Some of New York’s finest architecture is found at its Civic Center, the headquarters for city government. Buildings here span the centuries, from the 18th-century St. Paul’s Chapel to the pioneering 20th-century Woolworth Building. Nearby is the famous Brooklyn Bridge, and the old maritime center of the city, South Street Seaport, its piers and buildings now restored as a lively hub of cafés, restaurants, and museums.
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Morning
Most subway routes lead to City Hall. When you come up to street level, walk down Broadway to see the lobbies of the Woolworth (see Woolworth Building) and the former AT & T Building and the Georgian interior of St. Paul’s Chapel.
Return via Park Row, once known as Newspaper Row because it was lined with their offices. Printing House Square has a statue of Benjamin Franklin with his Pennsylvania Gazette. West of the Row lies City Hall Park, where the Declaration of Independence was read to George Washington’s troops in July 1776. The park was recently restored and has a new granite time wheel telling the city’s history.
A walk along Center and Chambers streets takes you past the ornate Municipal Building.
Afternoon
At midday, head east for a seafood lunch at the Bridge Café , housed in a 1794 wood-framed building. From here the East River is a short stroll away, offering excellent views of lower Manhattan.
Spend the afternoon at South Street Seaport , visiting the museum and maritime crafts center, perhaps taking a cruise on one of the ships. Have dinner on Pier 17, enjoying Caribbean fare at the lively Cabana (see Cabana at the Seaport), or New American fare at Harbour Lights .
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Built in 1922, this is a monument to excess but fun to see nevertheless. The façade is said to have more columns than any other building in the world, and the vast lobby is a forest of marble pillars. Close by at 120 Broadway, the former Equitable Building, built in 1915, is of note for another excess: the immense bulk of the building was responsible for the nation’s first skyscraper zoning regulations.
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Recreation of a 19th-century print shop with working printing presses.
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Opened in 1791, this is one of the oldest establishments in the city. Inside the quaint building, there are checked tablecloths, and a surprisingly sophisticated American menu.
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When it was completed in 1883 linking Manhattan and Brooklyn, this was the largest suspension bridge in the world and the first to be built of steel. It took 600 workmen and 16 years to build, and claimed 20 lives, including that of the designing engineer, John A. Roebling. It is now a symbol of New York, and those who walk the 1-mile (1.8-km) span are rewarded with fabulous views of city towers seen through the artistic wire cablework.
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A Latin flavor enlivens this Seaport favorite, serving a Cuban/ Caribbean menu. Expect pitchers of sangria and spontaneous samba.
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Another chain found all over the city, this café offers a selection of hot drinks, soups, salads, inventive sandwiches, and pizzas.
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The seat of city government since 1812, City Hall is considered one of the most beautiful early 19th-century public buildings in the U.S. The design, by architects Mangin and McComb, Jr., won a competition held in 1802. A statue of Justice, dating from 1887, crowns the top of the structure. The rear of the building, facing north, was not clad in marble until 1954, since the architects never expected the city to develop further north.
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Pita bread warm from the oven laden with your choice of fillings, including ham, chicken, or roasted peppers. Part of a chain.
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The 1885 schooner Pioneer offers 90-minute family sails and two-hour cruises in the afternoon and evening.
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Restaurant price categories
For a three-course meal for one with a glass of house wine, and all unavoidable charges including tax.
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