The Lower East Side Remembered and Revisited: A History and Guide to a Legendary New York Neighborhood (Updated and Revised) [Paperback]

Joyce Mendelsohn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2009

The Lower East Side has been home to some of the city's most iconic restaurants, shopping venues, and architecture. The neighborhood has also welcomed generations of immigrants, from newly arrived Italians and Jews to today's Latino and Asian newcomers. This history has become somewhat obscured, however, as the Lower East Side can appear more hip than historic, with wealth and gentrification changing the character of the neighborhood.

Chronicling these developments, along with the hidden gems that still speak of a vibrant immigrant identity, Joyce Mendelsohn provides a complete guide to the Lower East Side of then and now. After an extensive history that stretches back to Manhattan's first settlers, Mendelsohn offers 5 self-guided walking tours, including a new passage through the Bowery, that take the reader to more than 150 sites and highlight the dynamics of a community of contrasts: aged tenements nestled among luxury apartment towers abut historic churches and synagogues. With updated and revised maps, historical data, and an entirely new community to explore, Mendelsohn writes a brand-new chapter in an old New York story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mendelsohn puts recent enormous changes into a historical context and makes them come alive through her in-depth tours. Her book represents a unique treasure, offering crystal-clear and specific directions and even telling readers not to walk to certain sites because they are too far away, and where restrooms are available! The mix of history, culture, and architecture is well-written, fascinating, and unique. The amount of information and context packed into this volume is remarkable.

(Suzanne Wasserman, director, Gotham Center for New York City History, CUNY )

About the Author

Joyce Mendelsohn is the granddaughter of Jewish immigrants who settled on the Lower East Side. She lectures on the history, culture, and architecture of New York City at the New School for Social Research and conducts walking tours of and lectures about city neighborhoods sponsored by major cultural and educational institutions. In 2010 she received the Mickey Murphy Award from the Historic Districts Council for her longtime commitment to New York City preservation efforts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press; Rev Upd edition (September 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231147619
• ISBN-13: 978-0231147613
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 4.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #434,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joyce Mendelsohn is an educator, historian and writer. She is widely known for her lectures, seminars and walking tours sponsored by major cultural and educational institutions, such as Cooper Union, Hofstra University, Baruch College, the 92nd Street Y, Historic Districts Council and Henry Street Settlement. From 1987-2004, she taught courses on New York City history and architecture at the New School. Ms. Mendelsohn served as the first Director of Education at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum from 1992 to 1994 and developed a new walking tour for the museum in 2008. As education consultant for the Historic House Trust of New York City from 2002-2007, she surveyed education programs at house museums and wrote educational materials. She works closely with the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy in training guides to lead tours of the neighborhood, including visits to historic synagogues, and in developing educational programs and materials for school children.

Ms. Mendelsohn is the author of The Lower East Side, Remembered and Revisited--History and Guide to a Legendary New York Neighborhood (Lower East Side Press, 2001, new and expanded edition, Columbia University Press, 2009) and Touring the Flatiron: Walks in Four Historic Neighborhoods. (New York Landmarks Conservancy, 1998). Among her articles and chapters, she has contributed a dozen entries to The Encyclopedia of New York City, Kenneth Jackson, editor (Yale University Press, 1993); Two chapters in A Biographical Dictionary of African-American Architects, 1865-1945. D. Wilson, editor (Rutledge Press, 2004); "Immigrant Trail," a chapter in MTA Guide, New York City by Bus and Subway, Rod Kennedy, Jr. editor (Iamco Communications, Inc. 2009). "Public Baths," a chapter in Jews: A People's History of the Lower East Side, Ed. Clayton Patterson. Seven Stories Press, anticipated publication date 2010).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Revision, November 4, 2009

By 

Susan Lusk - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lower East Side Remembered and Revisited: A History and Guide to a Legendary New York Neighborhood (Updated and Revised) (Paperback)

The original edition was very well conceived and executed. And now the revised edition has a lovely contemporary look and feel -- far mare useful to the tourist, passive or active. The many new photos and the editorial update make this a terrific addition to one's library not only as a guidebook, but as an excellent historical reference. It also makes the perfect gift for friends and visitors exploring downtown New York. Bravo Ms. Mendelsohn!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives Up to the Neighborhood's Legend, October 29, 2009

By 

Melissa Baldock (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lower East Side Remembered and Revisited: A History and Guide to a Legendary New York Neighborhood (Updated and Revised) (Paperback)

This book is a must-have for anyone who goes to the Lower East Side or has relatives who once lived there. The Lower East Side is one of NYC's most historically and culturally rich neighborhoods, and this book captures the breadth of the Lower East Side story. As an added bonus, the book is a convenient size, so it's perfect for carrying along with you as a reference as you walk the streets of the Lower East Side.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Gems of NYC, October 29, 2009

By 

Andrew Tang "Andrew T" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lower East Side Remembered and Revisited: A History and Guide to a Legendary New York Neighborhood (Updated and Revised) (Paperback)

This book unveils the hidden gems that were there all along in Lower East Side (LES). For example: The Red Square building. Reading about the history of LES enriched my experience with the neighborhood.