Whether you like contemporary art, music, games, or photography, there are incredible things to do on the Lower East Side.
The Lower East Side is a neighborhood in Manhattan with great museums, fun events, incredible restaurants, and much more. From learning about history at a museum to having delicious food at a food market to attending a concert, there is a lot to do making it a great neighborhood to explore if you’re in New York City.
To help you decide what to do on the Lower East Side, I made this list of the best activities in the neighborhood!
Best Things To Do on the Lower East Side
Go to the New Museum and See Art
The New Museum, which was founded in 1977, is a museum that is dedicated to new art styles. It’s one of the best places for contemporary art in NYC and it’s the only museum in Manhattan that is solely focused on contemporary art.
At this place, you can learn about contemporary art and ideas from all around the world.
The museum is a non-collecting organization where you can attend all kinds of exhibitions that showcase art by emerging artists from all around the world.
In addition to that, you can often attend events, such as talks and workshops, at the museum.
You can find the museum inside a unique seven-story building on the Lower East Side that looks like several blocks that are stacked on top of each other. This building was built in 2007.
Address: 235 Bowery, New York, NY 10002
Explore Essex Market
Essex Market is a historic public market that opened in 1940. It is an indoor market where many individual vendors sell their goods, and it is situated at 88 Essex Street on the Lower East Side. Whether you want to shop for fresh produce, specialty goods, flowers, or something else, you can do so at Essex Market.
You can also find all kinds of vendors that sell prepared foods at Essex Market, so you can go here for lunch or dinner.
For example, you can get great pizza from Unregular Pizza, which is a vendor that sells square slices of Roman-style pizza.
You can also get delicious food from Puebla Mexican food, or you can get incredible Indian food from Dhamaka.
Address: 88 Essex St, New York, NY 10002
See a Movie at Metrograph
Metrograph is one of the best movie theaters in NYC that you find at 7 Ludlow Street.
It is an independent theater that opened in 2016 and seeing a movie here is a very fun thing to do on the Lower East Side. The theater has two screens where you can see both old and new movies.
A variety of events also take place at the movie theater, such as the premieres of movies.
The movie theater is also great for those who want to see a high-quality movie, as some of the movies are screened on 35mm.
Besides that, you can also go to this place to have delicious food, as you can find The Metrograph Commissary at this place too. This is a restaurant where you can get all kinds of classic dishes, and the restaurant was inspired by the studio eateries from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Address: 7 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
Visit the Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum is one of the best museums in New York City. It’s dedicated to telling the story of immigration in New York City.
You can learn about the working-class people who moved to the city, and it covers both the people who moved from other countries to New York City as well as people who moved from other parts of America.
The museum is housed in two historical tenement buildings on the Lower East Side that were the home of about 15,000 people during a period of about 150 years.
A part of the building was not used since the year 1935 and you can still see how this part looked like at that time, so you can see historic kitchens, hallways, and other spaces at the museum.
You can do tours of the museum to see it from the inside, and there are different tours to choose from. Each tour covers a different part of the museum and lets you learn about a different family that lived in the building.
Address: 103 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
Attend a Concert at the Rockwood Music Hall
The Rockwood Music Hall is one of the best music venues in New York City, and you can find this one at 196 Allen Street, on the Lower East Side.
The Rockwood Music Hall has three stages where lots of different concerts take place, and the music venue is open every day of the week, which means that you can go here whenever you want to listen to great live music performances.
The venue has an intimate atmosphere and a nice interior, and the Rockwood Music Hall is a great place to discover new types of music.
Address: 196 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
Enjoy a View at the Pier 35 Swings
The Pier 35 Swings are large swings that you can find next to the East River and close to the Manhattan Bridge.
These are large swinging benches that you can sit on with two people to enjoy a beautiful view.
From the swings, you can see the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the East River, and Brooklyn on the opposite side of the river.
In total, there are four swings, but when these are occupied you can also sit on one of the steps next to it to enjoy the same view, which is also a great activity on the Lower East Side.
As you can sit on the swinging benches while enjoying a view without paying an admission fee, this is also perfect if you’re looking for free things to do in New York City.
Go to an Event at the Seward Park Library
The Seward Park Library is one of the branches of the New York Public Library. You can find this branch at 192 East Broadway on the Lower East Side.
Besides being a great place to discover books, the library is also a great place to attend an event.
Lots of events take place at the Seward Park Library, including events that are great for the family, which is great when you are in the neighborhood and want to do something with your kids.
Some of the events that take place at the library include discussions, workshops, and other types of events.
Listen to Live Music at The Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a live music venue that you can find at 6 Delancey Street. The venue was founded in 1998 and is one of the most popular live music venues in the city.
The Bowery Ballroom has a capacity of 575 people and it has an intimate atmosphere.
Throughout the years, many famous acts performed at the venue, such as The Roots, The White Stripes, Coldplay, Metallica, and many others, and famous musicians continue to perform at the venue.
The genres of the concerts that take place at The Bowery Ballroom vary a lot, so there’s a concert for everyone’s liking.
Address: 6 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
Visit the Koneko Cat Cafe
The Koneko Cat Cafe is a Japanese-inspired cate cafe that you can find at 26 Clinton Street and that opened in the year 2016.
You can enjoy great food and drinks at this cafe, while you can hang out with cats. The cats that you can find at Koneko Cat Cafe are able to be adopted by guests.
At the cafe, you can get Japanese-inspired food items and drinks. For example, you can get “Okonomiyaki”, which is a Japanese savory pancake, and you can get Japanese cookies.
You can get all kinds of coffee and tea drinks at the cafe, and there are other beverages, such as beer, red wine, rose, and white wine.
If you want to visit the cafe, I recommend making a reservation on the website of the cafe.
