Essex Street, between Grand and Canal: there may be no other place that depicts so dramatically where the Lower East Side has been, and where it’s going. While most of the traditional Jewish businesses that once dotted the street are long gone, a few have endured. To be sure, there’s evidence of gentrification. But somehow, these two blocks still manage to accommodate old and new, trendy and tattered, Jewish, Latino and Chinese. It’s for this reason, that we’re beginning a long-term series called On Essex, an effort to tell the story of a remarkable block. The transformation will, no doubt, continue, almost certainly at a faster pace, in the years ahead.
Through the photography of Lo-Down contributor A. Jesse Jiryu Davis and the first-hand accounts of business owners and residents, we hope to understand these changes a little bit better. In the near future, we’ll begin to post individual profiles of many of the street’s businesses. But first, the big picture.
At 41 Essex, Rabbi Zacharia Eisenbach, 65 years old, is carrying on the work of his father, who came to this country from Israel in the 1930’s. He is a sofer, a scribe who restores and writes Torah scrolls. Three other storefronts – Hebrew Religious Articles, Israel Wholesale Imports and Zelig Blumenthal – also continue to withstand the winds of change. At least two of those stores have developed robust online businesses, selling Judaica worldwide. But they are not the only businesses with rich histories on the block. Len Zerling (seated, below) runs G&S Sporting Goods, which has specialized in boxing gear since 1937.
For four generations, M Schames & Son has been selling painting supplies at 3 Essex. And, of course, the Pickle Guys (owner Alan Kaufman pictured below), in business only for a few years, but soon to be a sort of standard-bearer. Their old nemesis, Guss’, which moved from Essex to Orchard in 2001, will depart the LES altogether, for Brooklyn, any day now. That will leave the Pickle Guys, in the heart of the Old Pickle District (once boasting 200 merchants), as the lone survivor.
Essex Street has, of course, seen its fair share of gentrification. There are the million dollar apartments at 7 Essex, a couple of swanky bars (East Side Company Bar and White Star), FIFI Projects (an art gallery). But the diversity of businesses and organizations on this block is still impressive. There’s Safe Horizon (a shelter for victims of abuse and the homeless), a seafood importer, a clairvoyant, a tile store, “Main Squeeze Accordions” and a video game repair shop (pictured below). Add to this mix, a handful of service-oriented shops: a tailor, hair cutting salons, a pizza place and a wine merchant.
Above it all, dozens of cramped apartments and hundreds of residents, many of them living in distressing conditions. At 11 Essex (pictured above), a 5-story building visibly leaning into the street, the city ordered an evacuation back in May. Some fear it was all a ploy by the developer to turn this 1910 tenement into a luxury apartment building. A six month court battle with affordable housing advocates rages on.
We’ll be watching for the outcome of that case, as well as the smaller changes taking place on the street below. The people who live and work On Essex will, no doubt, have a lot to say in 2010.
I’ve always loved those blocks. Great idea for a feature! Thanks.
Agreed, I always like to walk here and show this stretch to anyone as an example of what’s great about this neighborhood.
Great Article–I have lived here for over 30 years and look forward to all of the history and your stories to come,and with such beautiful photography.
Thanks for the comments. We’re very excited about the project. Anyone who has stories to tell about Essex Street, please let us know!
*So* excited to be starting this!
I grew up in Seward Park in the late 80s, early 90s. My favorite thing about Essex street used to be the arcades. There were at one point 4 separate spots between canal and grand, each with 3-4 arcades. My friend and I used to take our 6 quarters each and make our way up the block, from canal to grand, trying to make those quarters last. We would take turns playing so that the other would watch. The arcades are a distant memory, and nowadays, I make better use of East Side Company and White Star anyway, but still, nostalgia is nostalgia.
I am looking forward to this series too. I remember as a very young girl–the family piled into the Packard-drove across the bridge and bought white bucks for me. Saddle shoes and white bucks were very stylish back in the day. So was the Packard–yellow with a black racing type stripe and before that a green one.
Happy Holidays.
Great article… and the black and white photos have a timeless quality. The artist/ photographer Ben Shahn took many photos of these same blocks of Essex Street in the 1930′ and use some of the images in his paintings. 10 years ago when I frist came to the Lower East Side the building below Hester Street still had their cornices (which Shahn included in a painting)
Thanks Walter. We are very interested in using some historical photographs for this project, as well, so that is a great tip.