New York City diary part 2: the Lower East Side

New York City diary part 2: discover the Lower East Side

I LOVE New York! On my first day back in town, we went all out to Greenwich Village walked to SoHo (read part 1 hereVia Hester Street and through China Town, we arrive in the heart of the Lower East Side. The LES is Manhattan's most vibrant neighborhood. Here you'll find tons of fun and affordable restaurants and designer boutiques with palm readers and massage parlors as neighbors. New York-based blogger Bianca and my brother often go to the LES. It's great to zigzag through the streets with two locals!

Wandering around the Lower East Side!

At the corner of Kenmare Street and Hester Street we stop for a juice at the juice bar and cafe The Butcher's DaughterIn the summer, you can sit outside on the sidewalk and enjoy a delicious sandwich! (See photo above)

There's a ton of street art in the Lower East Side. I totally agree with the message of this piece :-). <3

Nowadays, the Lower East Side is home to more and more beautiful designer boutiques. On Hester Street, we pop into Project no. 8 What looks cool. This concept store sells fun gadgets and high-end fashion from brands like Dries van Noten.

This enormous knitted pigeon proves that knitting and knitwear are still hot. So if you're ready for a new hobby this winter... ;-).

We're on our way to Hester Street FairThis is the food market of the Lower East Side. Every Saturday, they sell handmade jewelry and delicious food in the small park on the corner of Hester and Essex Streets. Hester Street Fair isn't large, but that makes it intimate, and the selection is pleasantly diverse. At the beginning of the market, you'll find all the non-food stalls, and at the back, you'll find the mobile kitchens selling the most delicious snacks made with local ingredients.

It's so hot in NY! So we're having a nice beer from a brewery in Green Point that Torst hot. They also recently opened a restaurant Luksus Opened yesterday, they serve a daily changing 6-course menu. It looks fantastic on the website, so who knows, we might be able to reserve a table this week!

The dress code in the Big Apple is still boho. New York girls look like they're going to a festival every day :-). Hester Street Fair attracts a fun, diverse crowd, from hipsters to locals from the LES and the occasional lost tourist.  

Tattoos are hot in New York. The lady DJ is completely covered in tattoos, spinning great tunes from her DJ booth. Perfect for relaxing with a beer :-).

So nice... everything at Hester Street Fair is organic. At food markets, I usually want to try a little bit of everything, but we're still quite full from lunch in SOHO. So, we tried an organic soda. Nice and cool! And healthy :-).

It's only mid-afternoon when we leave Hester Street Fair. Plenty of time to wander around the Lower East Side. We head north on Essex Street and turn right onto Rivington Street (the East Side). There are tons of great restaurants and bars there. I really like the atmosphere. Less clean and tidy than the rest of Manhattan!

On Norfolk Street (a side street of Rivington Street) is the beautiful boutique ZADEH where they sell unique items from a young designer collective.  

This simple leather bracelet is exactly my style! But a bit over my budget… I'd rather buy a pair of shoes with that money ;-). Or two!

At the end of the afternoon we will drink cocktails at the rooftop bar Hotel Chantelle on Ludlow Street. Downstairs, you really don't know what to expect, but once we get to the top, we're completely happy!

I'm sure you'll love Hotel Chantelle too. The atmosphere feels a bit like a Parisian square. With bistro-style tables, romantic streetlights, and lucky for us: happy hour! While not common in the Netherlands in respectable establishments, it's perfectly normal here in New York :-).

Unlike Amsterdam, it gets dark in New York around 7:30 PM. By the time we leave Hotel Chantelle, this rooftop restaurant looks even more magical with all the lights!

We have reserved a table at Pig and Khao at 68 Clinton Street where B. had already mentioned a while ago blogged It sounded so cool that I wanted to see it for myself! I think they have such a cool logo... right?!

I happily order a Pork Slap which I also tasted last year with my lover at The Little Owl when we were in NY. A trip to memory lane!

Now that's what I call a whole grilled fish!! How cool to serve a dish like this when you have guests at home! And the flavor is also super good.

After dinner, we walked all the way back from the Lower East Side to Crosby Street in SOHO. We stopped for a drink at the rooftop bar of the Mondrian SOHO Hotel. It's a fantastic hotel. I hope to stay there again someday and write about it :-). The rooftop bar at the Mondrian doesn't have a strict door policy, so you see all sorts of people there. Ask for a stamp when you enter the hotel and take the elevator to the 23rd floor. You have a fantastic view of Manhattan from the Mondrian SOHO! 

After a few cocktails, we say goodnight to the city that never sleeps. Tomorrow we're off to Williamsburg :-), one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York!

What's your favorite neighborhood?
PS: you can find more nice addresses in my New York Little Black BookA city guide with the best restaurants, shops, and fun things to do in New York. New addresses are constantly being added, so check Your Little Black Book online every day for the latest hotspots!