Lower East Side

A Historical Backdrop for Fun and Foodies

From a densely populated, hardscrabble immigrant community to one of the the city’s most fashionable hotspots, the Lower East Side has undergone a drastic transformation over the last century whilst managing to always preserve its unique character.

Its narrow streets, lined with their signature tenement style buildings, are now full of hip young denizens, who love the neighborhood for its saturation of some of the best bars, restaurants, and boutiques in the city. On a more practical end, the Lower East Side provides great ease of access to the rest of the city with its plentiful subway options and walking distance proximity to SoHo, the East Village, and beyond.

The neighborhood has become increasingly sought after, but good deals on apartments can still be found, and there is still authenticity to the charming blocks.

Popular Types of Housing

The streets of the Lower East Side are known for their tenement-style pre-war walk-ups, though new luxury high-rises reflecting the neighborhood’s popularity are popping up throughout.

NEAREST SUBWAYS

Travel Time

Times Square

Financial District

Grand Central Terminal

Union Square

WHERE TO GO

Katz's Delicatessen

Immortalized in the famous scene from “When Harry Met Sally,” in which Meg Ryan very vocally enjoys a bit more than her sandwich, Katz’s is a quintessential New York City food destination for LES locals and tourists alike.

Katz's Delicatessen

Tenement Museum

The immigrant experience is crucial to the history of the Lower East Side, and the community honors this rich heritage with the Tenement Museum. Located in a building on Orchard Street, the museum features recreations of apartments from various eras, walking tours, and costumed reenactments of historic events.

Tenement Museum

Essex Market

A neighborhood staple, this indoor market brings the best local vendors - butchers, fishmongers, purveyors of artisanal cheeses, and all manner of grocers - to the kitchen tables of the Lower East Side’s residents.

Essex Street Market

Russ & Daughters

NYC natives know where to go for the best caviar, smoked fish, bagels and other gourmet specialties - this family owned shop, which celebrated its hundredth birthday last year.

Russ & Daughters