Civic Center
- Follow
- Write a review
- Ask a question
- Public Transport
- Internet Access
- Medical Facilities
- Parks & Recreation
- Resale or Rental Value
- Nightlife
- Parking
- Lack of Traffic
- Peace & Quiet
- Shopping Options
- Tourists
- Trendy & Stylish
- Country Lovers
Got a burning question? Why not ask the locals! Simply ask your question below
![](https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/homely.assets/images/user-default.jpg)
Reviews
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Public Transport
"City Hall And Thensome"
For Manhattanites, this is where the mayor works, the courts and the Manhattan Municipal building are (as well as One Police Plaza), and New York branches of federal services like Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation are located.
For tourists, this is a glimpse at the "official" part of New York where the most powerful people in New York and the federal government pass through daily. Nearby is the South Street Seaport, a full seaport featuring a mall, food court, and nearby exhibits and shows.
Pace University is also located in the Civic Center neighborhood and often holds conferences, meetings, forums, and speeches. The area is also right next to the Brooklyn Bridge which allows people to walk across into Brooklyn.
There is not a whole lot else Civic Center has to offer, certainly not many residential opportunities. Most New Yorkers likely dread heading here to pay off tickets, appear in court or jury duty, or other government related activity. For tourists, a chance to glance at the inner workings of the big city and enjoy some of the best Bourbon Chicken New York has to offer in the South Street Seaport food court.
- South Street Seaport
- quiet
- jury duty
- Few restaurants outside of the South Street Seaport area
- boring
- Tourists
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Public Transport
"Going to court? This is the place!"
Primarily, this area is for going to court, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, or visiting Pace University. Pace is where "Inside the Actors Studio" is filmed, and there are frequent events there worth attending even if you aren't a student. Of course, the Civic Center is also a prime tourist area. You can have someone take your picture on the famous court steps and pretend you're Sam Waterston in "Law and Order."
The buildings here are stately and infinitely photogenic, and as long as I've lived in NYC, I never tire of seeing the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge. In summer, it's a lovely walk over the water. The Civic Center area borders the Financial District, and the South Street Seaport is sometimes considered to be a part of the neighborhood. The Seaport is a must-see for tourists and a lot of fun in general. It can be crowded, but it's right on the water. Locals even brave the crowds to go there.
- South Street Seaport
- You can get married here
- You'll probably end up here on jury duty at some point
- dead at night
- Few restaurants outside of the South Street Seaport area
- not really residential
- Tourists
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
"The Law & Order Life"
Hovering between Chinatown and the Financial District, you're sort of in between worlds, which can be oddly quiet, like the eye of a storm. I've spent several lunches sitting on the steps of 60 Center Street where people file in for jury duty and may or may not get out. Lawyers, cops, witnesses and defendants also file in, casting an array of characters across these famous steps.
This isn’t a great place to eat, shop, or live. It’s a place where you can sit and listen which is an important thing to do from time to time. Several small “parks” (rows of benches at least) provide plenty of places to plant yourself and observe city life.
If you live here you’ll have easy access to transportation, but it’s frustrating to weave through all the other people coming and going from work. Still, major express trains make this a convenient, if not desirable place to live.
- great for people watching
- affordable rents
- dead at night
- not really residential
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
"Jury Duty and Breathtaking Views"
The real attraction is South Street Seaport, which has pros and cons that weigh out to make it a place you perhaps visit once a year, on a particularly nice summer day. The port is always packed to the gills with tourists, and its stores cater to them instead of New Yorkers, featuring the stores they can find in their Michigan and Kentucky malls. But it’s undeniable that you can have yourself a lovely warm-weather day here, strolling the cobblestone streets, enjoying the views of boats and sitting down to relax before the sights of the Brooklyn Bridge and, of course, Brooklyn itself. You can catch a boat ride here, and you can cool off in the little mall – though you won’t want to do much shopping here. The strip is lined with decent but pricey seafood restaurants, but nothing in the way of nightlife. You can catch a food market along the street bordering the port, serving up the best culinary options in the area, like fresh-baked baklava, tea-flavored popsicles, gourmet pickles and more. It might be crowded and it might be touristy, but getting to be waterside for the day is a refreshing little break from daily city life.
- affordable rents
- South Street Seaport
- dead at night
- Few restaurants outside of the South Street Seaport area
- boring
- Tourists
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Shopping Options
- Lack of Traffic
"A little bit of Every Mall America in New York City"
- affordable rents
- dead at night
- Few restaurants outside of the South Street Seaport area
- crime rates
- Tourists
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Lack of Traffic
- Cost of Living
"Is this even really a neighborhood?"
The City Hall park isn't much of a park to see compared to the other great ones in the city. But, if you're a history buff, you'll appreciate going to the park and getting a good look at the place that Jack London lived. Yep, he lived a little rough for a while (in the park) and earned his way by telling stories around the fountain at night. Pretty cool.
The other thing worth taking a look at is the South Street Seaport. It was The port for New York in the 19th century. You can walk the cobble stone streets to all of the little shops and actually feel the sun on your face because there aren't any massive, new buildings obstructing the rays. An afternoon there makes you feel like you're in a time machine . . . or San Francisco . . or maybe a cross between the two.
- affordable rents
- quiet
- boring
- crime rates
- dead at night
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
"Place to visit, wouldn't want to live here"
One very vibrant and very interesting performing art and dance venue, Dance New Amsterdam, is located in the area at 280 Broadway. It seems an unlikely location, but DNA nurtures some of the important dancers and choreographers working in this city.
- South Street Seaport
- You can get married here
- You'll probably end up here on jury duty at some point
- dead at night
- Few restaurants outside of the South Street Seaport area
- not really residential
- Tourists
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
"The place to go for jury duty - and not much else"
One part of the Civic Centre is particularly worth seeing, however. That is the gloriously revitalized South Street Seaport, a historic port that combines museums, the famous Fulton Fish Market, and stunning views with a new and trendy nightlife, culture, and dining scene - mostly concentrated on (you guessed it) fish dishes! In the summer, the movable Beer Garden tent sets up shop here, a glorious art-nouveau style circus tent playing host to avant garde and alternative music acts like Vienna Teng and Spring Awakening music impresario Duncan Sheik.
- You can get married here
- South Street Seaport
- You'll probably end up here on jury duty at some point
- not really residential
- Few restaurants outside of the South Street Seaport area
- Tourists