Lower East Side History Project

05/12/2026

05/11/2026

04/30/2026

The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy presents A Walking Tour of Hassidic Williamsburg! Sunday, 3 May at 11AM. Sign-up now: https://www.nycjewishtours.org/join-a-tour/3may26

Step into streets where centuries-old shtetl traditions meet the bustle of modern life in Brooklyn. See modest row houses, Yiddish storefronts and newspapers, as well as scores of strimels (distinctive fur hats), sheitels (wigs), and shtiblekh (prayer rooms) in one of the world’s largest Hassidic communities. Join educator and urban historian Bradley Shaw for an immersive experience in this fascinating neighborhood, including significant synagogues like Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, the oldest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Brooklyn, and Beth Elohim, an 1875 Gothic Synagogue built by Reform Jews and now housing a Hasidic yeshiva. You will also visit Lee Avenue, the main shopping area, Bais Rachel, a NYC High School turned girl’s yeshiva, and hear other stories of the fabric of Hasidic Williamsburg, with a little bit of Hipster Williamsburg mixed in.

04/23/2026

Our visit to see original Keith Harring artwork last week.

04/22/2026

How Pulitzer and Hearst invented outrage journalism in 1890s New York, and built the template cable news and social media still use today

https://www.leshp.org/blog/nycs-newspaper-wars-and-the-invention-of-fake-news/

04/04/2026

Who remembers the Asian Pub at 35 Cooper Square, and the amazing $5 mojitos served by the wonderful Ms. Vilca?

04/01/2026

Who remembers the MUD Truck?

03/26/2026

Mulberry Street, 1897

03/21/2026

Slavic NYC: The Deep Roots of Eastern Europe in the Five Boroughs

https://www.leshp.org/blog/slavic-nyc-immigration-history/

03/05/2026

Our latest article: We compared wages, rent, and everyday expenses in NYC in 1900 vs today, including how many hours people had to work just to pay the rent.

The results might surprise you: https://www.leshp.org/blog/cost-of-living-nyc-1900-vs-today/