Image courtesy of Tenement.org (“Tenement Museum”)
The Low-Down
The popular definition of the Lower East Side. (maps.google.com)
City District 3, contains the East Village, Chinatown, and Lower East Side. The source of statistics in this article. (“Manhattan Community District 3” 1)
Throughout its long history, the Lower East Side has acted as a home to a variety of New York’s immigrants. Groups from the 19th through 20th centuries have included Irish, Polish, Ukrainians, and Germans, who in the 18th century established their own ethnic enclave known as “Kleindeutchsland” (“Lower East Side New York”). But perhaps one of the most noteworthy groups in the area were the Jewish, who’s mark can still be seen on a few streets and in landmarks such as the renowned Katz’s Delicatessen and Eldridge Street Synagogue. The borders of the neighborhood once stretched past Tompkin’s Square Park into the East Village and west into present day Chinatown (and though these borders are still considered part of the “Lower East Side” according to the city), but today the region has for the most part ceded these territories.
Location
The Lower East Side is a neighborhood located in (obviously) the Lower East Side of Manhattan, although the boundaries that contain it are a bit of a point of contention. According to the NYC.gov census website, the Lower East Side spans all the way from E. 14th St. and Avenue B in the North West, expanding up to Essex St. in the South before coming to a close at Pike St. (“NYC Census Factfinder”). Typically, the area north of Houston is considered part of the East Village; a more popular definition of the neighborhood suggests it is bounded to the north by Houston Street, and to the south-west (where the area touches Chinatown) by Allen and Pike Streets (McEvers).
A large part of the citizens in the Lower East Side are Asian—then Hispanic. (“Lower East Sie”)
Demographics and Income
Poverty Line: “Nearly 1 in 4 Lower East Side residents is
living below the poverty level” (“Take Care Lower East Side” 2)
According to New York City’s census map website, the Lower East Side bears a total of 72,957 residents, with 39.6% of the population hispanic, 24.9% of the population asian, and 22.6% of the population white. Out of the hispanic population, an overwhelming majority of people are Puerto Rican (62.2%), but there is also a large Dominican population of 21.9%, with the rest of the hispanic population dispersed between various Central and South American groups. As for the Asian population, 83.8% are Chinese, with no other groups represented on a large-scale. Out of these groups, about 35% were born outside the United States, which is higher than the average 29% of greater New York City (“NYC Census Factfinder”).
Compared to the rest of New York, the Lower East Side is nowhere near one of the most prosperous areas. And although the unemployment rate of 10.1% in 2008 (considering the whole of District 3) is in line with the rest of New York City, almost 1 in 4 residents (23%) in the neighborhood live below the poverty line (“People without Homes” 20, “Take Care Lower East Side” 2). The average household income for residents in the Lower East Side is $36,000 (“People without Homes” 24). And in 2010 the median household income was $44,490. For males, 19.5% work in “sales and office occupations” and 19.6% work in “sales and office occupations”. These statistics similarly represent the work of women: 26.9% work “sales and office occupations” while 22.3% work in “service occupations” (“Lower East Side Neighborhood”).
Katz’s Delicatessen, a Lower East Side staple since 1888. (“History”)
Local Commerce
As far as business goes, the Lower East Side is becoming increasingly commercial. Since the 1990s and early 2000s there has been a growing wave of gentrification. What started as bars and nightlife venues has slowly transformed into condominiums, hotels, and more upscale businesses (Salkin). The area is now host to hipster boutiques, clothing shops, and gourmet restaurant (“Lower East Side New York”). But perhaps one of the staples of Lower East Side commerce that has remained is the famous Katz’s Delicatessen, first opened in 1888. Since then, it has become a staple of the New York food scene, a classic (“History”).
In 2008, new zoning restrictions were passed in part to restrict the extent of gentrification and commercialization in the area. This rezoning plan placed restrictions on building height, removed the community facility bonus, and established “contextual housing districts” (“People without Homes” 25).
Housing
In City District 3, more than half of the households are family households (54%) and almost 1-in-4 family households have children under 18 (24.8%) or are married couples (27.3%). The remaining 46% of households are “nonfamily” with 36.5% of this nonfamily population living alone. Of these loners, almost 4,400 are elderly. The great majority of “homeowners” in the district rent their housing (82.2%), while the rest actually own their housing (“NYC Census Factfinder”).
Education
Schooling is not one of the greatest strengths of the area, but certainly not a huge downfall. Although, there is a total of 46 public and 13 private elementary/secondary schools in the area, there is only one secondary degree institution in the area. The Professional Business College, however, is located on Canal Street, outside the “heart” of the Lower East Side (“Manhattan Community District 3” 9 – 11). Despite this fact, the percentage of the population older than 25 that has a secondary degree is a bit lower than the rest of Manhattan, but marginally higher than the rest of NYC (40% vs. 49% vs. 27%) (“Take Care Lower East Side” 4).
