Tenement History & Immigrant Life in the Lower East Side

Learn about historical transformations and review archival photographs

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A five-story brick building with arched windows, a central entrance, and a storefront at street level, under a blue sky.

Street view of buildings with fire escapes, a mural of figures, parked cars, and people sitting near a café.

Urban street scene with graffiti-covered walls, tall residential buildings, and a storefront with a yellow awning.

A street view of a restaurant named Delight Wong with signage in English and Chinese, situated in a brick building.

A city street with a large mural of a person in a red coat, outdoor seating, and graffiti-covered buildings.

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Duration3 hrs

LocationNew York

The experience

Learn about historical transformations and review archival photographs

Learn about the history and transformation of the tenement housing in the Lower East Side, including how it shifted from small homes and workshops into multi-story buildings. Observe the progression of the area from farmland to a vibrant center influenced by waves of immigrant cultures, including Irish, German, Italian, and Jewish communities. Examine the challenges of tenement living alongside reforms in housing laws over time. Review historical documents, photographs by Jacob Riis, and reports that illuminate various aspects of life in earlier years, from markets to community life. Conclude with a view from the Indigo Hotel rooftop, where you can see the historic layout of tenements alongside Midtown's structures.