Walk through Robert F. Wagner Park to Water Street and turn east down Old Slip. The pocket-size palazzo, which was once the First Precinct Police Station , slots easily into the narrow strip, a cheerful throwback to a different era. A little to the south, off Water Street, stands the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial , an assembly of sad and often haunting mementos. A recent renovation has made the place a peaceful spot for contemplation - and enjoying a nice view of the East River.

The eighteenth-century Fraunces Tavern Museum , 54 Pearl St at Broad Street (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; $3, children, seniors, students $2; tel 212/425-1778, www.frauncestavernmuseum.org ), has survived extensive modification, several fires and nineteenth-century use as a hotel. The Tavern's second floor re-creates the site's history with a series of illustrated panels.

At 6 Pearl St, you'll find New York Unearthed (Mon-Fri noon-6pm; free; tel 212/748-8628), the South Street Seaport Museum's tiny, hands-on, annex devoted to the city's archeology.

Water and Pearl Streets

• Water and Pearl Streets

New York cities


All U.S. city guides