Lower East Side (LES)

The neighborhood sets between Bowery and the East River. LES richest legacy is the influx of immigrants that settled in the area during the first half of the 20th century and the mark these groups left in the neighborhood.
After decades of disregard, the neighborhood has made a complete turnaround helped by investment and a renewed interest in Lower Manhattan in the early 2000s as a global place for the young and trendy. Older buildings have been renovated and new ones have risen. Pre-war walk-ups can now be found next to full-service luxury buildings and sleek, modern condominiums, high-end rentals and hotel towers. This cleaner, safer Lower East Side boasts a vibrant and diverse nightlife, with many options from hip bars to cabaret theaters and indie rock venues.

Apartment prices are somewhat cheaper here than in the neighboring East Village, but there are fewer subway stops in the area. The neighborhood’s landmarks reflect its heritage: Eldridge Street Synagogue, the Louis Abrons Arts for Living Center and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum as well as the delightful Katz’s deli, Yonah Shimmel Knish and Russ and Daughters food shops bring a taste of old New York to the hip fashion boutiques, restaurants like the Stanton Social and Beauty & Essex, the New Museum on Bowery and art galleries along Orchard Street that mark the area’s recent metamorphosis.