Wall Street is the name of a famous street which runs through lower Manhattan. It is the historic site where many financial institutions are located, and as such, it has become a symbol of commerce and the American economy.
2 Explanations for the name Wall Street
There are two explanations for the name “Wall Street.” It is presumed by some historians that the street references a literal wall that was built by the Dutch in the 1600s in order to protect themselves from invasions. Others have suggested that the name is a reference to the Walloons, who are known to be the citizens from Belgium who played a great role in the construction of New Amsterdam, better known as New York City today.
Somehow, by the 18th century, this East-West running street had become associated with commerce, thanks to informal meetings of traders that took place under a famous buttonwood tree.
NYSE and Wall Street Journal are located on this street
The overall financial district of Manhattan is sometimes known as “Wall Street.” Among many other main financial institutions, Wall Street houses the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which is considered to be a major institution in the American market.Wall Street Journal, is also situated there which is a famous publication that covers both financial and global news.
Famous buildings in Wall Street
You can found various famous buildings in Wall Street, and along with the financial companies which have made Wall Street home for centuries there are few museums also which showcase artifacts of interest. There are certain landmarks along Wall Street that are extremely well known. There is also a famous bronzed bull, which was originally installed as a piece of social commentary by a radical artist.
“Wall Street” as a shorthand for trading and commerce is used by many people. This is due to the reason that Wall Street leads the American market, remaining the headquarters of many influential corporations and setting trends which the rest of the country tends to follow.
