Thursday, March 12, 2009

Lower East Side, New York City

Although this looks like it could be a scene from Paris, it is few corner bistros in the Lower East Side of New York City. One of the oldest neighborhoods of the city, the Lower East Side was once known as a lower-class worker neighborhood and often as a poor and diverse part of New York. In the early 2000s, the gentrification of the East Village spread to the Lower East Side, making it now one of the more trendy neighborhoods in Manhattan

Russ And Daughters, located at 179 East Houston Street, is a New York institution since 1914, selling premier appetizing. “Appetizing” is a Jewish food tradition that is most typical among American Jews, and it is particularly local to New York and New Yorkers.

Stores selling cured and pickled meats are known as delicatessens, while shops that sell fish and dairy products became appetizing stores, and Russ and Daughters is one of the most famous in NYC.

They sell bagels and bialys, smoked salmon and herring and whitefish, chubs, trout, lox, schmaltz, caviar, cream cheese, chopped liver, salads of all kinds, dried fruit, rugelach, marble halvah, babka....are you hungry as yet? You might even run into Martha Stewart, who has been shopping at Russ and Daughters since she was a child. Watch a wonderful video on Martha's website when she visited the store. Russ and Daughter's even has a blog!

There are many restaurants, shops and boutiques to explore along the streets and avenues, the one above was jammed with fabrics and sewing notions.

Every Sunday, Orchard Street from Delancey to East Houston Street closes to vehicular traffic turning the street into a pedestrian mall with stores setting up tables and racks advertising their wares to passersbys.

Luxury condominium construction is beginning to dwarf some of the old tenements that are still in use.

More views of shops and tenements along Orchard Street.

An old fashioned looking ad painted on a building wall.


Another view looking down Orchard Street.

Crossing Delancy Street, you can see the Williamsburg Bridge in the distance, which is a suspension bridge over the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Your might remember this scene from the 1988 movie "Crossing Delancy" which starred Amy Irving and Peter Riegert.

To listen to a free informative podcast tour of The Lower East Side click here and click on the subjects in the right sidebar.
The Lower East Side is another one of the wonderful neighborhoods to explore in New York City.
If you do visit make sure you bring your appetite!

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat, my stomach is growling for some of the food mentioned on your post. Since it is 7:00 pm and I haven't eaten yet. Have mercy. My dh ate leftovers and left none for me and went bowling. I hope he throws a gutter ball. BIG grin! Just kidding. I can whip up something like an egg for supper. LOL. Really I am glad to not cook tonight.

I have never been on the lower East side in NY. Or Brooklyn either. Next visit it will be a must.

Have a great
evening...Hugs...Jeanne

Vee said...

Sounds as if Martha is a loyal patron. I love a good deli...we have one that touts itself to be a real New York Deli...it is named Heidi's and I'm pretty sure that it is a chain. And that's the closest thing to a deli that we have so I'm completely missing out.

Tell me about snowstorms in NYC. What happens to all the snow? How soon is it all gone?

Anonymous said...

Ooo I never knew the difference between a deli and an appetizing. Thanks for that. What an interesting part of New York. I'd love to rummage in that fabric store. :-)

Barb said...

Love your photos today,wish I was there with you....Barb

CynthiaAvaDevta said...

I'm all teary-eyed again reading your blog! I love this post. I lived on Avenue B and Houston Street for nine years before my daughter was born and we had to move to Staten Island, because it was more affordable. I spent a lot of time on the LES during my college years and beyond. My how it is changing. I'm not sure how I feel about it, even though it is still as charming as ever. There is still a lot of the "old world" there...and that's what I loved about it. Thanks for the lovely photos...and for the memories.
-Cyndy

RoeH said...

Love it. Totally love it. Well...maybe not the 'smoked eel' the sign said they have. I think I'm still a farm girl cookin' person. :)

Willow said...

Pat, these are great pictures! The fabric store reminds me of the Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles.

Anonymous said...

There's something on my blog for you :)

Jojo said...

It is so nice to see a real fabric store. In our area there are so few of them around and the ones that now exist are generally chain stores. I loved seeing all the fabric in the window.

Unknown said...

I know deli but not appetizing...we have nothing regarding Jew here, it's banned and it's also the country I could not travelled, banned as stated in the passport. However, it would be so interesting to go there, what a fascinating place. Have a great and wonderful weekend Pat, much love and blessings always/M

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

Don't you love your 'link within' that is the best widget I have!

