Why go?

Pickle stores and kosher delis still lend whiffs of the Old World (and a reminder of the immigrants who used to fill the neighborhood’s tenements), but the blocks south of Houston Street now house more privileged denizens. Hip restaurants, bars, and a burgeoning art gallery scene cater to this new clientele, who usually don fashionable finds from chic boutiques in Nolita.

Tips

Big-name bank branches are scarce down here, so get cash beforehand or be prepared to pay the fee at one of the corner-deli ATMs.

How to get there

Lower East Side

F, V at Second Ave.

J, M, Z, F at Essex/Delancey St.

B, D at Grand St

Nolita

B, D, F, V at Broadway/Lafayette St.

6 at Bleecker St., Spring St.

J, M, Z at Bowery/Delancey St.

Boundaries

Lower East Side

From East River west to the Bowery

Houston St. south to Grand St.

Nolita

From Bowery west to Lafayette St.

From Kenmare St. north to Houston St.

Nearby neighborhoods

East Village

Useful links

• Bedford + Bowery
• Lower East Side Business Improvement Development
• About.com's Lower East Side Visitor's Guide
• Lower-East-Side.com
• Wikipedia Entry: Lower East Side
• Wikipedia Entry: Nolita