Customer Reviews

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

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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and the editorial update make this a terrific addition to one's library not only as a guidebook, but as an excellent historical reference.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!

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.

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.

Joyce Mendelsohn's comprehensive guide to the Lower East Side evokes many fond memories for this native New Yorker. She has obviously spent countless hours researching and actually walking each step of the five walking tours. The descriptions of each stop on the tours are not only historically correct, but fascinating as well. This revised edition also features additional photographs that truly enhance the text.

A informative, beautifully written, wonderfully succinct, pocket-sized overview

of one of the most dynamic and storied neighborhoods in American history.

Very absorbing and user-friendly, it's packed with fascinating facts, helpful maps,

and great pictures. With the wrecking ball hovering over the Bowery, her timely new

chapter on that colorful thoroughfare is especially welcome.

So much of what Mendelsohn describes is either gone or going, so grab this

book quick and hit the pavement. You're in for a delightful adventure!

---David Mulkins, Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (Chair)

History Teacher, H.S. of Art and Design

I am a big fan of Joyce Mendelsohn, having had the opportunity to listen to her speak at several lectures over the years and enjoying her previous titles. Joyce is the real deal -- arguably one of the top contemporary historians on the subject, "LES Remembered and Revisited" contains a treasure trove of insightful tid-bits told from an academic and personal perspective that even the most experienced (read: jaded) New Yorker would appreciate. If you were to purchase just one book about this historically significant neighborhood, this should be it. I recommend this to all my students, family, friends and colleagues, and I reccommend this to you.

Mendelsohn's updated The Lower East Side Remembered and Revisited serves several functions in my life--first, as a succinct history of the buildings and streets that are emblematic of our immigrant history, and a portrait of the outsized personalities who lived there. Next, it is a terrific portable guide for a walking tour, five in total, that bring the past to life and is a great way to share NYC history with family and visitors. Finally, on a personal level, it opens a door to sights, scenes, and experiences that must have greeted my own immigrant grandparents a hundred years ago, and nurtured a young boy living on Henry Street who later became my Dad. What a treasure of a book!

If you have not picked up this book yet, you must. It is an extraordinary story of the LES, the people, the life and events that have shaped it. With the holidays coming up, this is a must-have gift.

A brilliant and descriptive guide to a very interesting part of Manhattan. Great for tourists, locals and those interested in history. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE NYC and this book is a great resource whenever I visit the city to discover new and old places and to learn about the background of each place I visit.

I find that I'm spending more and more time on the Lower East Side:....Katz's Deli, Economy Candy, some of the bars and restaurants. .... But I had no idea, until I came across this book, of the rich history of this part of town. It was fascinating to read about the various waves of immigrants, how they lived, where they shopped, and where they played.

Ms. Mendelsohn's book is well organized, contains numerous illustrative photos, and the passion she has for the treasures of the neighborhood is clear and infectious. I've already had occasion to do one of the many walking tours included in the book.