Built between 1804 and 1828, the eight townhouses on the block of Harrison St immediately west of Greenwich St constitute the largest collection of Federal architecture left in NYC. Yet only the buildings at 31 and 33 Harrison St remain where they were originally constructed. The other six once stood two blocks away, on a stretch of Washington St that no longer exists.

In the early 1970s, that site was home to the Washington Market, a wholesale fruit-and-vegetable shopping complex. But development of the waterfront – which resulted in the construction of the Borough of Manhattan Community College and the unlovely concrete apartment complex that now looms over the townhouses – meant the market had to move uptown and the historic row of houses were relocated.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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1. USCGC Lilac

0.21 MILES

Lovers of all things maritime can step aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Lilac, the last existing steam-powered lighthouse tender in the US, which once…

2. African Burial Ground National Monument

0.39 MILES

In 1991, construction workers here uncovered more than 400 stacked wooden caskets, just 16ft to 28ft below street level. The boxes contained the remains…

3. One World Observatory

0.4 MILES

Spanning three levels at the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, One World Observatory offers dazzling panoramic views over Manhattan's…

4. One World Trade Center

0.41 MILES

Home to One World Observatory – New York's highest observation deck – the 94-story One World Trade Center is architect David M Childs' redesign of Daniel…

5. Woolworth Building

0.46 MILES

The world's tallest building upon completion in 1913 (it was only surpassed in height by the Chrysler Building in 1930), Cass Gilbert’s 60-story, 792ft…

7. Artists Space

0.47 MILES

One of the first alternative spaces in New York, Artists Space made its debut in 1972 with a mission to support contemporary artists working in the visual…

8. City Hall

0.48 MILES

This Federal-style beauty has been home to NYC's government since 1812, and free guided tours of the building run twice weekly (you'll need to book a few…