Kosher In The LES
What this foodstroll is
The best kosher food and things to do in the Lower East Side
Why this foodstroll works
The Lower East Side may not be top of mind when planning a NYC day trip. Historically it has been more associated with tenement buildings and cramped living conditions than outdoor spaces and parks. But times have changed. Today there are boutique restaurants and hotels where sweatshops and brothels used to be. Even better, the neighborhood’s newfound prosperity has ushered in the arrival of a ferry terminal, miles of bike lanes, and the renovation of several public playgrounds. But most importantly, it retains vestiges of its former self, with a handful of NYC’s oldest extant businesses all within a few blocks.
As always, our favorite means of transportation is the NYC Ferry, and the South Brooklyn route stops at Corlears Hook in the LES. Corlears Hook itself was home to tenement filled slums in the 19th century, and well known as a center for prostitution. Working women back then would eventually become known as “hookers”. But today the area is all about great views and clean family fun.
Corlears Hook itself was settled by a Dutch schoolteacher (Mr. Corlaer) in 1638, and five years later would become the site of a bloody massacre during a back and forth between colonists and natives know as Kieft’s War. Today there is a massive waterfront park that runs north with a promenade, ballfields, and playgrounds. The promenade is under construction at the moment so you can’t walk the entire thing.
The nearest fully functional playgrounds are inside Seward Park, which is across the street from the Jewish Daily Forward building at 175 East Broadway. The Jewish Daily Forward was a Yiddish newspaper formed in 1897 and circulated nationally for many decades. It was a socialist publication, and if you look closely, the entrance façade has reliefs of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, among others.
Just two blocks west at 54 Canal Street is the old Jarmulowsky Bank Building. Built in 1912, it served as the premier financial institution in the Lower East Side at a time when the neighborhood was home to the largest Jewish community the world over. Today it is a hotel, and well worth poking your head inside the hotel’s Swan Room to check out the coffered ceiling (beware you’re not allowed to take pictures).
If you want the additional exercise, you can bike between Brooklyn and the LES over the Williamsburg Bridge. The Williamsburg Bridge was the second of the four famous East River crossings (Brooklyn, Williamsburg, 59th St Queensboro, and Manhattan Brides) and was the longest suspension bridge in the world from 1903-1924. The bike lanes are safe and well marked.
If you’re looking for an indoor activity, the Tenement Museum offers in person tours of recreated apartments. You can choose the time period you’d like to visit, be it the Italian and Jewish era from 1880-1924, or the subsequently more recent Puerto Rican and Chinese eras. Also, the Museum at Eldridge Street offers a great self guided tour specific to the Jewish Lower East Side.
Hamilton Fish Park was laid out in 1898 and is one of the very oldest public parks in NYC. The population density in the LES back then was ten times what it is today, and there was an urgent need to create outdoor spaces. Architects Carrere and Hastings, who were also working on the famous New York Public Library at the time, constructed the gymnasium which still stands today along the park’s western edge. The pool was added in 1936, and you can swim in the Summer.
The expansive East River Park stretches from north of the Williamsburg Bridge all the way back to Corlears Hook (however at the moment sections are under construction). Gazing east it’s difficult to imagine you’re standing in a place once synonymous with gangs, sweat shops, and prostitution; where generations of newly arrived immigrants toiled away at low paying jobs until they gained enough of a foothold in society to move out!
Food Spots
Joel Russ opened Russ and Daughters as a pushcart in 1905, and it has been in its current storefront location since 1920. Pushcarts have always been an integral part of the immigrant experience in NYC (still are today).
They are an Appetizing store, which according to Kosher dietary laws means there is fish and dairy, but no meat. Sandwiches like the Classic Bagel and Lox and Whitefish and Baked Salmon Salad are incredible.
Katz’s Delicatessen first opened in 1888, albeit under a different name, and is one of the oldest continually operated restaurants in the USA! Its iconic dining room has seen all manner of celebrity over the years, and has been the filming location for several blockbuster films (I’ll have what she’s having…)
It's a Delicatessen, which according to Kosher laws means meat, but no dairy. Meats like brisket, corned beef, and pastrami come in platters or on sandwiches. Matzo Ball Soup and pickles, which come both half and full sour, are also delicious.
Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys isn’t quite as old as Russ and Daughters or Katz’s, but it isn’t far off, opening in 1936. They specialize in bialys, a type of bread brought to NYC by Jewish immigrants from Bialystok, Poland.
Their Classic sandwiches, which they name after the various streets in the Lower East Side, are the way to go. Pictured are The Delancey, which comes with whitefish salad and pickled red onions, and the Essex Street, which has pastrami salmon and avocado.
Economy Candy is NYC’s oldest full time candy shop, opening here in 1937. There isn’t anything particularly kosher about candy (that we know of), but it is a very popular place to visit, with giant whirly pops and chocolate by the pound available for sale at all times.
Across the street from the original Essex Market is the new Essex Market. It’s a far cry from the old 1930s market, which was originally constructed to clear nearby Orchard Street of street vendors. Today dozens of the city’s most popular eateries are represented with stalls all under the same roof.
Transportation
Our favorite way to visit the LES is on the NYC Ferry. It costs about the same as the subway, and bringing bikes is free. If you’re arriving from Brooklyn, it’s also fun biking over the Williamsburg Bridge, which has a nice big bike lane.
The F train runs through the neighborhood, but most NYC subways stop somewhere within walking distance from the LES.