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4 CITY HALL AND SOUTH STREET SEAPORT: CITY HALL AWAITS YOUR CALL

BOUNDARIES: Broadway, Barclay St., East River, Fulton St.

DISTANCE: 2.7 miles

SUBWAY: A/C/J/2/3/4/5 to Fulton St.

During the second half of the 1990s, I worked near City Hall. Each day I commuted by train to one of the busiest parts of Manhattan and jockeyed for sidewalk space once I got there. I joined thousands of workers, students, tourists, and fellow New Yorkers who frequented municipal buildings to get licenses, deal with parking tickets, attend court sessions, and conduct research, among other things. I taught at the oddly shaped Murry Bergtraum High School, a large public school with a business theme. It was the best teaching experience of my career.

A built-in bonus of working at MBHS was having City Hall and the South Street Seaport area at my reach. I could easily run errands or shop after school. When I had time on my hands to play tourist, I’d roam the neighborhood, camera in hand (I ran the school’s photography club), and admire the architecture and monuments liberally sprinkled about. I had my favorite restaurants and snack shops, and sometimes my colleagues and I would visit one of the bars near the Seaport or stroll to Chinatown to eat congee. If a parade was passing nearby (for the Yankees’ World Series win, for example—more on that later), we would stop and watch at some point. Everyone enjoyed scoping out bargains at the discount stores on Fulton Street.

It’s hard to believe how spiffy City Hall looks now, its park playing host to rotating outdoor art exhibits, farmers’ markets, and other activities. You’ll find plenty of other things to see and do around here, though. So don’t fight City Hall—have fun at its expense!

 The Fulton Street subway station is a labyrinthine tangle of platforms, staircases, artwork, shops, and confusion. Whichever train gets you here, look for signs that direct you to an exit on Broadway (if you get out on John Street or Fulton Street, ask for directions to Broadway). As you get some distance from the station, take a look at the “dome” over it. This 2010 addition resembles a Bundt cake pan.

 Once on Broadway, walk to St. Paul’s Chapel, on the north side of Fulton Street. Built in 1766, this is the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan (once upon a time, it was also the tallest building in the city). The brown-and-buff exterior, with its Ionic-columned portico, is kind of somber, but the interior is quite light and airy. The sanctuary has many tributes to 9/11; in the days following the attacks, first responders took refuge here. In addition to prayer and worship, visitors can partake of St. Paul’s numerous interactive elements, such as the Pilgrimage Altar (you can contribute your thoughts), the Memorial Altar (remembering 9/11 victims), and other spots to add mementos.Remarkable historical artifacts are displayed here as well. The Governor’s Box consists of two upholstered chairs with a small wooden border, for use when a governor attends services. George Washington’s Pew (actually a replica) is a legendary part of the church; he worshiped here when New York City was the US capital. A beautiful side chapel, trimmed in white and gold, bears the Hebrew word for God on an arch above the altar. Walk outside to the churchyard, which in the wake of 9/11 was heavily covered with debris. Now it offers a monumental view of the new 1 World Trade Center.

 From St. Paul’s, make a right on Broadway and then a right on Fulton Street. The 29-story white building on the left, at 195 Broadway, is the old AT&T Building, now owned by Sony. Completed in 1916, it was the site of the first transatlantic phone call.

 Make a right from Fulton onto Church Street and look up, up, up at the new World Trade Center—a triumph over terrorism. Its spire makes it the tallest building in the United States, built to a symbolic 1,776 feet high. New York, and the world, are in awe.

 Continue on Church to Vesey Street. To the left, at #90, is the Federal Office Building and US Post Office. Taking up an entire city block, this Art Deco slab of a building has chiseled eagle decorations. Then turn right onto Vesey. At #20 is the 9/11 Memorial Museum Store, an off-site location that sells souvenirs and also displays artifacts and documentation about that horrific day and its aftermath.

 Next, admire the New York County Lawyers Association, with its six classic pilasters.

 Walk back to Church Street and turn right. Admire more fully the Federal Office Building, festooned with five-point stars, on your left.

 Make a right on Barclay Street, in front of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church. Near the corner is a cross of silver that resembles a person, and below is a nook with a silver book of names. Both are tributes to 9/11. St. Peter’s is the oldest Catholic parish in New York State. This Greek Revival building dates to 1838 and has a covered porch hung with brass lamps; historical markers line the outer wall. The sanctuary walls are mostly white, giving the space a peaceful feel.

 Across the street as you approach Broadway, you will see a magnificent building that fairly drips with detail. There are many faces and gargoyles to be found! Cass Gilbert designed this wonder: the Woolworth Building, the tallest building in the world from 1913 to 1930. The lobby has glittering mosaics and stained glass, but you can’t go inside unless you have official business here or you’re taking one of the occasional tours of the building.

 Cross Broadway onto Park Row, which curves slightly as it emerges from Barclay Street. Turn left into City Hall Park, often filled with local workers eating lunch. It hosts temporary exhibitions of sculpture and art. Floor plaques (some with maps) explain the history of the area and document the park itself. A restored fountain is a showcase piece here.Closer to the City Hall building is a statue of patriot Nathan Hale. Take a good look at City Hall, built in 1811 and altered at various times. Its Renaissance Revival style gives it a royal demeanor, but it is so very American, having been in use longer than any other US city hall.

Historic ships remind us of Manhattan’s past.

 Exit the park to the right when facing City Hall, and you should see the Brooklyn Bridge. Walk right on Park Row for two impressive-looking structures with notable histories. Now part of Pace University, 41 Park Row was built in 1889 to house The New York Times. The red-and-black edifice at #38 is the Potter Building, built just a few years earlier. It had very advanced fireproofing for its time and is a masterwork of terra-cotta detail.

