The World Financial Center

Business and Industry, Est. 1988

The World Financial Center, located in Lower Manhattan's Battery Park City is bordered by West Street, the history-shrouded Hudson River, and Vesey and Liberty streets. The World Financial Center is a unique focal point for private and public enterprises, with four office towers that house the world headquarters of prestigious international corporations, including American Express, Merrill Lynch, Dow Jones, and Deloitte & Touche. Public spaces connecting the office towers include the spectacular Winter Garden and the Courtyard, each of which has provided venues for many notable events.

Since 1988, the World Financial Center Arts & Events Program has been the largest year-round, free performing arts and cultural program in New York City. The program has presented an innovative series of performing arts and visual exhibitions to more than three million people.

The program has functioned as a vehicle to present regional and international premieres, emerging as well as world-renowned performing artists, specially commissioned site-specific works, museum installations, and festivals celebrating the arts. Most importantly, the program is committed to education through outreach programs at local schools of all levels, as well as on- and off-site programs and lectures in collaboration with local cultural institutions, museums, libraries, and organizations.

The World Financial Center features more than 30 specialty shops, restaurants, and services, including Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Godiva Chocolatier, Eckerd, The Grill Room, and American Express Travel. The dramatic glass-enclosed Winter Garden, the outdoor waterfront plaza with spectacular views of the Hudson River, and the Courtyard make shopping and dining an unforgettable experience.

Brookfield Properties Corporation owns, develops and manages the center. It is an arresting property comprising 34- to 51-story towers of Canadian sagami granite and reflective glass. Each tower is defined by geometrically shaped copper roofs.