Wall Street

Wall Street has come to be known as one of the most respected financial centers across the globe. It is the pedestal for American Capitalism, and billions of dollars change hands in its exchanges on a daily basis. Wall Street is located in Lower Manhattan in New York City and stretches from Broadway to South Street, bordering the East River. It is the permanent home of the New York Stock Exchange, renowned as the largest stock exchange in the world.

The exchanges that are headquartered in this district are the NYSE, NASDAQ, NYMEX, AMEX, and the NYBOT. This sector of the city was initially constructed in order to provide a protective border against the English Colonial infringement. The Dutch West India Company later constructed a stockade worthy of any military installation utilizing the forced labor of African slaves. The stockade was constructed in order to protect the inhabitants of this sector of the city against attacks from many local Native American tribes.

The first exchange came about later in the 18th century, underneath a special Buttonwood tree. Traders and speculators would meet beneath this tree informally and trade their different commodities. This gathering later led to the Buttonwood Agreement in 1792 and is the basis of how the New York Stock Exchange came into existence. Many different indices soon followed and helped to cement the reputation of the region as being one of the largest business and financial districts within the borders of the United States. Many skyscrapers rose from these streets as more and more money was consolidated in the region and millionaires were made in quick succession.

Wall Street is a great place to visit for individuals from their teens to adulthood, many things can be learned about the corporate culture of the United States and the region offers a glimpse at how business is conducted on a daily basis in one of the busiest financial regions of the city. Since the World Trade Center attacks in 2001 the region has proliferated, many different businesses have sprouted as well as new residential accommodations. If you are traveling to New York City and want to get a glimpse of American Corporate Culture, Wall Street is the place to do it. There are many different guided tours you can take that will allow you to see all of the major landmarks within the region. You can stay in one of the many luxury hotels and really get the feel of the traditional American Businessperson. This is definitely an area of the city that you should add to your travel itinerary.