This timeline sets down a broad historical background of The Lower East Side. (this may take a minute to load, especially if your internet connection is slow)
The Lower East Side was once a fertile landscape of marshes and woods. It had a wide variety of wildlife and fauna, and was settled by Europeans in the 1600. Prior to the American Revolution, the Dutch owned farm-land on the area. One well known farmer was James Delancey (History of the Lower East Side.)
Delancey Street is dedicated to James Delancey, and the orchards he grew inspired the name for Orchard Street. Anthony and Harmanus Rutger were another pair of settlers. Their farm stretched from Division Street to Catherine Street and from Montgomery Street to the East River. The Rutger farm would later be used as tenements (Krucoff, 2002).
The first large immigrant group to come to the Lower East Side was the Germans. They arrived in the mid 19th century, and lived in large wooden apartments and rookies (single family homes divided into smaller spaces). German life became so integral to the neighborhood during this time, that the Lower East side was known as Keindeutschland, or little Germany.
Keindeutschland, or little Germany
However, during the late 18th century, other immigrant groups began to settle in the Lower East Side. The German population began to shrink because most achieved business and financial success, and as a result moved into other parts of the city. The sinking of the General Slocum steamship, a disaster that left over 1021 passengers dead, began the decline of the German community in the Lower East Side. Most drowned or succumbed to a fire. This event was so devastating that most Germans left the community for good (Krucoff, 2002).
Sinking of the General Slocum steamship
The next large wave of immigrants to settle on the Lower East Side was the Jews. In order to escape political and financial oppression in Europe, many immigrated to the United States and settled on the Lower East Side. It is important to note that Jews who settled here in the late 19th century faced discrimination and were victim to biased stereotypes. They faced harsh living conditions as well; most Jewish immigrants lived in cramped tenement apartments that overlooked crowded, dirty streets. However, this population began to reform the Lower East Side. Soon there were marketplaces for kosher food and synagogues. These effects are still in place; walking around the Lower East Side today, one can still see store signs in Yiddish and Hebrew and can still find traditional Jewish food (Krucoff, 2002).
Hebrew store signs
During the 20th century, poverty was deeply embedded in the Lower East Side. Take the concept of pushcarts, for example. They were a means of cheaply providing for a family’s basic necessities. While the produce and goods from the pushcarts were not always safe or healthy, they became an extension of people’s kitchens (Ziegelman 125-181). Following the pushcart era standards, food quality remained low in the Lower East Side. Chronic poverty was a part of life on the Lower East Side.
Fortunately, social reform groups existed such as the Educational Alliance and the Henry Street Settlement. These groups taught English to incoming immigrants, provided artistic events for children and even taught basic hygiene. The city began to rapidly change during this era. Small, wooden tenements were replaced by brick apartments. Subways, parks and highways were constructed. A technique known as “slum clearance” was used to force these changes. Occupant families were kicked out of their own homes in order to make way for new luxury apartments. This technique is one of the early examples of gentrification in the Lower East Side (Krucoff, 2002).
Educational Alliance putting immigrants back to school
The later techniques of gentrification began in the 1960’s. The demographics began to change during this time. Artists, musicians and hipsters began to move in. This gave the area the reputation of being chic, and the reputation spread through The Lower East Side during the 2000’s (Mele, 2000). Trendy expensive restaurants such as the Clinton St. Baking Company began to appear. Soon in 2006, a 16 floor luxury condominiums was built north of Delancey Street. This was followed by reconstruction of the Hotel on Rivington street and soon several luxury condominiums appeared.
Clinton St. Baking Company
Today the Lower East Side is known for being a trendy and hipster hotspot. It has also become quite expensive, so much so, that many can’t afford to live there.
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