The Tour of Chinatown, Little Italy, East Village & The Lower East Side

Overview

Did you know that from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, these neighborhoods were collectively referred to as “The Slums of New York”? Yes, when immigration from Europe, and later from Asia, reached its highest peak, most of the newly arrived settlers found their homes around Lower Manhattan. The area was famous for its push-cart businesses, cheap tenement houses, and hundreds of different languages spoken daily on the streets.

Why should you visit The Lower East Side

This is where immigrants from Italy, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine and later from Bangladesh, China, the Dominican Republic, India, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines first settled. Still today, it’s an incredibly diverse area, and through its local, and historic, businesses and food establishments, we can go back in time and revisit the New York of those years. The city that you probably saw in "Once upon a Time in America" and "The Godfather", or perhaps "Gangs of New York" with the famous Five Point’s.

Exploring the East Village

The East Village was once known as the Klein Deutschland ("Little Germany",) we will start making our way down 2nd Avenue and the famous Jewish Rialto (Yiddish Theater.) Did you know that many Eastern Europeans and German Jews arrived in New York by the end of the 18th century? They were some of the first settlers coming over from Europe and made today's East Village their home. During the tour, we will stop by St. Marks Place, back in the 60s and 80s, this was where you would come to see famous rock bands, artists, and the former Yiddish Theater later became known as "The Church of Rock and Roll." Today, one of the busiest streets at night with pubs and cheap eats where college students and locals are regulars. Later, we’ll reach the Lower East Side, famous for the many street-food vendors and other authentic food establishments, where we can stop (and try – who wants) different delicacies from all over the world. Do you know the difference between Kosher and Halal food? Have you ever tried an authentic New York Bagel? And, is New York’s, the best pizza in the world?