Protesters Unite in Zuccotti Park

As we strolled through Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, the scene laid out before us brought flashes of déjà vu as we were vaguely reminded of iconic images of the 1960’s. A long-haired hippie in a soiled t-shirt lounged casually on a dirty mattress, cardboard signs propped up haphazardly around him. American flags waved proudly in the breeze amid colorful signage. There was a faint musk in the air and a sporadic soundtrack of bongo drums.

This time around, however, the war isn’t in Vietnam, it’s on Wall Street.

Currently headquartered in Zuccotti, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement boasts an organized front of a motley mix of characters and agendas. While Flower Children of yesteryear may be quick to snub this new generation of protesters, we were stuck by the sense of community that had obviously been fostered in these past two weeks. A makeshift living room complete with chairs and carpet almost looked inviting enough to kick back in. A craft services area was stocked with snacks, fruit, and coffee. Blue collar workers unified in their neon green t-shirts shared smokes with boho artists and musicians. Despite constant blasts that the effort thus far has been disorganized and ill-founded, a technology hub of laptops and a taping of a round-table forum seemed signs of the contrary. While no main agenda was resoundingly clear, different groups passed out literature outlining their particular platforms and a charmingly haphazard “front desk” at the edge of the park listed the daily events. Hipster engaged in conversation with business suit and everyone from police officer, to journalist, to tourist was tolerated. While things took an ugly turn during the march to Union Square, the loudest thing on our visit was the long gallery of signs that formed the colorful border of one side of the park. Ranging from bland and straightforward to hilariously clever, these signs gave each artist the chance to be heard. Is this park a pleasant green space in the urban jungle? Not currently. But it did strike us as one thing: decidedly New York.

Ground Zero, the World Trade Center site and the 9/11 Memorial

With the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks fast approaching, we thought it might be time to highlight the activity at the World Trade Center, Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial site. The construction of the Freedom Tower is well underway, and the dedication of the Memorial will take place on September 11th of this year. The Memorial will open to the public on September 12. Since we are leading tours downtown several times each week, we have a unique opportunity to document the construction.

New Wall Street Walks website is live

The new Wall Street Walks website is now up, featuring expanded resources for NYC visitors, more pictures, videos and information about our tours, a gift certificate feature and fun interactive quizzes about downtown NY and stock market history.
Please visit www.wallstreetwalks.com to see what we've been up to!

Beautiful East River Park on the Lower East Side

Manhattan is full surprisingly peaceful spaces, which are becoming increasingly important as the city gets more crowded. One such hidden gem is East River Park, a thin strip which lies in between the FDR drive and the water on the southeast tip of the island of Manhattan. The 45-acre East River Park houses a dog run, a boardwalk, built-in lounge chairs, an amphitheater, waterside seating and lovely views of the East River and ship-filled harbor areas.

The park was the brainchild of Robert Moses, who designed the FDR Drive (along with many other projects in NY state). Moses knew that the road would pass through the Lower East Side, a neighborhood in dire need of recreational space. The existence of East River Park was due to Moses' championing of the concept of parkland through "energetic legal wrangling," as the Parks Department website puts it. You can read more about the history of East River Park here.

Wall Street Walks: Inside Federal Hall

Inside the Federal Hall National Memorial, Wall Street Walks tour guide Annaline shows her tour group a model of the old Federal Hall, which was demolished in 1812. The old structure, which served as the first capitol building of the United States, was the site of George Washington's inauguration. Built in 1842 as the new York Customs House, the new building is now a landmark, a National Memorial and a museum. With no entry fee and exhibits that include the Bible upon which George Washington swore his oath of office, Federal Hall is a must-see when traveling to New York City.

Race Around Wall Street Scavenger Hunt July 30th

On Saturday July 30th, the Museum of American Finance will be putting on a scavenger hunt in and around the Wall Street area. Click here to find out all the details.
Here's the description from their website:

Embark on a whirlwind scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan in the Race Around Wall Street. Teams will have to use their knowledge of New York City and its financial history to solve clues and win prizes. First place wins a cash prize, and second place wins a Museum prize package. Bring your thinking caps and running shoes, and join us for a thrilling race through the history of finance.

Tour de... Wall Street? Commuting by Bike to the Financial District

Bike parking for employees in the Deutsche Bank building.

 As the Cugnaux to Luz-Ardiden stage of the Tour de France wraps up and all eyes are on the yellow jersey of Thomas Voeckler for tomorrow's Pau to Lourdes stage, it is easy to forget that there are any other cyclists anywhere else. There is, however, a thriving bike culture right here in downtown Manhattan. Above is the employee bike parking in the Deutsche Bank building, chock full of commuter bikes. 

There are, it seems, a multitude of cyclists working in the Financial District, with all manner of bicycles locked to poles, racks and buildings all around Wall Street.

New York City, and downtown in particular, is far more bike-friendly than it is car-friendly. Bikes offer far more route choices than cars, and with several bridges, highways and bike paths radiating away from downtown, one can get home quickly on a bike with no worries about subway or bridge traffic.