Cortlandt St, Financial District

Depending on how the final plans for Cortlandt work out with the new World Trade Center, it could end up a longer street. But, for now, Cortlandt only runs block or so before turning into Maiden Lane. Cortlandt got its name because the street runs through what used to be the estate of the Cortlandt family when New York was still New Amsterdam. It changes into Maiden because the Maiden Lane once ran along a stream where all the young women did their laundry. So, technically, Maiden came first.
The street starts at Ground Zero: specifically at the former and future homes of Towers 3 and 4. These are supposed to open in 2013 and 2015, respectively, but you never know with the way construction and leasing has been going down here.
The next block down houses 1 Liberty Plaza, a really ugly building that replaced a really beautiful building in the '70's. It's a developmental building so there's nothing really exciting about it, in general. But, something that's very exciting to an awful lot of New Yorkers is right across the street: Century 21. Century 21 is the mother of all discount designer stores. It was one of the first to reopen after the September 11 attacks and this place is never not insane. They do have great stuff and my friends are obsessed with this store. If you like shopping, you will like this place. It's already massive and I hear they're expanding to a whopping seven floors here pretty shortly. It's kind of Manhattan right of passage, so you have to go.
There's not much to say about Cortlandt outside of the WTC and Century 21. I'm pretty sure no one would know where this street is if it weren't for the two. You can't really live here, but if you like to shop, this is the spot.