Lower Manhattan, Financial district in Manhattan, United States
Lower Manhattan is a business district in the southern part of Manhattan, stretching from the southern tip of the island to 14th Street and bringing together skyscrapers, residential buildings, and historic streets. Wide avenues run through the area, while narrow alleys in the older part show the original city layout and move pedestrians between modern towers and lower brick buildings.
Dutch traders founded a colony here in the 17th century, which was later taken over by the English and became the base of the growing city. In the 19th century, the area developed into the center of American finance, while surrounding neighborhoods were settled by immigrants from Europe and Asia.
The area includes several neighborhoods where art galleries stand next to restaurants and market stalls run by families for generations. Visitors today see how old shops and modern offices exist side by side, keeping different traditions visible in daily life.
Several subway lines connect the area with the rest of the city, and ferries leave from the southern end to other boroughs and islands. Visitors find their way best by using the major intersections as landmarks and noting the different block layout between older and newer neighborhoods.
In a vault deep below the Federal Reserve Bank building, gold reserves rest on the island bedrock, more than 80 feet (24 meters) below street level. Visitors can see the massive vault doors and stacks of gold bars behind bars during tours of the bank, stored there by several countries.
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