I moved into my first apartment in New York City‘s Financial District in 2018. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to try out all of the coolest things to do in the area, which is one of Manhattan’s most underrated neighborhoods. Known as a place where finance bros work all day in high-rises and that becomes a ghost town once 5 p.m. hits, FiDi’s reputation as a hub for finance bros by day and ghost town by night belies its plentiful dining options, activities, and nightlife. While it’s true that this stretch of New York is on the sleepy side (which I very much appreciate on week nights), there’s so much to do if you know where to look. I work here, too (Traveler‘s offices are in One World Trade), so I can truly say that I eat, sleep, work, and breathe FiDi.
Whether you’re looking to engage in a few classic tourist activities, like seeing the Charging Bull or the One World Observatory, or want to stick to things only a local would do (come on the right weekend and you’ll likely run into me wandering Seaport or grabbing a drink at Fraunces Tavern), below is a perfect mix of both for visitors to pick and choose from. Here’s how to spend the perfect day in FiDi according to a local, with some advice from other Condé Nast Traveler editors peppered throughout.
8 a.m. Breakfast bagel and bull sighting
Start your day off the New York way with a BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese bagel) from Liberty Bagels. Yes, you can order a rainbow bagel if you desire, but I recommend the Egg everything with scallion cream cheese for something light, or a classic take on the BEC if you need something a bit more filling. Take your bagel to go and walk right next door to see the Charging Bull statue. You can wait in line for a picture, or head a few blocks away to the New York Stock Exchange, where the Fearless Girl statue was relocated a few years ago—it’s less crowded. Take in the Stock Exchange, views of the gorgeous Trinity Church from Wall Street, and stop into Printemps New York for a little taste of Parisian shopping in Manhattan. From there, Battery Park is just steps from the Bull (and a few minutes from the Fearless Girl), so take advantage of a short walk in one of the few patches of greenery you’ll find between FiDi’s sky-high buildings.
