Financial District

1 WTC Observatory Elevators Will Give Riders a 515-Year Time-Lapse View of NYC Skyline

The Lower Manhattan skyline in 1796

April 20, 2015

1 WTC Observatory Elevators Will Give Riders a 515-Year Time-Lapse View of NYC Skyline

By
Tourists and die-hard New Yorkers who plan on shelling out $32 to take in the vistas from the One World Trade Center observation deck will also get the unique experience of taking in the city's skyline through the last 515 years. The Times reports that the five elevators servicing the building's 102nd-floor observatory will be equipped with three wrapping, high-tech monitors that will display a time-lapse view of Lower Manhattan as its takes its patrons on a 47-second, 23 mph ride to the top. The screens will project everything from Manhattan's start as a verdant, marshy wonder to its rise as the world's capital in all its sky-scraping glory. But, most notably, the ride will highlight the south WTC tower brought down by terrorists on 9/11.
Watch a video of the experience here
In the 1700s NYC Had an Official Location for Buying, Selling, and Renting Slaves
April 15, 2015

In the 1700s NYC Had an Official Location for Buying, Selling, and Renting Slaves

By
Behind all the banks, tall towers and tourists filling up FiDi is a dark past most of us know nothing about. Back in the 1700s, a corner of Wall Street at Pearl Street played host to the city's official slave market. Though no real recognition has been given to those that suffered in the construction of Manhattan in its earliest days—rather, the area's sordid past has for the better part been swept under the rug—WNYC reports that the city will finally pay tribute to these forgotten slaves, adding a historical marker to the site where the slave market once operated.
Find out more about the slave market here
Norman Foster’s 2 World Trade Center Could Get a Jumpstart Thanks to Rupert Murdoch
April 13, 2015

Norman Foster’s 2 World Trade Center Could Get a Jumpstart Thanks to Rupert Murdoch

By
Norman Foster's 88-story tower, destined for the last unoccupied site of the World Trade Center complex, could finally get the legs it needs to move forward. The New York Times reports that media giants News Corporation and 21st Century Fox, both headed by Rupert Murdoch, are in talks with the Port Authority and developer Larry Silverstein to make the long-stalled 1,349-foot skyscraper their next home. The move would relocate a number of News Corp. and Fox's top brands—which include the NY Post and the Wall Street Journal—and give 2 WTC what it needs to resume construction as required by the Port Authority; namely a solid anchor tenant. Ground was broken on the tower way back in 2008 and slated for completion in 2016, but in 2013 the Port Authority put a hold on construction until tenants could be found for occupancy.
More on the move forward here
One World Observatory Opens on Friday, May 29th!
April 7, 2015

One World Observatory Opens on Friday, May 29th!

By
Yesterday, an insider over at Curbed noticed entrance signage for One World Trade Center's observatory. And now, just a day later, it's been officially announced that One World Observatory will open on Friday, May 29. The press release also shares that tickets, which will cost $32 for an adult, will go on sale tomorrow at 10am. The three-floor observation deck will sit 1,250 feet above ground on floors 100, 101, and 102 and cover 125,000 square feet.
More details here
VIDEO: The Fascinating History of the Manhattan Municipal Building

The Manhattan Municipal Building toward the end of construction in 1913, via Shorpy

March 24, 2015

VIDEO: The Fascinating History of the Manhattan Municipal Building

By
When we think of the city's early skyscrapers, landmarks like the Woolworth Building and Flatiron Building usually come to mind. But there's an equally fascinating and beautiful icon that often gets overlooked–the 1914 Manhattan Municipal Building. One of New York's first skyscrapers, the 580-foot Beaux Arts masterpiece influenced civic construction throughout the country and served as the prototype for Chicago's Wrigley Building and Cleveland's Terminal Tower, among others. A new video from Blueprint NYC (produced by the Office of NYCMedia) takes us into this historic structure, discussing everything from the reason for construction (after the 1898 consolidation of the five boroughs, there was a need for increased governmental office space) to interesting factoids (the building was designed from a rejected sketch of Grand Central Terminal Station) to the turn-of-the-century innovations that made this unique structure possible.
Watch the video
January 19, 2015

VIDEO: Santiago Calatrava Explains the Design of His Ground Zero Church

By

Back in October, we revealed renderings for Santiago Calatrava’s Ground Zero Church, which will overlook the 9/11 Memorial. Now we have a BBC video that features Calatrava explaining his vision for Saint Nicholas Church. ArchDaily, who spotted the feature, writes that “the building, which broke ground last year, has been described by Calatrava as a ‘tiny jewel’ for lower […]

