Straddling Chambers Street, which runs across the top of City Hall Park, the Municipal Building stands like an oversized chest of drawers. Built between 1907 and 1914, the building was architects McKim, Mead and White's first skyscraper. Atop it, an extravagant pile of columns and pinnacles signals a frivolous conclusion to a no-nonsense building that houses public records; below, though not apparent, subway cars travel through its foundation.

To walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, take the footpath that emerges in the middle of Centre Street just in front of the Municipal Building; it should take about 45 minutes to reach the Brooklyn side .


At 100 Centre St, the 1939 Art Deco Criminal Courts Building , reminiscent of a Babylonian temple, houses the Manhattan Detention Center of Men , which is nicknamed "the Tombs," after the funereal Egyptian-style building that once stood across the street. Where "the Tombs" used to be, the White Street Correctional Facility houses up to 500 maximum-security inmates, and the "bridge of sighs" towering over White Street connects the two facilities. All courts are open to the public (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), yet the Criminal Courts are your best bet for viewing the ponderous New York City justice system in action.

Municipal Building

• Municipal Building

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