Have you ever thought about traveling the world in 80 days? How does traveling the world in 80 minutes sound? Let’s find out…
Based on our research, and after immersing ourselves in the food culture of the Lower East Side in New York City, my group concluded that you could do just that—travel the world by foot, sampling from a buffet of traditional and familiar foods! If you thought we are talking about mini ethnic enclaves within a block of each other, you certainly are somewhat right (that is, if you’re talking about the Jewish and Hispanic enclaves along Essex Street). But what you may have not imagined, are the multiple enclaves gathered into one market: The Essex Street Market.
French Bread Shop: Pain D'Avignon
French Bread from Pain D'Avignon: Baked in Long Island City, Served in the Lower East Side. Can You Say, Authentic?
Japanese and Hispanic Specialty Shops Side by Side
Grecian Sweets from Boubouki
When you step into the Essex Street Market, you’ll find yourself in South America, and suddenly, you turn a corner and find yourself in Greece and France. But wait! Since when does one find himself in South America, Europe, Asia, and then within a few steps back in Europe? Well, in the Lower East Side, this is not an uncommon theme.
So, how has the cultural food mix affected the Lower East Side culture? Do businesses change with the different waves of immigrants? Has technology changed any of these traditions? What about the relationships between storeowners and their customers? Overall, how does each culture manage to keep its food traditions authentic?
Rivington Street : 1909
Combining old and modern on one tiny street in the Lower East Side
Rivington Street: Today
So go ahead! Take a look through the past and then fast-forward to the present. Click around and find out how this neighborhood of immigrants retained its culture and how has it transformed it through the years. You’ll find the changes that have occurred (and will continue to occur) in this historic community that have turned The Lower East Side into a tourist attraction while retaining its history of immigrant influence.
