Bowling Green Park

The oldest park in New York City serves as the starting point for those famous ticker-tape parades. The wedge-shaped plot of land originally was home to a cattle market, but it became a park in 1733. An attractive fountain and benches help to make this a favorite lunchtime spot for Financial District employees, who can see the famous Charging Bull sculpture (also known as the “Wall Street bull”), a symbol of financial optimism, just a short walk away.