 Continue along Park Row, which merges into Broadway. Make a left onto Fulton Street. Among the many stores in this stretch are some with unusual architectural details. Notice the accessories shop at #144, which despite its uninteresting contemporary veneer at street level has intriguing turn-of-the-century decorations (a small, elegant pediment flanked by octagonal-shaped lamps) near its curving roofline. At the southwest corner of Nassau Street, 130 Fulton is a lovely Renaissance Revival building from 1893 that’s now largely residential. Amid the terra-cotta flourishes, busts of a handsome youth peek out of the colonnade along what was once the highest floor. Unfortunately, a 2005 addition to the top of the building looks tacked on.

 Walk more along Fulton and check out stores, eats, and such. At Gold Street is John J. Delury Sr. Plaza, a small park named for (wait for it) a city sanitation worker. Past Cliff Street, a one-block-long path on your left, is St. Margaret’s House, a senior facility at 49 Fulton. The outside exemplifies cloddish postwar construction, but inside the lobbies are brightened with amateur artworks. When I taught at Bergtraum High, I sometimes ate tasty and low-priced lunches at St. Margaret’s cafeteria.

 A block up, at Pearl Street, is the cheery Pearl Street Playground, which my daughters used to romp around when they were younger. Across the street is a tall office building with a quirky plaza area. There are seats in primary colors and a setup that resembles convoluted giant monkey bars.

 Turn right onto Water Street to see the large outdoor digital clock on the building at the corner of Water and John Street. It’s fun to watch in action. Return to Fulton Street to see Titanic Memorial Park. History buffs and fans of the film will appreciate this pensive patch, with its white lighthouse and rock-filled garden plot.

 Water Street continues on the park’s south side, split from the part you just passed by. Here, it’s a cobblestone street with old buildings, enhanced to look more like a throwback. The South Street Seaport Museum is located here, along with pieces such as an anchor and tie-posts on the street.

 As you resume walking toward the river on Fulton Street, it too becomes a cobblestoned walkway. (Hopefully you aren’t wearing stilettos.) Along the way, you’ll see shops and restaurants housed in redbrick Federal-style buildings.

 Cross carefully at South Street to the fabled South Street Seaport’s piers. This is a relaxing, picturesque place to roam. Admire the elevated highway over your shoulder, as well as skyscrapers not far away. A walking and biking path runs under the highway and along the river.

 Walk toward the water side of Pier 15 to enjoy the East River views and admire the bridges: Brooklyn (closest), Manhattan (middle), and Williamsburg (farthest north). You can also see the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights (including the Promenade) and Dumbo, some of Brooklyn’s piers, boats upon the water, and more. Next to Pier 17 are a few old-style ships to gaze at and, possibly, go aboard. Check out the 1885 iron sailing ship Wavetree, the lightship Ambrose from 1908, and others. A new Pier 17 is slated to open in 2016.

 When you finally pull yourself away from this scene, go back across South Street and walk northwest on John Street, passing the Imagination Playground, an interactive play space created by celebrated architect David Rockwell, on your right. John Street follows a mildly wiggly path, and it has many shops to peer into. At #44 is the John Street Church, the oldest Methodist congregation in North America, founded in 1766. The 1846 church house is dark and grim-looking from the outside, but inside it has a homey simplicity: white walls and pews, with plaques on the walls and modestly decorated stained-glass windows. A bit past the church is an entrance to the Fulton Street subway station.

POINTS OF INTEREST

St. Paul’s Chapel trinitywallstreet.org/content/st-pauls-chapel, 209 Broadway, 212-602-0800

9/11 Memorial Museum Store tinyurl.com/911museumstore, 20 Vesey St., 212-267-2047

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church stpetersnyc.org, 22 Barclay St., 212-233-8355

Woolworth Building woolworthtours.com, 233 Broadway, 203-966-9663

City Hall Park and City Hall nycgovparks.org/parks/city-hall-park, Broadway and Park Row at Barclay Street, 212-639-9675

John J. Delury Sr. Plaza Fulton Street between Gold Street and Ryders Alley

Pearl Street Playground Fulton and Pearl Streets

Titanic Memorial Park Fulton Street between Pearl and Water Streets

South Street Seaport Museum southstreetseaportmuseum.org, 12 Fulton St., 212-748-8600

South Street Seaport southstreetseaport.com, Fulton Street and South Street, 212-732-8257

Imagination Playground Bounded by John Street, Front Street, and South Street

John Street Church johnstreetchurch.org, 44 John St., 212-269-0014

ROUTE SUMMARY

1 Commence at Fulton St. and Broadway, and go into St. Paul’s Chapel.

2 Walk right on Broadway.

3 Go right on Fulton Street.

4 Walk right on Church Street.

5 Walk right on Vesey Street.

6 Walk back to Church Street and turn right.

7 Walk right on Barclay Street.

8 At Park Row, enter City Hall Park.

9 Exit the park and make a right on Park Row.

10 Merge onto Broadway.

11 Go left onto Fulton Street, dipping in and out of Water Street to the right.

12 Cross South Street from Fulton to the piers.

13 Make a right across South Street onto John Street.

14 Take the train from the entrance just past John Street Church, or continue up John Street to the subway station on Broadway.

CONNECTING THE WALKS

The previous walk (Wall Street/Financial District) can be done in reverse from the start of this one. For the next walk (Civic Center and Chinatown), go north on Broadway almost seven blocks until you reach the City Hall R train station, just past Murray Street on your right.

A somber Native American peers out from the Woolworth Building.