Around the beginning of the 20th century, the Lower East Side could rival the biblical Tower of Babel, accommodating hordes of new immigrants from all over the world. In fact, by 1910, it became the most densely populated place in the world!
Here are some highlights of this vibrant neighborhood:
The Police Building
240 Centre Street
Following the 1898 consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of Greater New York, the police department also expanded and needed a new headquarters building. The New York City Police Department was housed in the stunning New York City Police Headquarters building at 240 Centre Street.
In 1988 the Beaux-Arts landmark was converted into luxury residences. Homes range from 1,000 square feet to over 6,000 with original details unlike any other property. For a mere $14,500 a month, you can rent the style, space, and service of a bygone era in this landmarked Beaux-Arts cooperative complete with fancy furnishings, two bedrooms, two baths and 1,400 square feet of space.
Bowery Savings Bank
130 Bowery
The Bowery Savings Bank, designed by Stanford White of the renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead & White in 1894, is a monumental example of Classical Revival architecture. This style, which gained popularity following Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, is exemplified in the bank’s grand design and opulent details.
Due to the inability to secure the adjacent corner lot on Grand Street, the bank was uniquely designed in an L-shaped fashion, featuring ornate entrances on both Bowery and Grand Street. The Bowery neo-Roman temple frontage boasts massive Corinthian columns and a triumphal arch with a deep barrel vault. Reclining figures and lions flank the central pediment clock, adding to the neoclassical aesthetic. Grand Street Façade features a sculpted pediment with sculptures by Frederick MacMonnies, a prominent Beaux-Arts sculptor frequently employed by White.
For years, the space was used as an event venue – Capitale. Its Grand Ballroom can accommodate over 700 guests for a seated dinner or 1,500 for a reception.The Capitale seemed to have financial troubles during the pandemic, and we’ll have to see what the next incarnation of the Bowery Savings Bank is.
Manhattan Bridge Approach
Canal Street @ Bowery Street
When the glorious approach to the Manhattan Bridge was completed in 1916, the trolleys and horse carts were the primary means of mass transportation. Their leisurely pace allowed travelers to proceed through the plaza, taking in its intricate details.
The Manhattan Bridge Approach occupies an elliptical plaza designed with traditional forms of monumental Beaux-Arts style: arch and colonnade. The triumphal arch was modeled after the 17th-century Porte St. Denis in Paris, while Bernini’s St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City inspired the colonnade. The plaza was designed by the renowned architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings, who were big proponents and practitioners of Beaux-Arts architectural style and the “City Beautiful” movement popular at the turn of the century, which favored neoclassical architecture for civic structures.
While modernists have criticized the classical approach to a modern steel suspension bridge, the New York Times hailed it as the “most artistic treatment of a bridge entrance attempted on this continent.”
Tenement Museum
97 and 103 Orchard Street
The Tenement Museum occupies two historic tenement buildings at 97 an 103 Orchard Street. When first constructed in 1869, 97 Orchard Street contained 22 apartments and a basement-level saloon. Later, the lower part of the building was converted into commercial retail space. The Tenement Museum acquired the building in 1988, and it stands as a time capsule, reflecting living conditions on the Lower East Side at the turn of the century.
The changes to the amenities in the buildings, like indoor plumbing and cold running water, reflect the changes to the housing laws in the city. The first Tenement House Act, the country’s first comprehensive housing reform law, also known as “the Old Law,” was adopted in 1867; the law required buildings to have fire escapes and at least one toilet for every 20 tenants. Sadly, many tenement owners did not follow the law, so it had little effect. The Tenement House Act of 1879 outlawed the construction of buildings like 97 Orchard Street with windowless interior rooms. The 1879 law required all rooms to be open onto the street, the rear yard, or an air shaft for the tenant to escape the building in an emergency, which led to the development of the “dumbbell” tenement plan. The Tenement House Act of 1901, also known as “The New Law,” required buildings to include running water, gas, light, and ventilation, and the Dumbbell Tenement Plan was outlawed.
The museum’s exhibits include restored period room apartments depicting the lives of immigrants who lived at 97 Orchard Street between 1869 and 1935 and 103 Orchard Street from the 1950s to the 1980s. Since 1863, it has been home to an estimated 15,000 people from over 20 nations!
Old St Patrick’s Cathedral
The façade of the St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mott Street is surprisingly plain. While Catholic churches usually welcome visitors with their elaborate entrances, this one lacks the usual statuary and decorative details. But it’s part of its story…
Eldridge Street Synagogue
At the turn of the 20th century, the Lower East Side emerged as the most densely populated Jewish community on the planet! Running for their lives, escaping pogroms and prosecution, more than 2.5 million Jews immigrated to America; nearly 85 percent of them came to New York City, with the vast majority settling on the Lower East Side.
Katz’s Delicatessen/Russ & Daughters
Introduced by Eastern European Jews, who typically started their meals with cold appetizers, “Appetizing” is a Jewish contribution to the eclectic world of New York’s ethnic food traditions.
Leave a Reply