Neighborhood: Lower East Side (Manhattan)
Area Zone: Bowery (West), East Houston St (North), Pitt St (East), East Broadway/Canal St (South)
Subway: F to Delancey St, J/M/Z to Essex St, B/D to Grand St
Alumni: Rosario Dawson, Beastie Boys
Best portrayal in film: Rent

Whether you’re a hipster strolling down the “semester-driven” streets of Ludlow Street, or you are an authentic New Yorker searching for a restaurant throughout Alphabet City, the culture and lifestyle of the Lower East Side has never been one put into question.
And beyond the stretch of graffiti and renovated nightclubs lies a diverse population of residents that compose the heart and soul of this area just east of the famed Greenwich Village. A multicultural community from around the country and all over the world has found their home in this neighborhood, shaping the sprawling urban center into an art gallery mainstay.
Now rife with shopping and art, theaters and historical sites, the LES is a home to the descendants of European, Russian, Puerto Rican, Chinese and Irish immigrants (to name just a few) as well as native New Yorkers looking for an eclectic lifestyle and community.

BARS/LOUNGES:

Pianos (158 Ludlow St., nr. Stanton St.) – A former piano store turned trendy 2 level bar in the thick of the Essex/Delancey crossroads, this urban chic rock-n-roll style bar has helped revitalize the nightlife scene with it’s bare bones approach. Performances are generally located in the backroom, and the upstairs section eliminates you from having to deal with “general population” on the main floor.
Although a staple in the LES neighborhood, it is often criticized for snobby security being awfully selective for a hipster-like bar.

87 (87 Ludlow St. btw Delancey & Broome Sts.) – A renovated swanky-style is perfect for dining while watching sports on the big screen, while the back corridor of leather couches gives off a strong “Studio 54″ updated feel. The bartenders are always within range and are generally easy to communicate with regardless of the day of the week.

Crash Mansion/BLVD (199 Bowery, nr Spring Street) – CM’s cave-like appearance provides the backbone of local performances, while Pink serves as a restaurant in the rear of BLVD’s “third” of the building alongside an extensive VIP room. Abounding plasma screens and jagged stonewalls imply a modern-day urban rec room that sees more than its fair share of celebrities, which generally will attract it’s fair share of groupie party goers.

RESTAURANTS/DINERS:

Little Giant (85 Orchard St, nr Broome St – Food Type: American) – Great Mac & Cheese, and the rest of the food is good too. What’s not good, however, is their notoriously lousy service, which could give any random TV movie scene in a restaurant seem like Disney World.

Noodle Bar (172 Orchard St, nr Stanton St – Food Type: Asian) – Some of the best Lo Mein in ALL of New York City, plus great Indian Roti, and Fried Dumplings; friendly staff, and coolout ambiance.

CLOSING OUT:

Lower East Side has just as much history and individual cultural history as other New York City neighborhoods such as Bedford-Stuyvesant and Marble Hill. But with the new wave of hipsters importing into the neighborhood effectively “pricing” the longtime residents out, will this once-proud Latin tingled area become just another area of New York City’s new re-development objective?