Spotlight: NYC - Wall Street

 Spotlight: When you think of New York City, one of the Top 5 things that comes to mind is probably Wall Street. Conversely, despite the fact that it is a critical part of the city, it is unlikely that it makes most people's Top 5 tourist destinations within the city. It didn't even make our Top 10. So why is it included in my NYC spotlight? Since my blog is titled The Path Less Trodden, I try to find places that are either inexpensive, or are less traveled tourist sites. Also, it turned out to be more interesting than I expected. We actually ended up there by default. When we went to see the progress of the World Trade Centers Memorial, we were met by a tall fence that pretty much blocked our view. Since that left us with some extra time before we needed to head to our next destination, I looked over my plan B list and realized that Wall St. was really close. So we walked over to take a look.

Location: Near the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway, there are several interesting things to see: google map

Time: 30 min. if you look around on your own; 1-2 hours to take one of the tours

Cost: $0-$50 to take one of the tours

Description: I would have liked to take one of the Wall Street tours, but we didn't have time, and it would have cost extra since it wasn't included in the New York Pass. The reviews of those who have taken the tours are positive, so it is something I would love to do on a future trip. However, on this trip, we just looked around on our own.

     We saw the building that houses the New York Stock Exchange - the biggest stock exchange in the world. The stock exchange has an average daily trading value of almost $200 billion. What happens here affects the financial prospects of the entire world - as evidenced by the Great Depression that started with the stock market crash in New York City. Since 9/11, the general public isn't admitted within the stock exchange unless they are part of a tour, so we didn't get to see inside the building. The outside, however, is very impressive. Surprisingly, Wall Street is also home to the world's second largest stock exchange - NASDAQ.
     As we walked along Wall Street, we noticed several other buildings that I hadn't realized were there. Since I am a history buff, I knew that New York City was the first capital of the United States. What I didn't realize is that Federal Hall was right across the street from the NY Stock Exchange until I noticed the large statue of George Washington standing in front of it. The statue marks the spot where George Washington was sworn in as president of the United States.

    The Federal Reserve Bank of New York building reportedly holds 25% of the world's reserves making it the largest known treasury in the world. This fortress is 14 stories high, and occupies a whole block on Wall Street. The vault is 80 feet underground and holds 7,000 tonnes of gold bullion - more than Fort Knox.
     Wall Street is also home to the Trump Building (40 Wall Street). Although the building has been known by different names over the years, at the time it was built, it briefly held the title as the tallest building in the world
     .One building that I knew was there was Trinity Church. This extremely beautiful church is a National Historic Landmark. Famous people buried here include: Alexander Hamilton, William Bradford, Franklin Wharton, Robert Fulton, Captain James Lawrence and Albert Gallatin. The church has gained fame in recent years for its role in the blockbuster movie National Treasure.

      Since Wall Street is the heart of US economics, it is only fitting that the Museum of American Finance is located here. Keep an eye out for the famous Wall Street Bull statue. You can also find one of the three NYC branches of the Tiffany & Co. jewelry store (made famous by the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's) next to the Trump Building.

Things you should know:
- The current Federal Hall isn't the original, but it is built on the same site. It was here that Congress met for the first time, adopted the Bill of Rights, and created the Departments of State, War and Treasury.  It is also where the Supreme Court was first created. Today, it serves as a museum dedicated to the birth of democracy.
- Wall Street is rocking during the day, but pretty mellow at night. Most tours and buildings are only available/open during business hours. Of course if you want to avoid crowds, and are only interested in seeing the famous buildings, go in the evening.
- It appears that a couple of Wall Street tours are now included on the New York Pass.
- Free Tours by Foot offers "free" tours. They don't charge you up front, but let you decide what the tour is worth once it's over. Naturally, most people pay.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5) - potentially higher if we'd had time to take a tour

Nearby: World Trade Centers (9/11) Memorial, Battery Park, Museum of Jewish Heritage, Brooklyn Bridge