The Lower East Side is where it all began for generations of immigrants from around the world. The character of the Lower East Side began to evolve more than two hundred years ago, when extended families from around the world squeezed their hungry families into the tall tenement buildings that filled lower Manhattan. In search of opportunity, turn-of-the-century newcomers quickly hit the streets selling their wares out of potato sacks slung over their shoulders, becoming the Lower East Side's first business owners.

Those same entrepreneurial ideals hold true today, as the potato sacks of yester-year have paved the way for some of the most popular restaurants and boutiques in New York. The neighborhood that was so passionately sought out for its amazing bargains, has become one of the top destinations for fashion, dining, theatre and nightlife.

Old-world shops sit side by side with a new generation of boutiques and galleries that showcase the best of New York's avant-garde fashion scene. In between browsing through clothing racks, shoppers can take a break for the time-honored practice of noshing at one of the area's many distinctive restaurants and food shops. Lower East Side cuisine has developed a faithful following, whether you're looking to snack on famous old-style cheese blintzes or towering pastrami sandwiches. Once the sun goes down on Manhattan, the curtain goes up on Orchard Street's exciting nightlife where one can enjoy poetry readings, local bands and cozy lounges.

More than a century after hardworking immigrant families first crowded the tenements of Orchard Street, residents from around the world are coming back to rediscover the historic neighborhood and be treated to new surprises. Come explore the Historic Lower East Side. Like thousands of immigrants before you, you may never want to leave.

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