Thousands of people walk by it daily on their way to work or to catch a ferry to Staten Island or the Statue of Liberty. Millions have entered and exited its doors. Yet, while it’s certainly not off the beaten path, the history and distinct architecture of Manhattan’s Bowling Green Station is mostly ignored as residents of and visitors to New York City rush to and fro.
Opened in July 1905, Bowling Green Station gets its name from New York City’s oldest park, which was set aside in the 1700s near where the original Dutch settlers built the New Amsterdam fort. Bowling Green Park was first a green space for playing the British game of bowls. Despite its name, the station is officially located at Broadway and Battery Place in Manhattan’s financial district, just blocks from the Charging Bull statue near the New York Stock Exchange.
