The delicious history of the Lower East Side (New York, NY)
For this tour, we’re in NYC, exploring the fascinating Lower East Side (LES). Like the Mile End neighbourhood in Montreal (see my Montreal food tour here), the LES was the first home for immigrants from a number of European countries. By the 1920s, the Lower East Side was home to a Jewish population of more than 400,000. Conditions were difficult in the traditional lower-class worker neighbourhood, with many newcomers living in crowded tenement buildings (you can learn more about life in the early 20th century LES at the Tenement Museum). Many made a living by selling wares on pushcarts and a thriving Yiddish cultural scene emerged. Newer waves of immigrants began arriving in the middle of the 20th century – primarily from Latin America, and later from China (Chinatown borders in the LES and part of the LES is considered part of Chinatown).
Later in the 20th century, many Jews left the LES, and by the 1960s, the neighourhood became the first racially integrated in the city. After a period of decline, like many neighbourhoods in the City, gentrification took hold in the early 2000s. Upscale restaurants, shops, and condos popped up and continue to expand,, placing the LES on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of America’s Most Endangered Places. However, many locations associated with the neighbourhood’s immigrant past are still standing, including institutions like Katz’s Deli, Russ & Daughters, and Yonah Shimmel’s Knish Bakery, as well as many historic synagogues. This tour is based on a guided tour offered by Free Tours by Foot.
Manhattan is located on the traditional territory of the Lenape (Lenapehoking) Peoples.
Tour map
Starting Point: LES Classics
Begin your tour at the Broadway-Lafayette St. station on the B/D/F/M line (or the 2nd Ave. station on the F line).
Walk east on E Houston St (pronounced HOUSE-ton)
Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery
137 East Houston St.
10am-5pm, Closed Wednesdays
Home to classic Ashkenazi Jewish fare (Ashkenazi refers to Jews originating in Eastern Europe) including kugel, latkes and of course, knishes (a thin layer of dough filled with potato,, onion and seasoning), the bakery looks similar to the way it did when it opened in 1910. Yonah Shimmel was one of the hundreds of thousands of newly-arrived Jewish immigrants and began selling knishes from a pushcart in 1890. More than 130 years later, Yonah’s great nephew keeps the tradition alive at the only remaining knish bakery in Manhattan. You can also get a taste of an Egg Cream or Lime Rickey here – both classic NYC drinks. While most of the LES’s Jewish institutions have long since left the area, the knishery offers a look back in time.
As you continue walking east on Houston St., you’ll see two classic locations that both date back more than 100 years.: Russ & Daughters, and Katz’s. While they’re a better fit for a full meal, rather than part of this food tour, they are NYC icons you’ll want to check out at least once.
Yonah Schimmel has been serving the city’s best knishes since it opened here in 1910 (Oct 2018)Like Yonah, Joel Russ, ran a pushcart in the early 20th century. After seven years operating the cart, he opened his brick and mortar store Russ and Daughters (179 E Houston St.) in 1914, and its current location in 1920. The first business to have “& Daughters” (as opposed to & Sons) in its name, the café – famous for its bagels and lox - is in its fourth generation of family operation. A Netflix show about this legendary spot is currently in production.
Katz’s Deli (205 E Houston St.) is even older, beginning in 1888, bought out by the Katz cousins in 1910, and operating at its current location since 1917. Katz’s deli, famous for its pastrami and corned beef, was an important neighbourhood gathering place for many of the newly arrived immigrant families in the early 20th century. Katz’s was run by the family until the 1980s when a friend bought into the partnership. On the side of the building, you’ll see the catch phrase ‘Katz’s, that’s all!’. This dates back to when the sign-maker asked the owners what they wanted to say on the sign…the response was ‘Katz’s. That’s all.’ Katz’s was the site of the famous deli scene in the 1989 movie When Harry Met Sally.
Mixing the old and the new - Gelato, Candy, and Dumplings
Il laboratorio del gelato
188 Ludlow St.
11:30am-10pm
Across the street from Katz’s, you’ll get a glimpse into the new world of the LES. Here at the gelato lab, NYC chefs source desserts for their menus as all gelato is homemade in small batches. You’ll find interesting flavours ranging from cheddar cheese to cardamom to green tea, and dozens more.
Continue one block on Houston St.
Turn right on Essex St.
Turn right onto Rivington St.
Economy Candy
108 Rivington St.
Noon-5:30pm
Take a peak inside this classic NYC candy shop that has been selling candy of all kinds from around the world since 1937.
Take a step back in time at Economy Candy (Oct 2018)Turn left on Ludlow St.
