A ‘Working Girl’ Weekend

What better way to celebrate Labor Day than with ‘Working Girl,’ the story of a Staten Island secretary who sticks it to the man and makes it big on Wall Street. Tess (Melanie Griffith) is a secretary with big dreams and no way to make them come true, until her demanding, demeaning and downright nasty boss (Sigourney Weaver) breaks her leg. With the chief out of commission, Tess fakes her way up the corporate ladder and gets the guy, all while rocking some seriously ’80s Staten Island style. 

 

Shot on location in Manhattan and Staten Island, the film features some of New York’s most famous landmarks — from the Statue of Liberty to the South Street Seaport. So if you’re feeling patriotic, put on your biggest shoulder pads, tease that hair up high and head downtown to indulge in some of the city’s best tourist attractions. We promise, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a first-time visitor or a jaded New Yorker, visiting — or revisiting — Lower Manhattan is a sure way to have fun in the city.   

 

 

 

 

Lower Manhattan is a great part of the city to explore by bike. If you’re worried about traffic, visit the neighborhood on the weekend, when the working crowd has cleared out. Another option is to stick to the bike path along the East River — one of Manhattan’s best kept secrets. In fact, the Alliance for Downtown New York is offering free bicycles for downtown tours through Sept. 30! You’ll get gorgeous views of Brooklyn, the Seaport and the majestic Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. 

 

Staten Island Ferry: ‘Working Girl’ opens on the crowded Staten Island Ferry, filled with commuters headed to Manhattan. While many simply rely on the ferry to get to work, it is also one of those classic “New York experiences,” and it doesn’t cost a dime. To catch the ferry, head to the new Whitehall Terminal/South Ferry (1 Whitehall Street at South Street) and hop onboard. The trip to St. George Terminal in Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, takes about 25 minutes each way, and offers stunning views of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan.

 

Statue of Liberty: You’ll get great views of the Statue of Liberty from the ferry, but you won’t get up close. To do so — and climb the statue’s 354 steps — get the ferry at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park. 

 

 

 

 

 

7 World Trade Center: The building where Tess works was destroyed in the attacks on September 11, 2001, but a new 741-foot, 52-story 7 World Trade Center was completed in 2006, making it the first building to be completed at Ground Zero following Sept. 11. The new building can be seen in ‘Perfect Stranger,’ starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis.

 

South Street Seaport: The Seaport gets a bad rap as a tourist trap. Sure it’s touristy, but it’s also fun. The South Street Seaport (Fulton & South Streets, Pier 17) features restaurants, live performers, a museum, and — in the summer — the Water Taxi Beach. The Seaport is among the oldest parts of the city, so you’ll also find quaint cobblestone streets and 19th-century buildings. And situated beneath the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, it’s a great place to take in nighttime views of the city. Film lovers will recognize the Seaport from Will Smith’s post-apocalyptic ‘I am Legend.’

 

Getting to Lower Manhattan is easy! You can take the 2, 3, 4, 5, J, Z, or M to Fulton Street, the A or C trains to Broadway-Nassau or E train towards Fulton Street. For more information on New York’s public transportation, visit mta.info or call 311.

images: wikipedia/iStock