All you need to know about the Lower East side in New York
Manhattan’s Lower East Side was the first port of call for immigrants arriving into the city via Ellis Island and, despite recent gentrification, there are still nods to its roots all around. From the brown tenement buildings to the Jewish delis and graffitied shutters, walking through LES feels like a slice of real New York and it’s well worth lingering.
WHAT SHOULD I DO THERE?
The Tenement Museumwhich takes tourists on a trip back in time via a tour of restored brownstone buildings and stories of the real-life families who lived there, is a must-visit. My excellent guide Laureen really brought to life the Schnieder family who arrived in NY in the 1930s from Germany and ran a bar (it seemed half of New York ran a bar back then, legal or otherwise…). This is probably the least stuffy museums I’ve ever visited and a great choice for all ages.
Walking round the LES you’ll see a lot of genuinely impressive graffiti, if you want to see more head to the CitizenM New York Bowery hotel which has its own (free) Museum of Street Art (MoSA). That’s right, you can view colourful murals and art work from the 20th floor down to the reception, there’s even art in the stairwells.
There’s more to this hotel than the art, however. I also loved the cathedral-like lobby, a three-storey high wall lined with contemporary art and benches and sofas for digital nomads. And shout out to rooftop bar cloudMwhere the cocktails and light bites like buffalo chicken empanadas are moreish and the Manhattan views leave you stunned.
The indie shopping scene in LES is also strong. If you adore vintage make a beeline for Edith Machinistwhere you can root through retro sunglasses, floral tea dresses, battered leather jackets and even some designer gems. Sweet Pickle Books is a bibliophile’s dream AND they make and sell their own jars of pickles. It’s a crazy combo that works, go try.
ABOUT THAT DINING SCENE…
The Lower East Side’s food scene is HOT. Definitely stop by The Butcher’s Daughtera seasonal, plant-first restaurant with white painted walls, hanging plants and wood tables, which I stopped by for daily brunch (açai bowls, goddess juice full of healthy greens). Apparently it’s singer Alicia Key’s favourite NY restaurant, you’ll spot it from the eye-catching yellow and white colour scheme.
I discovered Nam Son on Grand Street by happy accident, and it was so good I had to return. A Vietnamese place doing everything right, from the bowls of steaming pho to the price ($15.99 a bowl). The overriding vibe is authentic – packed full of locals on Saturday lunchtime, it felt like a dream neighbourhood restaurant. Oh and it’s cheaper if you pay with cash *wink*.
Dudleyson the corner of Orchard and Broome Streets, is an Ozzie-inspired cafe that’s packed for brunch, but I loved lunch there – the chop salad in particular is chef’s kiss.
A ten-minute stroll west from LES and you arrive in Soho, home of more top quality restaurants than you can shake a jar of chilli crunch at. I rate NoMo KitchenNomo Hotel’s restaurant, which is theatrics from the moment you arrive via a tunnel of lights and plants. The dining space is pretty epic too – a cavernous conservatory with chandeliers, long bar and graffiti hearts sprayed on the walls.
What about the food? It lived up to the surroundings. Think ceviche starter followed by delicious Atlantic char with potato and asparagus, both so beautifully composed they made me reach for my phone camera.
THE PLACE TO STAY?
Love a bargain? Then book Moxy NYC Lower East Side. Its location’s hard to beat: round the corner from a Subway stop, close to hot restaurant The Butcher’s Daughter restaurant (see Where to eat), next to China town and a ten-minute stroll from SoHo. The whole set up is a scene and locals flock there to sip cocktails at the rooftop bar Highlight Terrace and book tables at award-winning Japanese Sake No Hana.
I found it a welcome place to return to after a day’s sightseeing, not least the arty decor: dancer dollss hanging from chandeliers, a giant hula-hooping bear statue and striped out-sized chairs. Rooms are fun too, with retro rotary phones, great city views. Art Deco-style shower rooms and showbiz light bulbs around the mirrors. It’s not fancy (no fluffy robes or Nespresso machines here), but who cares when it’s £259 per night and the corridor to the lobby has candy dispensers?
VIEW IT FROM ABOVE
No trip to NY is complete without a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, a brilliant way to see LES and Lower Manhattan from a different perspective. It’s 102 floors to the Observation Deck, but don’t miss the second and 80th floors, which have great new exhibits, including interactive displays and a history of the site. Black and white photos of construction workers sitting on steel beams without any safety gear miles above the city are shocking yet oddly compelling – what brave men they must have been. Fun fact, it took longer to build the replica model of the Empire State Building on floor two than it did to build the real thing (just over one year).
TIP: Skirt Steak is an eight-minute walk from the Empire State on Sixth Avenue and ideal if you want a no-faff, quick, tasty meal. The concept’s simple: you’re served a green salad soaked in some kind of delicious dressing, choose whether you want your steak cooked rare, medium or well done (beware medium is very pink!), plus all you can eat bowls of fries and a dessert for $45pp.
GO THERE!
Return air fare to JFK New York from London Gatwick, via Reykjavik is a bargain £368pp with Icelandairwhich has also started operating new North American routes to Pittsburgh and Halifax. It’s possible to add on a stopover in Iceland for no additional cost which I’d definitely do next time as the smoking volcanoes and wild landscape were extremely tempting. Rooms at Moxy NYC Lower East Side from £259pn BOOK NOW.
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