A Day In Lower Manhattan

Every now and then I take a day trip by subway, or express bus, into downtown Manhattan from my home in Brooklyn, NY, which is one of the five boroughs that comprise New York
City.

I've lived in Brooklyn my entire life, and yes, I have a Brooklyn accent which is recognized everywhere, especially if I say a word that ends with an "r" or an "a," as Brooklynites seem to interchange the sound of those letters in the pronunciation of a word -- much to my chagrin!

I guess the Brooklyn accent is also something we embrace with a little moxie, as you can see from one of the traffic signs our Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, had erected at traffic exits from Brooklyn. Yes, Brooklynites really do say: "Fuhgeddaboudit"! Especially when we answer the question: "Howya doin?"



If you look at the picture above, which was taken years ago from the observational deck of the NYC World Trade Center, Twin Towers building 2, the bridge on the right is the famous Brooklyn Bridge which connects Brooklyn to lower Manhattan over the East River.

My husband works in downtown Manhattan on the 44TH floor of the building below.
When I visit we usually meet for lunch, and then I'll spend some time shopping, or browsing bookstores, or just walking around enjoying the local sights until the end of his workday, and then we'll commute together back home.


Lower Manhattan is such a wonderful blend of old and new architecture, as you can see from the pictures below. I love to wander around and explore all its nooks and crannies.


This is India House, built in 1854, it originally was built for the Hanover Bank. This brownstone structure subsequently housed the New York Cotton Exchange and W. R. Grace & Co., and today it functions as a club and restaurant.

Across the street from India House is Hanover Square Park which has been designated as the British Memorial Garden; a gift from the British community and it's American friends to honor of the memory of the 67 British victims of the World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001.
The park is still under construction and promises to be a pleasant place for local workers and residents to gather on a nice day.

The British Memorial Garden was dedicated on November 1, 2005, by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, along with his wife, Her Royal Highness Princess of Cornwall. See the picture below of the Prince holding the center stone for the park, which contains his heraldic emblem and the words "Ich Dien," which means "I Serve."

Many historical events in America's history have taken place in lower Manhattan.

The pictures above are of Federal Hall where on this site on April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath to become the first President of The United States, and this site was home to the first Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive Branch offices. The current structure, a Customs House, later served as part of the US Sub-Treasury. Now the building serves as a museum and a memorial to our first president.
Not far from Federal Hall is the seat of the American economy, Manhattan's Financial District. It contains Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange.



Because of the unfortunate events of 9/11, all of New York City has increased security, and it is easy to see it's visible signs such as streets rimmed with heavy metal posts to prevent trucks from plowing into a building as seen in the picture below.


Or bomb-sniffing dogs and police with assault rifles on watch, especially in the high profile areas around Wall Street.


As we leave Wall Street we approach Trinity Church, one of the oldest churches in the United States, and where Episcopalians have worshipped since the land was purchased in 1697. The original church on the site, which was constructed in 1698, burned during the American Revolutionary War, and saw the official end of the conflict, and is also the resting place of many martyrs of the revolution, including Alexander Hamilton.

In my next blog I'll take you on a walk through Trinity Church's the very interesting cemetery, and show you more pictures from my day in lower Manhattan.