Photographing New York City: Digital Field Guide

Chapter 28. Wall Street

The Charging Bull at Broadway and Bowling Green in an early winter snowstorm. Taken at ISO 500, f/3.5, 1/640 second with a 16–35mm lens.

Why It's Worth a Photograph

Wall Street is the home to the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, and other historic buildings on the southern tip of Manhattan. The historical center of the Financial District, the street's name also refers to the neighborhood and the entire American financial sector. Most of the historic buildings are of Gilded Age construction with influences of the Art Deco era. With three different subway terminals and the Staten Island Ferry, this is a busy part of town.

You can make photographs of people as well as the architecture and history. An instantly recognizable street corner no matter where you point your camera, Wall and Broad streets puts you in front of the NYSE, where the afternoon sun plays against its columns and decorative sculptures. Just across the way is Federal Hall, a national memorial built in 1700 with a rich history. Exploring the Wall Street area is a pleasure for architectural and historic photographs.

The best vantage points from which to photograph Wall Street: (A) Broadway and Wall Street, (B) in front of the NYSE, (C) Federal Hall, and (D) Broadway and Bowling Green. Other photo ...