Lower East Side Walking Tour: Self-Guided Route Through Tenements, Synagogues and Delis

"The Forward Building at 175 East Broadway was completed in 1912 as the headquarters of the Jewish Daily Forward, the Yiddish socialist newspaper founded in 1897. It was designed by George A. Boehm and rose about ten stories, tall for the neighborhood then. Carved portraits on the facade include Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. At its peak the paper was read across the country, and East Broadway was known as 'Newspaper Row' for its Yiddish press."

Stand across the street to see the whole facade and the reliefs near the top. The building is now residential, so there is nothing to enter. Keep it to a short look, and cross the street to Seward Park if you want a bench before the first tour.

"The synagogue at 12 Eldridge Street opened in 1887 and is widely recognized as the first major Orthodox synagogue built in America by Eastern European Jews. Peter and Francis Herter, of the Herter Brothers firm, designed the Moorish Revival and Romanesque sanctuary. Attendance dwindled over the twentieth century, and the main sanctuary was largely closed for decades. A restoration begun in the 1980s, costing about $20 million, finished in 2007, and artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans designed the east window."

The sanctuary is the reason to pay admission, and the guided tour is better than wandering in alone. Check days and hours before you go, since the museum does not keep a daily schedule and closes for the Sabbath. Look up at the ceiling and the stained glass first, then at the window behind the ark.

"The museum is built around 97 Orchard Street, a five-story tenement completed in 1863 by Lukas Glockner. Over the following decades roughly 7,000 people from more than 20 nations lived there. After a 1935 housing law demanded costly upgrades, the owner sealed the upper floors rather than comply, which preserved the apartments. The museum was founded in 1988 by Ruth Abram and Anita Jacobson, and its visitor center is at 103 Orchard Street."

You can only see the interiors by timed, ticketed tour, so book online ahead, especially on weekends. Different tours cover different families, so pick one to match your interests. The gift shop and visitor center are free to enter, but they will not give you the apartments.

"Economy Candy at 108 Rivington Street was founded in 1937 by Morris Cohen and has stayed in the family, run later by his son Mitchell. It opened when Rivington Street was still crowded with pushcart vendors and small shops serving a mainly Jewish immigrant neighborhood. Shelves and bins stretch to the ceiling, and the store is known for old-fashioned candy and halvah alongside current brands."

The aisles are narrow, so skip it on a crowded weekend afternoon or leave strollers outside. Look for the nostalgic penny-candy style brands rather than buying what any supermarket sells. A small bag of halvah or chocolate-covered something travels well in a pocket for the rest of the walk.

"Essex Market grew out of the city's effort to move street pushcart vendors indoors. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia opened covered municipal markets in 1940, and Essex Street became one of them. In 2019 the market moved into a new building at 88 Essex Street as part of the Essex Crossing development. It holds a mix of long-running vendors and newer food stalls, and it is the best place on the route to eat a snack standing up."

Go through once before buying anything, since the vendors change. Prices at the newer stalls run higher than at the old-line counters. If you plan to eat at Katz's afterward, take a coffee or a small bite here rather than a full meal.

"Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery at 137 East Houston Street dates to 1910, when Romanian immigrant Yonah Schimmel began selling knishes, first from a pushcart according to the shop's own history. A knish is a baked or fried pastry filled with potato, kasha or other fillings, and it was cheap, filling street food for factory and garment workers. The shop's long tin ceiling and plain counter make it one of the better-preserved old storefronts left on East Houston."

Order one potato knish and split it if Katz's is next. The knishes are the draw, so skip the extras. It is a small room with limited seating, so expect to eat at the counter or take it with you.

"Katz's Delicatessen at 205 East Houston Street began in 1888 as Iceland Brothers on Ludlow Street, and the Katz name was in place by 1903. During World War II it ran the slogan 'Send a salami to your boy in the army,' a nod to sons overseas. The 1989 film When Harry Met Sally filmed its famous scene at one of the tables, and the deli marks that spot with a sign. Pastrami is the signature order: brined, smoked and steamed, then hand-carved."

You get a paper ticket at the door, and you must keep it until you pay on the way out, so do not lose it. Carvers will give you a taste of pastrami before you order. A pastrami sandwich is large and costs more than a typical lunch, so sharing one with a side is reasonable. Avoid the noon rush on weekends if you can.