Ralph Walker. New images of the residences and innovative co-working space were released this week, providing a first peek inside one of the city's most unique new residential buildings.
See inside
August 16, 2022

NYC’s 9/11 Tribute Museum is closing

The museum which told the stories of September 11 survivors is officially closing its doors. The 9/11 Tribute Museum will close on August 17 due to financial hardships stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic, as NBC New York first reported. The museum will shift to a fully online format to continue telling victims' stories and support those affected by the attacks.
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August 12, 2022

For $2.5M, this huge FiDi co-op has ornate brass gates and lots of room for transformation

This pre-war co-op at 26 Beaver Street in the Financial District is a loft-like corner unit with plenty of interesting architectural details, not least of which is a stunning set of broad brass gates that stand at the apartment's entrance. Asking $2,450,000, the sprawling 2,400-square-foot home is currently configured with two large bedrooms, but there's more than enough living space to create a three- or four-bedroom home.
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August 5, 2022

Iconic New York Harbor sailing experience returns to the Seaport after 9 years

After a nine-year hiatus, the Howard Hughes Corporation on Friday announced the return of Manhattan by Sail to Pier 17. Clipper City Tall Ship, its newly-renovated sailboat that will offer daily specialty sails and private charters, will launch this month. Departing from the east side of Pier 17 at 89 South Street, Clipper City will operate seven days a week, taking four trips a day with an additional late-night departure at 10 p.m.
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July 5, 2022

Portside is Lower Manhattan’s latest waterfront retreat

Brookfield Properties last week announced the grand opening of their new nautical-inspired pop-up, Portside. Located at Brookfield Place's Upper Plaza in the Financial District, the space is free, open to the public, and offers guests breathtaking views of the New York Harbor. The space will also host weekly programming and events, as well as offer cocktails and food provided by Tartinery. Portside will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through September.
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