City Hall

City Hall Review

You just might spot news crews jockeying on the front steps as they attempt to interview city officials, which is perhaps all you want to know about City Hall. But if the history of local politics is truly your thing, the hall is open for tours. Among the highlights within are the Victorian-style City Council Chamber; the Rotunda where President Lincoln lay in state in 1865 under a soaring dome supported by 10 Corinthian columns; and the Governor's Room, which includes a writing table that George Washington used in 1789 when New York was the U.S. capital. If nothing else, take a moment to snap a photo of the austere columned exterior. Take a moment to enjoy the small but lovely City Hall Park, bounded by Broadway to the west and Chambers Street to the north. The layers of history buried under the city's compulsion to reinvent itself were interestingly revealed in portions of the northern part of the park in 1991, when an African burial ground was uncovered during construction of a federal office building nearby. It has since been declared a city landmark. Aside from historical interest, though, the park is also just a pleasant, underrated place to stop and take a breath. Enjoy the impressive fountain, and watch government workers and jury members taking a break from their day.