Lower East Side
The historic immigrant gateway neighborhood, now layering galleries and nightlife over tenements, delis and knish bakeries.
Example
A full day runs a Tenement Museum tour, lunch at Katz's or Russ & Daughters, the Orchard Street galleries and a slice at Scarr's to close.
Related terms
Museums
Tenement Museum
The Lower East Side museum telling immigrant family stories inside preserved 19th-century tenement apartments, by...
Bagels and delis
Katz's Delicatessen
The 1888 Lower East Side deli famous for hand-carved pastrami on rye and the ticket system every visitor fumbles.
Pizza
Scarr's Pizza
The Lower East Side slice shop milling its own flour, a retro-styled favorite of pizza obsessives since 2016.
Neighborhoods
SoHo
The cast-iron district south of Houston Street, where 19th-century lofts became art studios and then a shopping mecca.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal Lower East Side day?
Tenement Museum tour, Katz's or Russ & Daughters after, Economy Candy and Orchard Street galleries, ending at Scarr's or a Rivington bar.
Is the Lower East Side a night neighborhood or day neighborhood?
Both, with different personalities. Days belong to food history and museums, nights to bars and music on Ludlow and Orchard.
Is the Lower East Side a day or a night neighborhood?
Both, with different personalities. Days belong to food history and the Tenement Museum, nights to bars and music on Ludlow and Orchard Streets.
