8 Secrets You Probably Know About the Lower East Side

By: Jennifer Villalba

Share the Post:

We don’t need to tell you again and again the Lower East Side is an energetic NYC neighborhood as we have already shared reasons to move to the lower east side.

But there are some amazing things you probably know about the LES.

Did you know that it was divided into two farmlands? Has anyone told you that this area has an illegal bar of the Prohibition Era? And there is a Protestant Church that has been evolved from a public bathhouse.

Here we have rounded up such interesting facts about the Lower East Side which will blow your mind.

The LES Was Actually the Two Estates:

The Lower East Side wasn’t a sprawling neighborhood like it is today in the 1750s. Rather, it was divided into two large farmlands the first one belonged to James de Lancey, a loyalist politician to the British and the colonial governor of New York. Another area was owned by Henry Rutgers. Delancey fled after the American Revolution and his land was seized and sold off. Rutgers also sold off his land.

Bathhouse Turned into a Chinese Language Protestant Church!

Municipal bathhouses were common in the 19th century as it was believed that uncleanliness led to a high mortality rate. The first public bathhouse was opened at Mott Street in 1852, and by the 20th century, there were more across the East Village and Lower East Side.

One of such bathhouses was located on Allen Street near Rivington Street, which was discontinued after 1975. Today, it is serving as the Church of Grace of Fujianese. The walls of the structure have still the seahorse and seashell iconography dating back to the days of its inception.

The LES Had the Oldest House in Manhattan!

The oldest known house in Manhattan was located on the southern tip of Cherry Street. It was built in 1760 and was believed to house some of George Washington’s officers during the Revolution. The house was demolished in 1936 due to the citywide slum removal drive. Today, the spot of this house is owned by Knickerbocker Village and the Governer Albert E. Smith Houses, two large public buildings built in the 1930s and 1950s, respectively.

You can explore some of the first buildings in Manhattan to experience the glorious past of the city.

Read Also: Oldest Buildings in Manhattan

An Illicit Bar That is Still in Existence:

The Back Room, situated at 102 Norfolk Street, is counted among one of NYC’s notorious speakeasy cocktail bars. It is one of the only two left in the city that were operated during the Prohibition era. It used to be the place where people hid alcohol in their teacups. The interior is still the reminiscence of the 1920s—the one you must have watched in The Great Gatsby.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade Used to be in the Lower East Side:

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade runs through the Fifth Avenue uptown. But once it was taken through the LES. Thanks to the settlement of the Irish population over there. Although the venue of the first parade was still unknown, the news articles from the 1770s report that the march of 400 Irishmen ran from Lower Broadway to taverns on the Bowery.

The mid 1800s witnessed the migration of major Irish immigrants to New York during the Great Potato Famine. It made thousands of marchers take over Lower Manhattan from City Hall to the Bowery to East Broadway to Grand Street. The parade was shifted uptown in 1879 after the deployment of St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue.

The City’s First Housing Project Launched in the LES:

To take care of slum dwellers and poverty stricken New Yorkers, the city pitched large scale apartment complexes to be equipped with housing, playgrounds, and public schools. The first development project Vladeck Houses was launched at Henry Street, Water Street, Jackson Street, and Gouverneur Street in the late 1930s. The East Side waterfront saw more housing projects over the next few decades.

The City’s Only Troll Museum in an Artist Apartment:

The city has its only Troll Museum located on the Lower East Side. Operated by artist and museum curator Reverend Jen, the museum houses more than 400 colorful troll dolls, including the trolls of Elvis and Punk. Unfortunately, the museum is at risk of being closed.

Read Also: Metropolitan Museum of Art

The LES’s Synagogue is One of the Only Two Listed NYC Synagogues:

The Eldridge Street Synagogue located in Chinatown is one of the only two NYC synagogues being listed as National Historic Landmarks in NYC. The structure was built in the 19th century in the wake of Jewish immigration.

The Lower East Side is more than a neighborhood in Manhattan. This area has got some really interesting facts that will amaze you.

Do you know such secrets about the LES? Let us know by commenting below!

Read Also: Secrets of New York City
Related Article: Common Reasons to Move to the Lower East Side