Lower East Side Jewish Food Walking Tour

Once the most densely populated districts in the world, the lower east side of Manhattan has witnessed numerous changes during the past hundred years. This walking tour is a resourceful glimpse of the past. The tour will focus on a few of the remaining vestiges and surviving buildings and structures of an era of Jewish immigration. The streets were lined with numerous stores and pushcarts including Jewish delicatessens, bakeries, pickle stands, cafeterias to name a few.
You will be shown buildings and structures that still exist today as well as those that have been restored, re-purposed, demolished, and abandoned. I will speak about what transformed the neighborhood and conclude with a discussion of several food establishments that still exist today and a brief look at the Lower East Side today. Along the way, we’ll stop at a couple of these to nibble on traditional Jewish food.

Meeting Point

375 Grand St

375 Grand St, New York, NY 10002, USA

Meet in front of The Pickle Guys on the corner of South East Corner of Grand and Essex Street. Your guide will be holding a sign.

What's included:

• 3 food Stops

Not included:

• Gratuities

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours

Lower East Side

New York City, New York

Stroll through this historic NYC neighborhood and sample foods that are a staple of Jewish culture.

45 minutes

The Pickle Guys

49 Essex St, Lower East Side, New York City, 10002-4617, New York

It was estimated that during the heyday of Jewish immigration (1880-1924) over 60 pickle stores existed. This is one of the few that still remain.

15 minutes

Seward Park

Canal Street, Essex St, New York City, 10002, New York

Visit one of the oldest municipal parks in Manhattan. The park named after William Henry Seward, a U.S. Senator from New York, was opened in 1903. See one of the few statues in the U.S. dedicated to Togo, the sled dog who led the most treacherous route of the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska.

10 minutes

Hester Street Fair

Hester and Essex Street, , New York City, 10002, New York

Experience the street that was one full of peddlers and
pushcarts. Learn what happened to all of the vendors.

15 minutes

Jarmulowsky Building

9 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002, USA

See the sign of a famous bank of the lower east side and
see what this magnificent building was transformed into.

10 minutes

Essex Street Market

88 Essex St, New York City, 10002-3809, New York

Learn the history of markets like this once were created
and see a modern marketplace today.
This is the ending point for the tour. The tour will end by the subway station (F, M, J) on the South East Corner.

15 minutes

Forward Building

173 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002, USA

See the site of the oldest Jewish newspaper in New York City and the current site and the find out what’s there now.

10 minutes