The Lower East Side is a big swath of Manhattan that ranges from the historic — renters can still find a great selection of walkups, mostly without doormen — to the modern. Orchard on the Lower East Side, floor-through condos with oversized windows have stacked washer/dryers and custom cabinets. On the Bowery in the Lower East Side, you can still find restaurant supply shops that offer steel shelves and kitchenware that feeds dozens for sale. If you’re going out on the Lower East Side, your options are many and varied, ranging from music venues like Arlene’s Grocery to Bowery Ballroom to the Mercury Lounge to Cake Shop, where you can have slices of cake with frosting and see your bands too. Yet there is no question that amidst the luxury condos the Lower East Side still has relics of its historic pushcart past. One of the most famous of these is Katz’s Deli, a local dining landmark open since 1888, which draws customers from both downtown and uptown.

There are several venues for art aficionados - from the New Museum on Bowery and nearby art galleries; to perfomances at the Abrons Arts Center, Dixon Place and Angel Orensanz Foundation; and lectures and readings at the Tenement Museum.