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The Lower East Side was,
during the 19th century, the end of the line for many immigrants from Europe...Jews,
Germans, Poles, Italians, Irish, etc. They settled here in run down tenements and
since then its been a relative slum. Now with Ellis Island closed and the flood
gates of the United States' open to let in only a steady stream of immigrants rather than
a typhoon, the Lower East Side has been claimed by the streets, but its proximity to Greenwich Village and the other eclectic neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan makes it such a temptation for the frugal
and undaunted pioneer. The
rents here are around $1,100 a month for a studio to about $1,700 for a two bedroom,
making the Lower East Side a steal considering its location. Many artists and
enterprising twenty somethings trying to make a go of it in Gotham, have started taking a
hard look at the area...which is a tad bit ironic. In most cities, when an area
becomes a slum, the residents pack up and leave in fear of gang violence and being
terrorized. That's not the case in Manhattan. If
the real estate has potential, rest assured the tough New Yorker will brave things that
would send a suburban yuppie running for cover. This has been the case in SoHo and TriBeCa. Now Generation X is
betting on the Lower East Side, hoping to turn it around in about 10 years or so.
Some have begun moving into the old tenements and fixing up their apartments and getting
that dream loft for a steal...so what if the pipes are rusty....so what if there's no
heat...so what if there are cockroaches the size of Volkswagens...with a little paint,
elbow grease and imagination, this place can be something! Real Estate developers
have gotten into the land grab here as well and rents shouldn't stay low for long as old
tenants die and rent control is no longer an issue. The run down tenements of the
Lower East Side are beginning to be refurbished and slowly but surely, the Lower East Side
can become as promising as any of the other "in" districts.
Merchants, of course couldn't, be happier many old
restaurants and shops with Old World charm still exist on the Lower East Side.
Jewish delis and Italian restaurants are just waiting to strut their stuff to the rest of
the city. Funky shops are beginning to appear along the main thoroughfares and the
street element is left blinking in amazement.
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