Religious Institutions, Culture, and Museums
The Angel Oresanz Center: the oldest synagogue in New York, converted into a museum and galleries. (“Angel Oresanz Center”)
Historically, the Lower East Side was a stronghold for Jewish culture and religion. Nowadays, although a few congregations and remnants remain, Jewish tradition has for the most part faded away. With such a large hispanic population, Christian institutions have taken a hold on the neighborhood—there are a multitude of churches in the area (“Manhattan Community District 3” 24 – 30). The Angel Oresanz Center on Norfolk St., for instance, resides within the oldest synagogue in the city (constructed in 1849). Now, the building and center are noted for their connections to artists and cultural leaders such as Spike Lee, Elie Wiesel, and Chuck Close. Beth Hamedrash Hagadol (also on Norfolk St.) was ironically first erected as a Baptist church—now, within it resides the “oldest Russian Jewish congregation in the United States.” Also of note is Chasam Sopher located on Clinton St. (“Lower East Side New York”).
One of the more significant museums in the area is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, which informs the public on the grungy past of immigrants throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Another notably cultural cornerstone is the Museum at Eldridge Street, a instituation which seeks to tell the stories of Jewish immigrants in the Lower east side—and is actually contained within the Eldridge Street Mosque. (“Lower East Side New York”).
Present Politics and the Future
Rosie Mendez and Margaret Chin rule over the 2nd and 1st Districts with iron fists—not really. (“About the Council”)
As a historically working class neighborhood, and an “up-and-coming” commercial area, much of the politics in the area centers around maintenance of the historical atmosphere of the streets—and keeping high rise residencies out. As discussed earlier, one of the greater successes in this respect was the 2008 rezoning. Sion Mirahi has been a significant player in the attempted improvement of the area, having founded the Lower East Side Business Improvement District in 1992 (Salkin, “People without Homes” 25).
The Lower East Side is represented in tandem by the 1st and 2nd New York City Council Districts. Currently, the representatives for those areas are Margaret Chin and Rosie Mendez—respectively. Both are members of the Democratic Party. Chin has been pushing for further development in the area; as of 2012 the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area has been successfully scheduled for commercial and residential construction. Mendez is currently working towards goals such as affordable housing, public housing, maintenance of landmarks, and maintenance of building codes (“About the Council”).
Currently, the Lower East Side faces an uncertain future as opposing forces seek different ends for the neighborhood. While investors and businessmen seek to turn the area into a new commercial front, residents seem to be rather wary of change and the impact it could take on the neighborhood. Further gentrification and “modernization” loom as an ever present danger to this neighborhood’s storied and cultured past.
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum. (“Tenement Museum”)
Bibliography
“About the Council.” The New York City Council. The New York City Council, n.d. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml>.
Angel Orensanz Center. N.d. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons, 21 July 2005. Web. 28 May 2013. <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angel_Orensanz_Center_004.jpg>.
“History.” Katz’s Delicatessen. Katz’s Delicatessen, 2010. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://katzsdelicatessen.com/history/>.
“Lower East Side (LES) Neighborhood in New York, New York (NY), 10002 Detailed Profile Read More: Http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Lower-East-Side-New-York-NY.html#ixzz2UYkKC384.” City-Data.com. N.p., 2011. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Lower-East-Side-New-York-NY.html>.
“Lower East Side New York.” Lower East Side New York Home Comments. Lower East Side Business Improvement District, 2010. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.lowereastsideny.com/>.
Manhattan Community District 3. Rep. New York City Department of City Planning, 2011. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/mn3profile.pdf>.
McEvers, Kelly. “Close-Up on the Lower East Side.” Www.villagevoice.com. Village Voice, LLC, 01 Mar. 2005. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-03-01/nyc-life/close-up-on-the-lower-east-side/>.
“NYC Census Factfinder.” NYC.gov. Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, n.d. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://maps.nyc.gov/census/>.
People without Homes & Homes without People: A Count of Vacant Condos in Select NYC Neighborhoods. Publication. RTTC-NYC, 2010. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.urbanjustice.org/pdf/publications/People_Without_Homes_and_Homes_Without_People.pdf>.
Salkin, Allen. “Lower East Side Is Under a Groove.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 June 2007. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/fashion/03misrahi.html?pagewanted=all>.
Take Care Lower East Side. Publication. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2006. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/data/2006chp-309.pdf>.
“Tenement Museum New York City – NYC Museum.” Tenement Museum New York City – NYC Museum. Lower East Side Tenement Museum, 2013. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.tenement.org/>.