New Photo Kiosk Lets You Take a Selfie with One World Trade Center
December 19, 2014

New Photo Kiosk Lets You Take a Selfie with One World Trade Center

By
It's hard to get the perfect selfie when you're worried about holding the phone at the right angle and pressing the button without dropping it. So a new Financial District photo kiosk will come as a welcome relief to architecture-loving selfie-takers. The bright red "selfie station," sponsored by the Downtown Alliance, a lower Manhattan business improvement district, lets users take photos of themselves with One World Trade Center soaring in the background. Located at Albany Plaza at the corner of Greenwich and Albany Streets, the high-tech kiosk also lets visitors choose photo filters and email, tweet, or Facebook their selfie.
More details on the One WTC Selfie Kiosk
Don’t Forget, One World Trade Was Supposed to Be the Greenest Building in America
December 9, 2014

Don’t Forget, One World Trade Was Supposed to Be the Greenest Building in America

By
Since the opening of One World Trade Center just a few weeks ago, the world has been in an uproar over the design and the incredible cost of making New York's tallest tower a reality. But one feature that we all seemed to have forgotten was the promise that the tower would be the greenest building in America. A recent City Lab article looks at what went wrong, and why, in a race to meet contractual obligations to its anchor tenant, Condé Nast, the development dumped a major part of its plans to go green, currently leaving the building in a state of noncompliance.
Find out more here
World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

Ironworkers attach the “Old Glory” flag to the final Oculus rafter piece before installation

November 26, 2014

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

By
Just weeks after One World Trade Center and the Fulton Center Subway Station opened their doors for business, the last of the 114 steel rafters was installed on Santiago Calatrava's long-overdue, majorly over-budget flying bird-looking transportation hub. This is just one of many steel components in the project; it’s made up of 618 steel pieces which weigh more than 12,000 tons. The rafters were supposed to be completed by August, but though they were three months behind schedule, the hub is still expected to open in late 2015.
Read more here
Lindsay Lohan Rents Financial District Apartment
November 14, 2014

Lindsay Lohan Rents Financial District Apartment

By
LiLo is moving to FiDi. When she wraps up her run of “Speed the Plough” on London's West End, Lindsay Lohan will cross the pond straight to the Financial District, where she's inked a deal on a 700-square-foot apartment at the W New York Downtown at 123 Washington Street, according to the Daily News. The one-bedroom pad was originally listed for $2 million and then as a $5,000/month rental, though there's no confirmed word on exactly what Lindsay, along with her sister Ali, will be paying. But the Lohan girls will have plenty of celeb neighbors, including Kate Upton and Bow Wow.
Take a look inside LiLo's new home
Fulton Center Subway Station to Open This Monday with Its Impressive Oculus

Fulton Center via Grimshaw Architects

November 6, 2014

Fulton Center Subway Station to Open This Monday with Its Impressive Oculus

By
It's a busy couple of weeks for the Financial District. On Monday, Condé Nast moved in to One World Trade Center, and this coming Monday, November 10th, at 5:00pm, the Fulton Center subway station will finally open. The new station, which connects ten subway lines, was first conceived in 2002 as part of downtown revitalization efforts following 9/11, but also because the station had needed improvements for decades. It was initially supposed to open in 2007, but funding hurdles and escalating costs delayed the progress. More recently, Hurricane Sandy and systems testing problems pushed back the opening further. But the $1.4 billion transit hub is now ready to welcome commuters and dazzle them with its giant 120-foot-tall oculus.
Take an advance look inside Fulton Center
November 5, 2014

POLL: Can One World Trade Center Get to 100% Occupancy?

By

On Monday, anchor tenant Condé Nast moved into One World Trade Center. It was, of course, a significant day for many reasons, but it left a lot of people wondering if they would feel comfortable working in the 104-story tower. And since the building is currently only 58% leased, we want to know if you think One WTC […]

See How Top Architects Build Sculptures from 100,000 Cans of Food to Help the Hungry
November 4, 2014

See How Top Architects Build Sculptures from 100,000 Cans of Food to Help the Hungry

