The rather unassuming Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, leading east from Broadway, is in fact the place where the course of the world's markets and economy is set. It is here that several of the stock exchange houses that have set the course of the world's financial markets for centuries are based.

Stroll down the 600-metre-long street and let the specific atmosphere and genius loci that this part of New York undoubtedly gives off impress you.

NYSE Building

The main tourist attraction is, of course, the famous New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) building, by a wide margin the largest stock exchange in the world (measured by the market value of traded shares). The NYSE has been in operation since 1792, but not at its current location on Wall Street until 1863.

In the past, the NYSE building could be visited as a tourist attraction, but after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, this option was cancelled and to this day it is not possible to visit the NYSE from the inside.

Wall Street was also formerly home to the NASDAQ stock exchange, which has relocated to the new NASDAQ MarketSite building in Times Square.

Accommodation on Wall Street

If you're not looking to spend the extra penny and would like to stay right in the heart of the financial world, then you'll find a very solid and actually affordable by New York standards hotel on the east end of Wall Street, the Hyatt Centric Wall Street **** with rates starting at 403 eur for a 2-bed room.

Down the street, on Pine Street, you'll find the Radisson New York Wall Street **** with rates starting at 147 eur per room, which is the going rate in Manhattan.