Lower East Side History Blog

I see dozens of comments a day on social media posts claiming "Chinatown took over Little Italy." These comments sadly show a deep misunderstanding of not only Italian-American history, but NYC history in general. (I'd like to think it is ignorance and not xenophobia.)  Well, I would like to offer the following alternative narrative. Article takeaways: Chinese settled in the district about the same time, if not a little earlier...

Chinatown is a beautifully vibrant neighborhood cradled within the traditional boundaries of New York City's Lower East Side, filled with friendly restaurants, street vendors, and gift shops. The district has long been associated with a rich cultural heritage, delicious cuisine, and a bustling street life. However, beneath the surface, Chinatown -- like most ethnic neighborhoods -- has a rich history of organized crime, with various gangs and organizations vying for...

Of course the Lower East Side of New York City holds a significant place in the history of Jewish immigration. This bustling neighborhood was a melting pot of cultures, languages, and traditions, with Yiddish serving as the prominent language. The stories and struggles of these immigrants were brought to life through the iconic advice column of the Yiddish newspaper Forverts, known as A Bintel Brief. The Rise of the Lower...

  Business on Hester Street had concluded for the day of September 29, 1892.  Just a few hours earlier, the thoroughfare, named after Hester Leisler, was rife with fruit stands, crowded garment shops and peddlers displaying their wares.   Approaching 7:00pm, the Thursday temperature dipped slightly to a cool and fair 68 degrees as twilight was underway.  Save for a few stragglers, the busy shopping district turned dormant. 139 Hester Street...

Jim Power and the history of squatters rights on the Lower East Side.

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of guiding Meyer Lansky II, the grandson of notorious 20th century mobster Meyer Lansky, around his ancestral stomping ground on The Lower East Side. The tour was covered by The Wall Street Journal (read the article here). I knew Meyer II for a few years and really wanted to give him a memorable experience; something that he couldn't find in the many books,...

Twenty-six year old Robert Icard arrived in New York City with his young family in tow.  Leaving the port city of Baltimore, he had aspirations of making a better life for himself and his future generations.  He settled in a neighborhood known as Corlears Hook and would operate a shot manufacturing and gunsmith company from the lower level of his home on Water Street.  The year was 1820 and Corlears...

The Lower East Side -- an iconic piece of real estate that is the quintessential melting pot of America. Countless dreams came to fruition on the Lower East Side. Sons and daughters from lands afar, sailed into bustling New York harbor carrying a few belongings, and aspirations of one day making their lives better. Native Americans, Brits, Irish, Italians, Germans, Chinese, Hispanics, punks, and yes even hipsters have torn down...

Here are just a few scenes from movies and television shows that were filmed in the East Village. Special thanks to Andrea Coyle for compiling most of this. Crocodile Dundee (1986) Avenue B & E. 7th Street, Vazac’s bar Mick (Paul Hogan) defended two hookers and punched their pimp. Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) St. Marks Place, Dojo Restaurant Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) follows Susan (Madonna) and knocks over a vendor's wares....

From the source: "One in a series of eight films that traces the history of America as a nation of immigrants. With a population that includes two million Jews, New York is the biggest Jewish city in the world. Many are the children and grandchildren of people who fled Eastern Europe before World War I and came to the city's Lower East Side. Though no longer persecuted, most still lived...

Earlier this week, while waiting for my car to be repaired at a local shop, I stumbled upon Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Glendale Queens. I've come across this cemetery a few times in books and articles over the years while researching and figured I'd pop in and take a look around. Using my smart phone, I went to findagrave.com to see if I could discover any famous Lower East Siders...

  Did you know that Levi Strauss began his career on the Lower East Side? In 1847, at age 18, Levi Strauss (born Leob Strauss, February 26, 1829) left his native home in Bavaria to join his older brothers in NYC, who owned a wholesale dry goods store on the Lower East Side. By 1853, young Levi received an offer to partner with a businessman who opened a dry goods...

It started when the Third Avenue Elevated Train line -- which ran from Chatham Square to The Bronx up Bowery and 3rd Avenue -- was demolished in the late 1950s. By 1960, savvy real estate companies and building owners began promoting the district as the "Village East" or "East Village," capitalizing on its proximity to the more fashionable Greenwich Village.Though traditionally part of the greater Lower East Side, the term...

This original LESHP documentary explores the important role that many Lower East Siders played during the early days of the motion picture industry.

The Acker Award is a tribute given to members of the avant garde arts communities of New York City and San Francisco who have made outstanding contributions in their discipline in defiance of convention,  or else served their fellow writers and artists in outstanding ways.  The award is named after novelist Kathy Acker who in her life and work exemplified  the risk-taking and uncompromising dedication that identifies the true avant...

If you were down and out on the Bowery in the 1940s or 1950s, you wouldn’t want to earn the reputation as a “toes-up mokus” or aggressive “pinker” because you just might “catch some heat” from the “bulls” – or worse – you might be ostracized by your contemporaries and “outed” publicly in the Bowery Blue Book. The legendary Bowery began hosting a notable homeless population as early as the...

St. Patrick holds a special place in the hearts of many New Yorkers. Not only is he the primary patron saint of Ireland, he is also the adopted patron saint of the Archdiocese of New York, so it is no surprise that tens of thousands of people show up every year just to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade—while spectators run into the millions. Though very little documentation exists...

When the City Planning Commission formed on January 1, 1938, one of its primary initiatives was to revitalize the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods of New York City. After identifying the Lower East Side waterfront as one of the Big Apple’s neediest districts, the commission proposed amending long-standing zoning regulations in order to restore property values, to encourage new construction and to raise the standard of living for thousands of families. Plans...

In February of 1917, thousands of local women organized to combat sharply rising food prices. Spurred on by well-known anarchist and socialist leaders, many protesters turned violent and wreaked havoc on local businesses for several days. It is hard for us to imagine not having a C-Town nearby or a 24-hour bodega on every corner to satisfy our cravings at a moment’s notice. In a world before supermarkets—let alone packaged...

For over a century, the East Side hosted at times the largest concentration of factories, stables, warehouses, coal, lumber and iron yards in the city.