Thanks for taking me along to NY.

Strider said...

Another good read. When I say the bagels, I was reminded from a NY friend that living out west, I have no idea what real bagels taste like!!! She was probably right! Have a great weekend.

Brigitte said...

Hi Pat, I am surprised to find this beautiful blog at Guildwood! Very interesting here! Since we get something simular - our husbands are from Italy. We are living in Germany and we have a little Grandson since Nov. 08. And there is a cat living with us. I am sending you greetings from a little town near Ulm (where the tallest churchtower of the world ist situated). Sorry for this bad English, but last time when we visited SFO was in 1999. Love, Brigitte

Nola said...

Ok, let me grab a bite to eat, then let's pop into the fabric store! Looks like such a historically rich area; I love the character of anything old! Thanks for the tour.

Betsy Brock said...

NYC is such a wonderful, unique place! I've only been there once, but loved it! Now I'm hungry for rugelach!

Lisa's RetroStyle said...

Okay Pat...you've got to start reviewing neighborhood hotels so we know where we should stay to be close to a particular neighborhood ;) I want to visit this area. You know I love all those old buildings!!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Pat, I just love all the nooks and crannies in NYC. It's always fun to go tourning different sections with you. I don't believe I've been to the Lower East Side, so I'm glad you took us on a guided tour. You are the world's BEST tour guide. The City ought to pay you for tourism development! :-)

XO,

Sheila :-)

Anonymous said...

What a great tour! When I saw the sign on the shop, Russ and Daughters, I thought how proud the man must be of his daughters, beautiful thing. Whenever DH and I have gone to NY, we walk around with our heads tilted; we absolutely love to see the old architecture.

Unknown said...

Thanks Pat for another great NYC post. I'm so excited I am just about beside myself. LOL


Gonna email this one to Jonathan too!

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Pat, You have no idea how happy you make me. I am reading this and grinning ear to ear. There are very few people in my world short of my family who know what appetizing is and can appreciate it. A real New York bagel and lox...I dream about this. My Dad would take me to the closest appetizing store on Sunday mornings and we would pick up a feast. Smoked sable and white fish, lox, and my favorite caviar cream cheese. I would always remind him to get the half sour pickles. He loved the lower east side, and brought us to Ratners, a dairy only restaurant for blitzes every now and then. Thank you for jogging my memory.
♥, Susan

Anonymous said...

Great pictures!

Bo said...

Hi Pat...it is so hard for me to fathom people living in the tiny apartments I see on HGTV and see them paying a million or more dollars for them...NYC is an incredible place but I don't know how people can afford to live there. ;-) Bo

Junie Moon said...

It does indeed look like a Parisian street. The more things change, the more we learn to value the old. I love small family-owned enterprises; unfortunately, some go to the wayside as time goes on. I'd love to pop into the deli you described and soak up the atmosphere as well as just breathe in the wonderful aromas and sense of connectivity inherent in family-owned businesses.

Gina said...

Great tour Pat..would love to see these parts of NY..and the whisky ad is brilliant! :D

Carol Murdock said...

Pat.....thanks for the tour of the lower east side. I wish I could spend a few hours in that fabric store!
You will have an award to pick up on my blog tomorrow...
Carol

Sue said...

Wow Pat, I really learned a lot of things from your post. I'm sorry I haven't visited for a while and left a comment. This blogging thing can get so time consuming, what with following everyone and trying to come up with ideas to write about. I've never been to the city-just know it from the tube! How interesting you made it. Thanks for stopping by my blog for a visit. I was telling someone that this is like having "pen-pals." Don't you just wish we could all meet up in person? Off to bed- have an early am shopping trip planned. Have a good weekend.
Sue

Sue said...

Hi Pat...another great tour of the city...spent alot of time down in that area...daughter's old boyfriend lives at e.9th.

Melissa Miller said...

What a beautiful city you get to explore and enjoy.
Love the row of evergreens.
It's just amazing!

Little Leo is getting more sweet and handsome each picture you show us.

Thanks for stopping by.
It's always great to hear from you.
~Melissa :)

Anonymous said...

Crossing Delancy is one of my fav movies. My mom used to work in that area for some time and used to bring home the pickles from the only place that made them (just like in the movie). Loved it. My sister says they've closed down now. *sigh*

Paz

aliceinparis said...

I love the name Russ and Daughters! How wonderful that they would be included when so often they are not:)
I really want to come and visit all the places you are describing!!