Seaport and Civic Center

During the 19 century, South Seaport was one of the most important harbour in the world. Shipping activities were concentrated here at the bottom of Manhattan in front of the East River and at the edge of the Financial District.

The old docks were transformed in museums and the counting houses and warehouses in specilaity shops, offices and housing. Today, South Seaport is entirely devoted to tourism and one of the most visited attraction in New York

Sightseing by area

Getting there
By subway:
Lines N and R, City Hall
Lines 4 and 6, Brooklyn Bridge
Lines 1 and 9, Park Place

Bus
Lines 1, 6, 101 and 102


Visit Seaport

Fulton Street

The promenade on Fulton Street is very nice especially in summer with all the old building. Souvenir shops, restaurants, art galleries and artcraft shops.

Schermerhorn Row - ( 2 Fulton street ) .Group of 19 Century building build in 1811

At he end of the Street is the Fulton Fish Market . Wholesale market in operation for more than a century and half. It's the biggest fish market in the all United States.

Museum of Historic Ships
Open everyday from 10am to 17pm.

South Street Seaport Museum


Around Civic Center

At the foot of the Brooklyn bridge and north of the financial district at the limit of Chinatown. This area retains a lot of offical buildings surrounding Foley square and the City Hall Park.

This area always remained the heart of the municpal government although the city expanded north.

City Hall
Open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 15:30pm.

The buidling was build in a neo-classical style at the beginning of the 19th century.
The edifice was designed by the french Joseph-Francois Mangin inspired by the French Renaissance.

The building contains the office of the mayor and the City Council Chamber.


St Paul Chapel
Broadway & Barclay Street - Open year round Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm, Sunday 7am to 3 pm, closed on major holidays.

The St Paul Chapel is the oldest church in New York. It was constructed in 1766 in a georgian style.


Woolworth Building
233 Broadway

The Woolworth Building is certainly one of the most famous skycraper of the beginning of this century.
The building was build in 1913 by Cass Gilbert and used to be from 1913 to 1930 the tallest building of the world before the Chrysler building was created.
The Woolworth Building was created for Frank Woolworth who was the founder of the five-an-tencents stores. He is told to have paid cash the $13.5 million for the building.
He wnated something as beautiful as the House of Parliament in London but higher.
This building remained for a lot of people the best exemple of the American Dream.
The building has been designed in a Gothic style.



Tweed Courthouse
Just behind the City hall, this building is better known for the Corruption during its construction scandal than its victorian style.

As a matter of fact, the mayor William Tweedpocketed $10 million on $14 million for the construction.

The Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn bridge is the first to link Manhattan to Brooklyn.

The view over Manhattan skyline is one of the most beautiful.

The bridge was constructed by J.A. Roebling and his son between 1863 and 1883 and remain one of the most important engineering triumphs of the latest century and the longest suspended bridge for 20 years.

The bridge palyed an very important role in the development of Brooklyn