Lower East Side

The Lower East Side is an eclectic Manhattan neighborhood known for its electric nightlife and history as one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Successive waves of immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries added diverse international influences to this authentic NYC neighborhood. The Lower East Side is a busy neighborhood day and night, with influential art galleries, live music venues, hip coffee shops, and a wide selection of places to eat and shop.

 

The Lower East Side is bisected east-to-west by Delancey Street, which meets lively Orchard Street in the heart of the neighborhood’s lively western half. The streets further from these two main thoroughfares tend to be quieter, though there are shops, restaurants, and bars dotted throughout the neighborhood. Much of the housing consists of pre-war walk-up apartments, though there are also large townhouses and luxurious high-rise contemporary condominium buildings.

 

• Historic businesses
• Vibrant nightlife
• Refined cocktail lounges
• Live music
  
  

Although immigrants from across the world helped shape the Lower East Side’s development, it is particularly closely connected to NYC’s Jewish population. There are dozens of synagogues and Jewish-run businesses within the Lower East Side. The area also has a large Puerto Rican and Dominican population. This bustling neighborhood has a constant energy about it, making it one of NYC’s most exciting locations.

Orchard Street is the heart of the Lower East Side and one of the hippest spots in Manhattan, lined with fashion boutiques, alternative clothing stores, and pop-up shops. Katz’s Delicatessen has been a mainstay on Houston Street since 1888. This kosher deli was named by Zagat as the best deli in NYC, with its pastrami on rye widely regarded as the city’s finest. Katz’s has featured in several films over the years, including the iconic scene from When Harry Met Sally. Essex Market is another historic cornerstone of the Lower East Side, with international food vendors, butchers, fishmongers, spice shops, and grocers. The neighborhood’s diverse nightlife options includes dive bars, nightclubs, and refined cocktail lounges such as Attaboy and Nitecap.

The Lower East Side really comes alive at night with some of NYC’s most happening spots. Pianos and Mercury Lounge are the best places to catch performances from up-and-coming indie acts. C-Squat carries the punk rock baton for a neighborhood that was home to the world-famous CBGBs, along with housing the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space. Bowery Ballroom is the neighborhood’s most iconic active music venue, staging performances from some of the biggest names in alternative rock. The Slipper Room’s burlesque, cabaret, comedy, and neo-vaudeville shows are equally legendary, with its stage having been graced by names such as Lady Gaga, Leonard Cohen, and U2. The Lower East Side is also a hub of the NYC art scene, with contemporary art spaces ABC No Rio and New Museum.