By
Food drives and can collections are not uncommon as we approach the holidays. And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, Canstruction is back again for its 22nd year with a brand new exhibit that invites New Yorkers to not only think about food in a whole new way, but to take part in a good cause. This year's event has invited 32 teams made up of NYC's top architecture and engineering design firms to turn 100,000 cans of food into spectacular sculptures at Brookfield Place. To give you a taste of what's to come when the exhibit opens this Thursday, some of last year's participants included big names like Skanska, Perkins Eastman, CetraRuddy, Ennead Architects, Arup, and Dattner Architects. Yes, these are more than just a bunch of stacked cans.
More on the new exhibit
Today’s the Day: Condé Nast Moves into One World Trade Center
November 3, 2014

Today’s the Day: Condé Nast Moves into One World Trade Center

By
More than nine years after ground broke at One World Trade Center, the tower's first and largest tenant, Condé Nast, is moving in. Though the media company will not complete its move until January, the relocation actually began last weekend when 2,800 orange crates full of files, photos, and books were carted downtown from the media company's Times Square office. Today, 175 employees will start their days at One WTC, the first wave of the 3,400 employees at 18 magazines. And as the New York Times notes, the scene they're encountering is much different than when construction began nearly a decade ago. As the number of financial institutions has declined, tech firms, advertising agencies, and media companies have made the Financial District their new home, along with a residential population of 61,000.
More on the big move here
It Will Cost $32 to Visit One World Trade Center’s Observatory
October 29, 2014

It Will Cost $32 to Visit One World Trade Center’s Observatory

By
On Monday we learned that tourism is predicted to bring in one quarter, roughly $53 million, of the One World Trade Center's annual revenue by 2019. And now the much-talked-about ticket price to visit the three-floor observation deck of the tower, known as One World Observatory, has been revealed. It will cost $32 for an adult to visit the observatory when it opens in the spring of 2015.
More details and renderings of the observatory ahead
Happy Birthday Lady Liberty! She Turns 128 Today
October 28, 2014

Happy Birthday Lady Liberty! She Turns 128 Today

By
Every day Lady Liberty stands tall holding high her torch in celebration of our nation's freedom. Since today is Miss Liberty's 128th birthday, we thought it would only be appropriate to take some time out of our busy schedules to return the favor. Join us for a brief look back at some of Miss Liberty's most notable moments throughout history. Happy birthday Lady Liberty, and here we go!
Fun facts on Miss Liberty here
It’s Expected That Tourism Will Bring in 25% of One World Trade Center’s Revenue
October 27, 2014

It’s Expected That Tourism Will Bring in 25% of One World Trade Center’s Revenue

By
On Friday, news broke that anchor tenant Condé Nast will begin its big move in to One World Trade Center on November 3rd. And now we've learned that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, along with the Durst Organization, is predicting that one quarter, roughly $53 million, of the tower's annual revenue will be generated from tourism by 2019. The three-floor observation deck of the tower, known as One World Observatory, is expected to be visited by about 3.5 million people per year. Legends Hospitality LLC, the developer of the observatory, has not yet revealed what it will cost to visit the site, but it's expected to be on par with the Empire State Building, which received $101 million in 2013 from visits to its observatory (it costs $29 per person), 40% of its annual revenue.
Learn more about this prediction and the state-of-the-art observation deck here
<b>Accounting for the Strange Faces That Adorn the Woolworth Building (And Other Fun Facts)</b>
October 23, 2014

Accounting for the Strange Faces That Adorn the Woolworth Building (And Other Fun Facts)

By
The 101-year old Woolworth Building has been in the news quite a bit lately, especially since it was first announced that the top 30 floors would be turned into 34 apartments; one of which is a nine-story penthouse is expected to hit the market for a record $110 million. But the Woolworth has long been at the center of New York life with its storied past and lofty 792-foot height. It cost $13.5 million to erect the tower in 1913, and the building was the world's tallest when it first debuted. Though a number—50 to be exact—have surpassed it in height, the Woolworth Building has remained one of the world's most admired for its detailed and compelling ornamentation. Like other prestigious companies of its time, Frank W. Woolworth wanted something unforgettable and the building's architect, Cass Gilbert, certainly delivered. The tower is filled to the brim with mosaics, stained-glass, golden embellishments and of course tons of those carved faces and figures.
See the faces of the Woolworth building
REVEALED: Renderings for Santiago Calatrava’s Ground Zero Church
October 16, 2014

REVEALED: Renderings for Santiago Calatrava’s Ground Zero Church

By
Ahead of the groundbreaking this weekend, a new video and renderings have been revealed for Santiago Calatrava's church near Ground Zero, which will overlook the 9/11 Memorial. The new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will be constructed of white Vermont marble, inspired by a mosaic of the Madonna and Child Enthroned at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
More on the design here
New Woolworth Building Listing Reveals Additional Residential Details

