Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Historically the epitome of the American ethnic melting pot, the Lower East Side has
been a revolving door for immigrants since the 1830s, when Irish and German popula-
tions moved in. The second wave came from Southern Italian and Eastern European
Jewish communities arriving in the 1880s. By 1915, Jews had the largest representation
in the Lower East Side, numbering more than 320,000. While a fair proportion of in-
habitants today are working-class Latino or Asian, you are just as likely to find stu-
dents, moneyed artsy types and other refugees from the overly-gentrified areas of Soho
and the nearby East Village, a blend that makes this one of the city's most enthralling
neighbourhoods and one of its hippest areas for shopping, drinking, dancing and - what
else? - food.
