There is an amazing energy pulsating throughout Lower Manhattan: the redevelopment effort is reaching every pocket of the one-square mile neighborhood, achieving new milestones daily, while Downtown's workforce, students, and tourists all channel a powerful street current as they surge with determination towards their destinations.

Magnetic and inspirational, Lower Manhattan is one of NYC's most desirable neighborhoods for students and faculty alike, with newly constructed dorms and residences alongside a plethora of shops, chic restaurants, and local pubs.

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Students constitute a formidable force shaping the daytime vibrancy of Lower Manhattan and driving its evolution into a 24-hour neighborhood - just under 40,000 students are enrolled at ten Downtown colleges and universities, while several thousand more choose to live there. Although located just north in the Village, schools like NYU and the New School each maintain dorms Downtown.

Lower Manhattan's higher education institutions are scattered about three distinctive communities:

Tribeca is a formerly-industrial neighborhood, since transformed into one of trendy affluence. The neighborhood houses a thriving arts scene and the Borough of Manhattan Community College campus.

Financial District is often synonymous with Wall Street or the Financial Capital of the World. The district hosts global companies' headquarters, the NY Stock Exchange, and the City's oldest landmarks. The district houses St. John's University's prize-winning vertical campus.

Civic Center is the center of NYC government, housing City Hall and charming City Hall Park. Pace University's sprawling campus abuts the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge and hosts an impressive array of new spacious facilities, including the theatre where Inside the Actor's Studio is filmed.

Students and faculty living Downtown enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, like the free bicycle rental program, Bike Around Downtown, and also take advantage of numerous free music and film festivals held throughout the summer.

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Lower Manhattan houses the largest concentration of transit facilities in the world.

The following transportation amenities are available in the area:

• 14 Subway Lines: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, J, M, Z, 4, 5, 6, R, W
• 32 Bus Lines
• PATH Train to New Jersey
• Ferry Service to Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey, and Yonkers
• Heliport Access
• Major highways, tunnels and bridges, including the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges

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Colorful juxtapositions of old and new pervade Downtown's public spaces, built environment, and varied infrastructure, giving the area its own unique artistic aesthetic. A new pilot project called re: Construction, which recently launched in three Downtown street locations, expands upon this idea and channels the area's visible rebuilding efforts. Local artists have transformed construction infrastructure into public art and architecture displays, like zebra-striped concrete barriers and multi-colored construction fences.

There are also numerous museums located Downtown, such as the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the Skyscraper Museum.

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Approximately $34 billion in public and private funds are being invested in the revitalization of Lower Manhattan. Major transportation projects include a $2.2 billion PATH station at the World Trade Center designed by Santiago Calatrava; the $910 million transit hub at the Fulton Transit Center designed by Nicholas Grimshaw; and a $400 million new South Ferry Subway Station.

NYC will also invest over $300 million to enhance and revitalize the West Street promenade to ease pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area and create more parks and open spaces along the East River Waterfront.

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