Turn right on Grand St.
Shu Jiao Fu Zhou
295 Grand St.
8:30am-8pm
This hole-in-the-wall sells cheap and delicious dumplings. The LES is next to Chinatown but the borders swelled in the 1970s and 1980s. While many Chinese immigrants came to the neighbourhood in the 1800s, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 all but banned immigration from China into the United States until 1943. For the next 22 years, the immigration quota was just 105 people per year. When this discriminatory policy changed in 1965, many arrivals from China settled in Chinatown where they were close to jobs and Chinese cultural institutions.
Turnaround and continue east on Grand St.
Grand and Essex: Pickles, Bialys, and Donuts
The corner of Grand and Essex has a number of interesting food stops all in the same place. Grab a pickle, a bialy, and a doughnut for an eclectic LES mix.
The Pickle Guys
357 Grand St.
10am-6pm (until 4pm on Friday)
While pickles were a popular find on the LES in the early 20th century, as of now, The Pickle Guys is the only pickle store in the area. Here you’ll find everything from the traditional pickle, to pickled watermelon, turnip and pineapple.
Wide variety of pickled offerings at ‘The Pickle Guys’ (Oct 2018)Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys
367 Grand St.
6am-4pm (until 5pm on Friday and Saturday)
Since 1936, Kossar’s has been selling bialys – the lesser well-known cousin of the bagel. Bialys are another import by Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Bialys (brought by immigrants from Bialystok in Poland), are similar to bagels but chewier. Also, instead of a hole, the middle is traditionally filled with roasted onions or garlic. Kossar’s also offer sesame, sun-dried tomato, and olive bialys.
Doughnut Plant
379 Grand St.
8am-4pm; Closed Monday and Tuesday
The new kid on this block but known as the original gourmet doughnut purveyor, Doughnut Plant has offered a wide variety of yeast and cake doughnuts since 1994.
LES street scene; historically these streets were filled with new immigrants selling their wares on pushcarts (Oct 2018)Explore the Lower East Side
Essex Market
88 Essex St.
8am-8pm (10am-6pm on Sunday)
Take a peak inside NYC’s most historic public market – a gathering place on the LES for more than 100 years. The market also includes prepared foods from Sicilian fried rice balls to Italian comfort food.
Tenement Museum
103 Orchard St.
10am-5pm (to 6pm on weekends)
Based in two historical tenement buildings, home to an estimated 15,000 people from 1863 to 2011, the museum provides a historical perspective on the immigrant experience in the United States. The building allows visitors to see 19th and early 20th century living conditions in the neighbourhood.
A glimpse into the LES Immigrant experience on Orchard Street (Oct 2018).Museum at Eldridge Street
12 Eldridge St.
10am-5pm Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm Sunday, Closed Saturday
Based in the former Eldridge Street Synagogue, built in 1887, this museum provides tours on American Jewish history, the Lower East Side, and immigration. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996.
Nearby Neighbourhoods
Chinatown - the oldest of nine Chinatown neighbourhoods in NYC. While it has been overtaken by the Flushing Chinatown in Queens (see my Queen’s International food tour here), it remains an important area for the city’s Chinese community and is a very popular restaurant and shopping district - particularly Canal Street. You can visit the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) to learn more about the Chinese-American experience.
Little Italy – while this area was once the first home of many Italian immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the neighbourhood has lost much of its Italian character. However, there are still traditional bakeries and cafes centred on Mulberry Street. It is also home to the Feast of San Gennaro street fair in September.
Soho – known as the home to artist lofts, art galleries, and fancy boutiques, like much of NYC Soho has undergone gentrification in recent decades. The majority of the city’s cast-iron buildings - most dating from 1840 to 1880 - can be found here.
Route Information
Tour map
Start at the Broadway-Lafayette St. station on the B/D/F/M line (or the 2nd Ave. station on the F line)
Walk east on E Houston St
Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery (137 East Houston St.)
Continue along E Houston St.
Il laboratorio del gelato (188 Ludlow St.)
Continue one block on Houston St.
Turn right on Essex St.
Turn right onto Rivington St.Economy Candy (108 Rivington St.)
Turn left on Ludlow St.
Turn right on Grand St.Shu Jiao Fu Zhou (295 Grand St.)
Turn around and continue east on Grand St.
The Pickle Guys (357 Grand St.)
Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys (367 Grand St.)
Doughnut Plant (379 Grand St.)
Return to the subway or explore the Lower East Side and surrounding neighbourhoods - Chinatown, Little Italy, and Soho, with the suggestions above.