100 William Street

100 William Street is a Privately Owned Public Space in the Financial District's Insurance District, an area between Fulton Street and Maiden Lane historically associated with the insurance industry. The outdoor plaza provides open space amid the dense commercial development of Lower Manhattan.

The Insurance District, centered on William Street, John Street, and Maiden Lane, was home to dozens of insurance companies from the 19th century onward. While most have relocated, the neighborhood's name persists in local usage.

The POPS at 100 William Street serves the daytime worker population of the surrounding office buildings, providing outdoor seating and a break from the enclosed office environment. The plaza is typical of the mid-to-late 20th century POPS that dot the Financial District.

The neighborhood has experienced significant residential conversion, with former office buildings transformed into apartments and condominiums. The POPS serves this growing residential community alongside the traditional office workers.

This plaza is one of dozens of POPS along the William Street and Water Street corridors that collectively provide significant outdoor public space in a part of Manhattan where street-level open area is extremely limited.