Chances to celebrate and contemplate a nation's complex past
If you're lucky, your Financial District vacation rental will have a view of the Statue of Liberty. If not? No worries. Hop on the ferry from Battery Park to Lady Liberty's base. If you plan ahead, you can reserve tickets to access her crown with its breathtaking views of the city and harbor. Advance tickets are also a good idea when visiting Ellis Island and its soul-stirring Immigration Museum. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum tells another stirring story, of the terror attacks of both 2001 and February 26, 1993.
Gleaming glass buildings and cobblestone streets
It's easy to be wowed by glistening skyscrapers in this capital of world finance, but let's not forget the historic part. Sign up for a walking tour, and you can stroll the same streets the Dutch did in the 1600s or see where George Washington survived an assassination attempt. Then head to the shops and restaurants at South Street Seaport, where locals and visitors alike drink and dine. You won't escape history even here. The Seaport includes the largest concentration of restored early 19th-century commercial buildings in the city.
Sunny days (and everything else) are possible in FiDi
New York is the northernmost city in the U.S. that can claim a humid, subtropical climate, which means winters are cold but rarely bitter. Your Financial District vacation rental will likely be buffeted by winds blowing off the water, and lows can dip down to the teens. Spring and fall are often sunny but somewhat unpredictable. Be ready for warm days and chilly ones. Summers range from warm and reasonably dry to hot and crazily humid, so bring a hat, short sleeves, and your love of air conditioning.
Take a break from dollar bills and find a bevy of birds
Unless they're thinking of the bronze sculpture of the Charging Bull that stands in Bowling Green in the Financial District, most people don't associate the area with animal life, but the reality is that bird lovers from around the globe visit Manhattan to go birding. In Battery Park alone, 80 distinct bird species have been spotted, including yellow-rumped warblers and black-capped chickadees. If you can travel a little north of your Financial District vacation rental, you'll find an even more exciting population in Central Park, including hawks and red-eyed vireo.