Lower Manhattan Has Undergone “Profound Transformation” Since 9/11

A quarter-century after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Lower Manhattan has undergone “a profound transformation,” New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report charting the area’s socioeconomic changes. DiNapoli cited a diversified business community, an expanding tourism sector, major public transportation investments and the emergence of a 24-hour neighborhood that has seen the number of housing units and residents more than double since 2000.

Lower Manhattan’s population has increased from 32,446 in 2000 to 70,761 in 2024, outpacing Manhattan overall. The increase, concentrated across the Financial District and Tribeca, was supported by a jump in housing from 21,337 units in 2002 to 46,194 as 2026 began, driven by zoning changes and the conversions of office buildings for residential and ground-floor retail use.

“Twenty-five years ago, it was impossible to imagine the neighborhoods around Ground Zero looking like they do today,” DiNapoli said. “Lower Manhattan rose from those ashes with an enormous amount of effort and investment. Today, the growing population, the mix of retail, business and government offices, as well as hotels, restaurants and cultural destinations, speak to New York’s and America’s tenacity in the wake of one of the darkest days in our history.”