Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of
Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the
City of New York. Lower Manhattan or "downtown" is defined most commonly as the area delineated on the north by
14th Street, on the west by the
Hudson River, on the east by the
East River, and on the south by
New York Harbor. When referring specifically to the lower Manhattan business district and its immediate environs, the northern border is commonly designated by thoroughfares approximately a mile-and-a-half south of 14th Street and a mile north of the island's southern tip:
Chambers Street from near the Hudson east to the
Brooklyn Bridge entrances and overpass. Two other major arteries are also sometimes identified as the northern border of "lower" or "downtown Manhattan":
Canal Street, roughly half a mile north of Chambers Street, and
23rd Street, roughly half a mile north of 14th Street. Anchored by
Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City is, alongside the
City of London, the
financial capital of the world
and is home to the
New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies.