Downtown

Downtown is home to some of the major money-making machines of NYC—the financial and insurance trades that keep the green moving through the Big Apple. The daunting skyscrapers are rivaled only by those of Midtown, but here at the southern tip of the island they take on a polished and unbroken feel that emanates success, stress, and big paychecks, a place where the financiers and stockbrokers cavort during the day and urban tumbleweed floats through at night.

The masses walking by this area during the day probably don’t live downtown; most hop on any of the express trains that run to various points of the Financial and Insurance Districts to get to work. This is one of the big pluses of living downtown, however—no matter where you live, you are steps away from transportation. Almost every line makes several stops through the neighborhood before starting the loop into Brooklyn.

Amenities like banks are never far away; you’ve (obviously) got your pick of financial institutions in this square of the city. What you might be lacking in is a good, inventive meal—most restaurants shy away from downtown and leave the eating choices to caterers or fast food joints that service the working community during the day. Another slight disadvantage is that the restaurants that are here close a few hours after the business day ends—a fact compensated by the truth that if you are living downtown, your high rise probably has a spacious kitchen that runs circles around the greasy booths at Roy Rogers.

While the downtown financial area may not be speckled with brasseries or hot club spots in the same way as, say, SoHo or the Lower East Side, it has a quiet modernist splendor at night, fueled by its towering buildings and peaceful streets. And the living spaces themselves? Apartments here are downright luxurious. With all the money floating around and being traded during the day, the neighborhood antes up on its residential side. Expect to find most apartments contained in doorman-monitored buildings, many with fitness clubs, sundry shops, boutiques, pools, and other amenities.

Though the steel jungle might be the predominant feature of the downtown area, this is actually the oldest area in New York City—the first place Dutch settlers touched down in New York and also where George Washington was sworn in as president. Green spaces still exist in places like City Hall Park and South Street Seaport, and these coveted gems are a great place to catch some sun away from the shadows of towering skyscrapers. The natural effect of all this height is the inevitable wind tunnel effect, which can be something of a nuisance if you aren’t fully prepared. The breeze is great in the summer, but residents of the downtown area know to bundle up when the mercury falls to avoid a severe case of NYC windburn.

As is usually the case, however, these high rises have their flip side—wind and apartment-facing windows aside, if you score the right place you’ll can enjoy spectacular views of northern Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey, or simply a peaceful expanse of water. A seasoned downtown citizen is one who isn’t interested in the quaint urban hum; he or she is a person who is seduced by the metallic glamour of interlocking steel—the fabric of life Downtown.

SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS.
We are trying to influence the rental market to rid itself of tenant broker fees and we need your help to Spread The Word.

Sincerely
David Drake
President