The term became a metonym for the financial markets of the US. The district is the home of the New York Stock Exchange, which is the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization. NASDAQ, the New York Mercantile Exchange, the New York Board of Trade and the former American Stock Exchange all also have or have had resided on Wall Street.
The architecture on Wall Street is typically derived from the Gilded Age. The street layout lacks the rectangular grid pattern that most of midtown Manhattan consists of. Landmarks on Wall Street include Federal Hall, 14 Wall Street (the Bankers Trust Company Building), 40 Wall Street (the Trump Building) and the New York Stock Exchange.
Wall Street was primarily a business community in the 20th century. Since then, however, technological changes and changing market conditions are increasing residential use of the area. Empty office buildings have transformed into lofts and apartments. A fifth of the buildings in the area in 1996 were vacant; many have been converted into living areas since.
Many vacationers chose to visit Wall Street due to the landmarks in the district, such as the Trinity Church, the Federal Reserve gold vaults that reside 80 feet below street level, and the New York Stock Exchange building. The Federal Reserve Building opened a visitors' gallery in 1997.