One-Day Tour: Intro to New York’s Lower East Side
Bryce Longton
July 23, 2008
Once a neighborhood for synagogues and immigrants, today’s Lower East Side is rife with racy American Apparel billboards and smug young hipsters. The G(entrification)-word is the subject of much debate, but don’t expect the influx of restaurants, bars, and clubs to cease anytime soon. For a first-time visitor, there's plenty to make you feel cool, no matter what the dudes in skinny jeans mumble under their breath.
Stay. Hands down the hippest hotel in a 10-block radius, the Hotel on Rivington stretches like a 21-storied, one-fingered salute into the Manhattan skyline. With floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing unobstructed views of the city, the rooms are cozy (read: tiny) but outfitted with clean, modern furniture and luxurious Frette linens. More importantly, the location offers no shortage of nearby shops, restaurants and nightlife.
10 a.m. Breakfast at Clinton Street Baking Company. Order the blueberry pancakes and buttermilk biscuits. On weekends, the long wait is worth it.
11:30 a.m. Visit the Lower East Side Tenement Museum to gain a proper historical perspective of the neighborhood. Try the “Piecing it Together” tour—it takes you through the life of Max Levine, the child of Polish immigrants who owned a garment shop. Alternately, DIY and download a free audiotour courtesy of the Lower East Side Business Improvement District.
1:30 p.m. Move from the past to the present and visit the Number 35 Gallery on Essex Street, a hotbed for local up-and-coming artists.
2:30 p.m. Katz’s Delicatessen, a neighborhood institution since 1888, is a bona fide New York City icon. Grab a little red ticket and indulge in the legendary pastrami sandwich.
3:30 p.m. A visit to LES retail pioneer TG-170 is mandatory. Owner Terri Gillis champions young designers—current fashion darlings Cloak & Dagger and Grey Ant can be found on the racks right now. Elsewhere, stop in Some Odd Rubies and pick up remixed vintage clothes. Guys, Freemans Sporting Club offers natty, ready-to-wear suits. There’s even an on-site barbershop for a quick shave.
6:30 p.m. Track down the secret phone number for Milk and Honey. Reservations are required for this speakeasy, but the effort is encouraged. Cocktails are serious business here, but there’s no drink list; put your trust in the mixologists’ hands and sip without question.
8 p.m. Order the bacon-wrapped figs at Freemans, the restaurant (not the clothing store mentioned above) tucked away in the alley off Rivington Street. Stuffed birds and antlered creatures stare as you tuck into simple, well-prepared Anglo-American fare.
10 p.m. Get your music fix at Cake Shop. The multi-purpose space is the ultimate art school dropout hangout. The ground floor is dedicated to sipping coffee and rifling through vinyl. In the basement, drink at the bar and catch a live show—performances are seven nights a week.
Midnight. End the evening in over-the-top style. Order an absinthe cocktail, sink into a booth, and behold whatever performance the Box has in store for the evening: showgirls one night, midget opera singers the next. Part circus, part dinner theater, the entire experience both hearkens back to the 1920s and feels like the freshest thing happening in the city.
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