- nbhd -
lower east side & two bridges

The Lower East Side is a vibe. In the most internet-driven stereotypical way. It’s about as Downtown as you get, the cooler sibling of the more basic Soho. One comes here to exist with the cool kids who dress with enough confidence you don’t question anything at all. One comes here to shop at the cool shops, the well curated boutiques and consignment stores. One comes here to meander into random galleries that feel more cultured and alt and undiscovered than the ones in Chelsea. One comes here to eat at cool kid restaurants, sip at cool kid bars, and all around lean into the culture of now in the most frenetic way.

As you get closer to Two Bridges, it feels a bit more local, like old New York found itself in the 21st century, the crowded facades of tenement buildings lining up for a busy view. The character persists, and some long time immigrant culture businesses live on even as the city evolves around it. Here we blend with Chinatown, and the demographic becomes even more local and multigenerational compared to the younger skewing LES.

Between the three bridges are a world to discover, filled with small quirky shops and eateries that promise a good time, with more energy as afternoon turns into evening into night, and inspire spontaneity in that special NYC way that draws out the extrovert in all of us. And for that we appreciate downtown for the role it plays in making the city feel alive, grunge, rats and all.