Lower Manhattan: Travel Here and Discover More

 

Everyone loves the bright lights of Times Square and the tranquility of Central Park, but you never hear people raving about travel to the Lower Manhattan or the rich history and culture it represents in New York City. My husband and I headed to lower Manhattan this past weekend  to discover more about the area and made some interesting discoveries about one of the most important parts of the city. If your coming from another state or you just have made the time to travel to Lower Manhattan, there’s so much to discover once you get here.

Here are some reasons to love lower Manhattan:

1.  Lower Manhattan connects the bustling city to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge. Walking over the bridge was an interesting experience for me. The city skyline is a view to remember. You can see not only Manhattan, but the Statue of Liberty as well. For someone who’s afraid of heights it can be a little intimating. We headed across with our selfie stick and all through the crowds of people walking, biking and taking pictures. Remember folks stay out of the bike path!

 

 

 

Food:

2. Nothing beats New York style pizza. I remember my days in High School, living in the Bronx being able to get a “slice” and a soda for $2.00. We parked the car at a parking lot, which was cheap for Manhattan. We stopped off  at Adrienne’s Pizzabar which is located on Pearl St. and had a beautiful but large slice of pizza. Sadly there were no pics, I was trying to eat and go. If your ever in the city and want some authentic New York style pizza, Adrienne’s the place to be, unfortunately the slice seems to be the only budget-friendly item they have, as a salad costs $9 there.

Skyline:

3. The NYC skyline  has always been something special to many, whether your a tourists or born and raised in New York, a view of the Chrysler building, World Trade and Empire State building represented all that was spectacular about New York City. With the World Trade Center Twin Towers gone, thousands of beautiful souls with it, we now have the Freedom Tower to decorate the skyline of NYC.

As you head further into lower Manhattan the buildings you see represent the legal and financial aspects of Manhattan, including the Federal Court buildings, immigration offices and Wall Street. But nothing beats a view of the World Trade Center Memorial Freedom Tower, visible from most areas of lower Manhattan. It’s much more beautiful and grand in person, trust me the pictures don’t do it justice. If your in the city, admissions for the museum begins at $24pp for adults. They now have an observation deck, like the one at Rockefeller Center, so it would be interesting to head there and get a view of the city from lower Manhattan.

 

 

No Respect for city property! Here’s the statue of Abraham De Peyster in Thomas Paine Park and the sign that’s supposed to be up next to it!!!!!!!!

 

 

4. New York City street food, there’s nothing like it. I don’t know about any of you, but I love the Halal Guys, sadly when they’re all the way uptown, what is a girl to do? The awesome thing about lower Manhattan is the fact that there are food trucks every where.

On our way to the Brooklyn Bridge food trucks lined the street. I guess it works out for business with all those federal, city and state workers moving in and out daily. It also helps that street performers gather there. They provide tourists with food and entertainment in one shot. There’s something for everyone. Whether your into roasted peanuts and hot dogs or you want some lamb over rice with white sauce. New York City street food has a certain gritty flavor and appeal that gets me every time.

History:

5. Last but not least, the history of lower Manhattan drew me in before I even arrived. If you watched Gangs of New York you remember the Five Points. The gritty origins of New York City and the immigrants who shaped this city and the country. As we left the parking lot, my husband noticed the building next to us read Five Points Mission. We both remembered this from the movie Gangs of New York.  Unfortunately we didn’t put the two together until other things started adding up like China Town, Bowery and Canal.

Although the Five Points is no longer officially there, because the street names have been changed. And a court house sits where Paradise Square used to be,  it’s difficult to see where the past and the present meet. What was once a pond is now a park, but you still feel a connection to what was once there. There’s a lot of history to lower Manhattan, the churches, the people and the many events that played an important role in American history.