City Hall is located within the Civic Center in Lower Manhattan. It’s known for housing New York’s City government and its proximity to the Brooklyn Bridge.
City Hall Office Space | Lease and Data Trends
Office space in City Hall rents for an average of $53 per square foot. The overall vacancy rate is just above 5 percent, well below the New York City office space average of 10 percent, so it’s a competitive market. The asking rate for City Hall is similar to the Financial District, and well below the average Manhattan office rent of $72 per square foot.
What Our Brokers Say
City Hall is located within the NYC Civic Center, which is bordered by Tribeca to the west; Chinatown to the north; the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge to the east; and the Financial District to the south. Offices in the Financial District, City Hall, and World Trade Center enjoy a range of convenient public transit options. Commuters can take the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, A, C, E, R, W, J, and Z trains, the Staten Island Ferry, East River Ferry, or the PATH Train. The 4, 5, A, C, R, J, and Z trains all run into different parts of Brooklyn, including DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Sunset Park.
If you’re looking for a good place to have a business event or lunch, check out Boucherie, Sagaponack Bar & Grill, Da Claudio, The Capital Grille or One if By Land Two If By Sea. City Hall Park offers a perfect location for an afternoon stroll or a non-traditional business meeting. Walk among centuries-old government buildings and iconic public architecture, and you will probably spot a wide variety of visitors, from newlyweds to jury members.
Get to Know the Neighborhood
Perhaps the most notable area of City Hall is City Hall Park. In 1700, New York’s original city hall, which serves as headquarters for New York City, was built there. It’s the oldest city hall in the United States and not only houses the office of the mayor but also is a popular place to get married.
City Hall Park has a lot of history. In 1766, St. Paul’s Chapel, the oldest church in Manhattan, was built there. General Washington went there just after his inauguration as President. The area has been used for many things, such as a prison, an art museum, a public execution site and a post office. Today, it houses New York City Hall, the seat of the city’s government. Like most city parks, it features a central walkway and beautiful vegetation.
The City Hall area and the Civic Center neighborhood tend to be used for government-related activities, but visitors and residents can also find plenty of entertainment. The Postmasters Gallery shows off new work on a regular basis and often includes art involving digital technologies. A museum called “Mmseumm,” tucked in a freight elevator, features only three items at a time. The Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River, and people can walk the pedestrian path in 25-30 minutes to see a good view of the city.
The area surrounding City Hall became a popular location for newspaper companies beginning in 1835 because lots of news opportunities arose from the nearby government and judicial buildings. The New York Sun, edited by Benjamin Day, resulted in “The Sun Building,” which still features the newspaper’s masthead and motto—”It Shines for all”—to this day. In 1841, Horace Greeley established the New York Tribune because he wanted people to have a trustworthy news source. In 1868, the New York Journal was established, and William Randolph Hearst bought it in 1985.
