Financial District NYC Neighborhood Guide: Bars, Restaurants & Things to Do

The Financial District, also called FiDi, is a neighborhood in Manhattan home to a plethora of activities, bars, restaurants, and iconic views.

In this neighborhood guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know for exploring the Financial District.

We’ll cover:

• Where is the Financial District in NYC?
• Is the Financial District Safe?
• What Subway Lines Go to the Financial District?
• Things to Do in the Financial District
• Best Bars in FiDi
• Coffee Shops in FiDi
• Restaurants in FiDi

Let’s look at each one below. 👇

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Note: This article was written by a real human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸

Financial District Neighborhood Guide Podcast Episode

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Where is the Financial District in NYC?

While most neighborhoods in NYC blur together a bit, the Financial District technically covers most of the southernmost tip of Manhattan.

It runs from the West Side Highway on the west to the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River on the east. This neighborhood runs from the north, starting at Chambers Street and City Hall, and running south until The Battery.

Battery Park and Battery Park City are not technically part of the Financial District, but we will include them in our guide to the lowest part of Manhattan.

It was initially settled and inhabited by the Lenape, who called it Manahatta, meaning “hilly island.” The Financial District is where Europeans first settled in New York City and roughly corresponds to the boundaries of the 17th-century New Amsterdam settlement.

Is the Financial District in NYC Safe?

Generally speaking, the Financial District is safe. Like most places in New York City, traveling alone at night can be troublesome, but following general NYC safety tips will help.

Certain pockets of the Financial District can be a bit more suspect, including near the Whitehall Terminal, where the Staten Island Ferry leaves.

I’ve personally been all around this neighborhood at various times of the day and have generally felt safe.

What Subway Lines Go to the Financial District?

The Oculus is a huge transportation hub in Lower Manhattan. Just in the Oculus, there are 12 subway lines and the World Trade Center PATH station. Transit that goes through the Financial District includes:

• N, R, W
• 2, 3
• A, C, E
• J, Z
• 4, 5, 6
• Various bus routes including the M55, QM7, QM8 & more
• Multiple PATH trains

It’s a very walkable neighborhood, but slightly more confusing to get around because it’s not on a grid system (the streets have names rather than numbers).

Things to Do in Financial District NYC

There is a surprising amount of activities and things to do in the Financial District. Here are some of the most popular spots to check out in FiDi:

• The Oculus – a transportation hub, shopping mall, lots of restaurants
• One World Trade Center + Observation Deck (see our full observation deck reviews here)
• 9/11 Museum
• Charging Bull 
• Wall St.
  • Homes of the NYSE, NASDAQ, and other major financial institutions
• Museum of Jewish Heritage 
  • On our list of unique NYC museums
• The Battery (+ Battery Park City)
  • Can also check out the Korean War Memorial
  • Currently, lots of construction
• Brookfield Place Mall (mostly for the view and yachts and the park nearby but also a high-end mall)
• Ferry to Staten Island for Statue of Liberty Views
• Pier 17- lots of concerts here
• Brooklyn Bridge
• City Hall
• Elevated Acre – Park space with lawn, boardwalk, and seasonal beer garden
• Woolworth building
• Stone street (cobblestone, no cars)
• South Street Seaport 
• South Street Seaport Museum
• St. Paul’s Chapel – originally built in 1766 and is the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan
• Trinity Church
  • Burial place for the likes of Alexander Hamilton, Robert Fulton, Francis Lewis, Angelica Church, and other prominent figures in the early period of the United States
  • Due in large part to an original land grant from 1705, it is still one of the largest landowners in New York City with 14 acres of Manhattan real estate, including 5.5 million square feet (510,000 m2) of commercial space in Hudson Square.

NYC Financial District’s Best Bars

While there are plenty more bars in the FiDi than we will list, know that there are usually great happy hours that cater to the financial worker crowd. Here are some of our favorite bars in the Financial District:

• Dead Rabbit – Rated best bar in the world in 2016
• Fraunces Tavern
• Overstory – 64th floor deck with panoramic views
• WarrenPeace – Dimly lit cocktail bar with friendly staff
• White Horse Tavern
• Carragher’s – Massive soccer-themed sports pub
• Brickyard Craft Kitchen & Bar
• Stout NYC
• O’Hara’s Restaurant and Pub – Classic Irish Pub

Coffee Shops in the Financial District

In line with the financial crowd, there are plenty of coffee shops in FiDi. Here are a few popular coffee spots in the Financial District:

• Hungry Ghost Coffee
• Black Fox Coffee
• 787 Coffee
• La Colombe Coffee Workshop
• Birch Coffee
• Laughing Man Cafe – technically in Tribeca

Restaurants in FiDi NYC

There are loads of solid restaurant options in this neighborhood. Here are some of our favorite places to eat in the Financial District:

• Fraunces Tavern
• Joe’s Pizza
• Delmonico’s
• Manhatta – 60th floor, high-end New American cuisine
• Siena Pizza
• Eataly
• El Vez and Burrito Bar
• Los Tacos #1
• Smorgasburg WTC
  • Fridays in the summer starting in April (most years)
• Multiple spots in Pier 17, including The Fulton by Jean-Georges
• Pisillo Italian Panini
• JR Sushi (technically Tribeca)
• Nish Nush (technically Tribeca)

Financial District NYC Neighborhood Guide Recap + Next Steps

The Financial District is home to many iconic landmarks and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in New York City. We highly recommend exploring FiDi during your NYC travels!

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