Fulton Street, street in Manhattan
Fulton Street is a street in Lower Manhattan that stretches from Church Street to South Street Seaport and features a mix of small shops, tourist spots, cast-iron buildings, and late-1800s structures. The street is marked by Schermerhorn Row, historic early-1800s buildings, and two restored ships (Peking and Wavertree) plus a floating lightship at the east end that recall the area's shipping and trade past.
The street was originally named in 1816 after Robert Fulton, the engineer who invented the steamship Clermont, which made its first voyage in 1807 and transformed water transportation. The first Fulton Ferry began operating in 1814, connecting Manhattan with Brooklyn across the East River until bridges and subways later took over that role.
The street forms the heart of the South Street Seaport Historic District, an area designed for visitors since the early 1980s. It was once defined by the smell and activity of the fish market, which shaped daily life here until the famous Fulton Fish Market relocated to the Bronx in 2012.
The street is best explored on foot, as it reveals many small details and historic buildings as you walk. Its proximity to Fulton subway station with multiple lines and to the waterfront makes it easy to reach this area and later travel to other parts of the city.
During construction work, old bottles from the 1700s were found underground, used as landfill to extend the street and now valued as artifacts telling stories of the past. These archaeological remains offer a fascinating look into the early development and infrastructure of the waterfront district.
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