Rendering of unit 31A terrace

October 16, 2014

New Woolworth Building Listing Reveals Additional Residential Details

By
First came the floorplans for the $110 million penthouse, then the first set of interior renderings, and now we have a new sneak peak inside the highly anticipated Woolworth Tower Residences. The Post has profiled unit 31A, a four-bedroom, full-floor unit on the market for $26.4 million. And along with a written description--"a kitchen with all the modern conveniences, a massive formal dining room, hidden bars, a library and...two terraces to enjoy the view from 31 stories up"-- come two new renderings, those of the terrace and the kitchen.
More details ahead
REVEALED: Beekman Hotel and Condo Interiors
September 24, 2014

REVEALED: Beekman Hotel and Condo Interiors

By
Last month, pricing and exterior renderings were released for the much-anticipated Beekman Hotel and Condo conversion project. The long-shuttered historic structure (originally known as the Temple Court Building) will be topped off with a 51-story condominium tower adjacent to the 1883-built landmark and its famous atrium. It will contain 68 residential units designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen. The building's lower levels will house 287 hotel rooms. Now, Curbed has received the first reveal of the interior renderings, and they do not disappoint. From the modern apartments with Woolworth Building views to the luxe amenity areas, the rooms at 5 Beekman Street exude luxury and prestige. One of the most impressive interior shots is of the atrium, which extends through all nine stories of the original Terra Cotta structure and is topped off by a large, pyramidal skylight. It will be a lounge by Tom Colicchio known as the Living Room, the centerpiece of the hotel and a fine dining spot for residents and guests alike.
Tour the rest of the conversion, from the atrium to the roof terrace
Frank Gehry’s Decade-Old Design for the WTC Performing Arts Center Gets Dumped by Officials
September 4, 2014

Frank Gehry’s Decade-Old Design for the WTC Performing Arts Center Gets Dumped by Officials

By
Frank Gehry continues to fall out of favor with New Yorkers as execs of the Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center have officially shelved the starchitect's design planned for Ground Zero. Gehry drew up plans for the art center over a decade ago and very few moves were made to bring the project to fruition—in part due to stalled fund-raising and delays to the construction of the transit hub which sits under site. The snub, which actually wasn't communicated to the architect directly, seems to not have affected him much, but he had some choice words directed towards the board's president, Maggie Boepple.
More on the drama here
Prodigy Network Closes on $85 Million FiDi Site for Their ‘Cotel’ Crowdfunded Hotel
September 3, 2014

Prodigy Network Closes on $85 Million FiDi Site for Their ‘Cotel’ Crowdfunded Hotel

By
Back in June, we took a look at the winning designs for Prodigy Network's 17John 'Cotel' (collaborative + hotel = cotel), the city's first crowdsourced hotel and the world's first collaborative hotel. Now, the real estate crowdfunding startup has closed on the 15-story rental building at 17 John Street for $85.3 million, $25 million of which came from crowdfunded equity. Additional financing came from Deutsche Bank and another institutional investor. The property will be transformed into a 23-story, 191-unit extended-stay hotel, designed for the next generation of business traveler.
More on the first-of-its-kind project in NYC
REVEALED: 125 Greenwich Street Will Rival One WTC and Become Downtown’s Tallest Residential Tower
September 2, 2014

REVEALED: 125 Greenwich Street Will Rival One WTC and Become Downtown’s Tallest Residential Tower

By
The latest in the world of New York City supertalls comes to us from New York YIMBY, who has revealed renderings for the Rafael Viñoly-designed 125 Greenwich Street. At 1,356 feet, it will become Downtown's tallest residential tower, the first to rival the 57th Street skyscrapers like Extell's planned Nordstrom Tower, which will rise 1,479 feet. It will also be just 12 feet shy of One World Trade Center's roof, making it the second tallest skyscraper in the Financial District.
More details and renderings here
Pitch a story icon

Pitch a Story

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

Distinctive Post Form

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544
Contact us image

Get in Touch

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Send us a tip image
Delivering New York stories focused on design, lifestyle & real estate.

Send us a Tip

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams. It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo
or Call (212) 755-5544

Thinking about selling your home?

We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert.

CityRealty Logo

Sell a Home (Footer)

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Subscribe for NYC's Lastest Design, Lifestyle,
and Real Estate Trends!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.