Where New York began
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At the southern tip of Manhattan, the towers of Wall Street loom over cobbled lanes laid out by the Dutch. On weekdays the area runs on suits and ties; in the evening and on weekends it empties out, leaving room for historic taverns, high-up bars and walks down to the water.
It all began here with New Amsterdam, a Dutch trading post founded in the 17th century. Wall Street owes its name to the palisade built in 1653 to protect the colony. As New York, the city hosted George Washington's swearing-in as the first US president at Federal Hall in 1789, and in 1792 brokers signed the agreement under a buttonwood tree that gave birth to the New York Stock Exchange. The 9/11 Memorial now tells the neighbourhood's other story.
