You don't need a car in the Financial District, and honestly you're better off without one. 17 John Street is right in the middle of Lower Manhattan's transit, so most of the city is a short subway ride away and a lot of the neighborhood is walkable from the front door. Here's the practical version of how to get around.
The nearest subway is Fulton Street, about a block away
The closest station is the Fulton Street complex, roughly a block north of us. It's one of the biggest hubs downtown, which means a lot of lines in one place: the 2 and 3, the 4 and 5, and the A, C, J and Z all stop there. That covers most of what you'll want. The 4 and 5 run express up the East Side, the 2 and 3 head up the West Side, and the A and C take you toward Brooklyn or up through Midtown.
If you're heading to Penn Station or the Times Square area, the closest express trains get you most of the way fast. For the airports, you can pick up the A toward Howard Beach for the JFK AirTrain, or take the subway to connect to LaGuardia and Newark options.
The R and W and PATH are close too
A few minutes further west you'll find the R and W at Cortlandt Street and the PATH trains at the World Trade Center, which is useful if you're crossing over to Jersey City or Hoboken. The whole cluster of downtown stations sits within a short walk of each other, so if one line is delayed you usually have another option nearby.
Wall Street is two blocks south
Wall Street is about two blocks south of us, so if you're here for work in the area you can leave the building and walk to most of the offices around Wall, Broad, and Water Streets in a few minutes. The New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, and the bull statue are all in that same tight cluster.
The ferry is a nice way to see the harbor
If you want to be on the water, the NYC Ferry stops at Pier 11 on Wall Street, a short walk south and east toward the river, and the Staten Island Ferry runs free from the terminal at the bottom of Battery Park. Both are worth doing at least once for the harbor views. The Battery ferry area is roughly a 10 to 15 minute walk south through the neighborhood.
Parking: there's a garage a few minutes away
We don't have parking at the building, so if you're driving in, the nearest garage is iPark at 29 Platt Street, about a 3-minute walk from us. You can also use the SpotHero app to compare rates and reserve a spot at other nearby garages before you arrive, which usually beats the drive-up price. Street parking in FiDi is tight and heavily regulated, so a garage is the realistic option.
Walking is often the fastest downtown
One thing that surprises first-time visitors: for a lot of trips down here, walking is faster than the train. The Financial District is compact and the streets are old and narrow, so places that look far on a map are often 10 minutes on foot. The Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian entrance, the South Street Seaport, and One World Trade Center are all walkable from John Street. On weekends the neighborhood is quiet, which makes walking around even easier.
If you're not sure how to get somewhere specific during your stay, just ask us. We're happy to point you to the right train or tell you when it's faster to walk.