Lower Manhat tan

Lower Manhattan is steeped in U.S. history and home to the country’s financial epicenter, the New York Stock Exchange. Venues with panache include Cipriani Wall Street (Rihanna’s Diamond Ball), the ipic Fulton Market Theaters (with menus by celebrated chef Sherry Yard) and the Royal Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown (1, 2). The suite can serve as a serene preevent ready room or, with its private kitchen and 10-seat dining room, an exclusive spot for intimate dinners on the 24th floor. Views encompass lower Manhattan, with the striking Oculus at the World Trade Center in view.

The multiple spaces of the Seaport District’s Pier 17 include the grand 65,000square-foot rooftop. A clear Plexiglas-walled winterized tent (opened in mid-december) makes the East River-overlooking space usable in colder months. Overlooking the Hudson River on Lower Manhattan’s western side, the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place (3) has room for 1,000 in its soaring atrium; outside, the 10,000-square-foot open air Waterfront Plaza has an ice skating rink in winter and a popular outdoor bar once it warms up. There’s room for close to 4,000 at the scenic space. Several catering options are available.