Address: 26 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
Visit the Iconic Economy Candy
Economy Candy is the oldest retail candy shop on the Lower East Side and in New York City. The candy store was founded in 1937.
At the candy store, you can shop for all kinds of candies, including well-known brands and more unique candies that you can’t find at other candy stores and candy from other countries in the world. You can also get lots of flavors of a certain type of candy that you likely can’t get at another store.
Inside the shop, you can find a lot of different types of candy in a small space, so there’s a lot of candy to discover in each part of the store.
Address: 108 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
Go to an Event at the Abrons Arts Center
The Abrons Arts Center is a center for contemporary arts that’s part of the Henry Street Settlement. Lots of events take place here and these can be great if you’re looking for things to do on the Lower East Side.
You can go here to attend all kinds of performances, see exhibitions, and do much more. From dance shows to poetry readings to workshops, there’s something to do for everyone’s liking.
You can check out the calendar of the Abrons Arts Center on the center’s website to see if there’s an event that you would like to attend.
Address: 466 Grand St, New York, NY 10002
Attend an Exhibition at the International Center of Photography Museum
The International Center of Photography, which you can find at 79 Essex Street on the Lower East Side, is an institution where you can learn about photography and visual culture.
The center was established in 1974. At the center, you can see all kinds of exhibitions and attend a large variety of events.
The exhibitions at the center are on display for a limited time only and focus on the photographic works of certain artists, or are about a certain theme.
In addition to visiting the museum and seeing the exhibitions, you can also go to the museum to attend an event. From talks to tours to workshops, there are many types of events that take place at the museum.
Address: 79 Essex St, New York, NY 10002
Get Unique Ice Cream at Soft Swerve Ice Cream
Soft Swerve Ice Cream is one of the best ice cream shops in NYC. It has several locations in the city. One of the locations is located on the Lower East Side, at 85B Allen Street and you can go here every day of the week to get delicious ice cream.
At Soft Swerve Ice Cream, you can get ice cream with Asian-inspired flavors. You can get soft-serve ice cream, floats, hand-scooped ice cream, and other treats at Soft Swerve.
Some of the flavors that you can get at Soft Swerve are strawberry lychee, black sesame, almond cookie, cookies & cream, frozen hot chocolate, and matcha.
There are several signature sundaes to choose from. For example, you can get the “Strawberry Shortcake” sundae, which is made with vanilla soft serve, a vanilla wafer, and a strawberry drizzle.
You can also pick any ice cream flavor and make it into a milkshake.
Address: 85B Allen St, New York, NY 10002
Play an Escape Game at Immersive Gamebox
Immersive Gamebox is a fun place on the Lower East Side where you can play all kinds of immersive games that all have a unique theme different objectives and challenges.
During each game, you’ll have to move around and do all kinds of activities.
The games that you can play at this place often have a theme that relates to a popular TV series, movie, or game. For example, one of the games of Immersive Gamebox is “Squid Game” during which you can do the challenges of the popular Squid Game TV series.
Address: 81 Essex St, New York, NY 10002
Get Lunch at the Iconic Katz’s Deli
Katz’s Deli is the oldest deli in New York City. You can find this place at 205 East Houston Street, on the corner of Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side. The deli was founded in 1888 and has been a family-run establishment for more than 100 years.
You can get lunch at this place and there’s a large variety of food at you can choose from, including soups, sandwiches, desserts, and much more.
For example, you can get a fresh bagel & cream cheese sandwich, or you can get steak fries.
Katz’s Deli is also one of the most famous filming locations in NYC as it appears in a lot of TV series and movies, such as “When Harry Met Sally”.
Address: 205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
Go to a Live Music Event at The Delancey
The Delancey is a club that was established in 2004. The club has three levels and each of these levels has a different vibe.
One of the levels is the main floor, where you can dance to great music on Friday and Saturday.
You can also find an all-weather rooftop garden at The Delancey, where you can enjoy a great view of the skyline of Manhattan and the Williamsburg Bridge. The rooftop garden has a retractable roof and there’s heating, so you can have a comfortable time when you go here when it is cold outside.
Another level at The Delancey is the “Downstairs Venue”, where you can enjoy great live music.
Keep in mind that you have to be 21 years or older to enter The Delancey.
Address: 168 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
Get a Delicious Donut at Doughnut Plant
Doughnut Plant is a donut shop with several locations in the city. You can find one of the locations of Doughnut Plant at 379 Grand Street and going to this location is a fun activity on the Lower East Side.
Doughnut Plant is an independent bakery that was established in 1994. You can go here to enjoy delicious handcrafted doughnuts and have a cup of coffee at the same time.
One of the best donuts that you can get at this place is the “Vanilla Bean”, which is a donut that is covered in a Madasgar vanilla bean glaze.
Another great donut to get is the crème brûlée donut, which Dougnut Plant invented. The donut is filled with a vanilla bean custard and is torched to caramelize the sugar topping.
There are also vegan options.
The “Dark Chocolate Sourgdoughnut”, which is a vegan donut that is made with Dark Valrhona chocolate and 100% natural wild yeast starter is also a great one to get.
The “Cake” donuts are incredible too. One of the best ones is the “Brooklyn Blackout”, which is a rich chocolate cake doughnut that is dipped in Valrhona chocolate, has a chocolate pudding filling and is sprinkled with chocolate cake crumbs.
You can also get many different coffee drinks, such as espresso, cortado, iced americano, iced mocha, and much more.
Address: 379 Grand St, New York, NY 10002
Get a Bagel at Russ & Daughters
Russ & Daughters is an “appetizing store” with 4 locations in New York City, of which one is located on the Lower East Side. Russ & Daughters was established in 1914 and has been owned by the Russ family since that moment. You can get high-quality caviar, smoked fish, baked goods, and other food at this place.
When you are on the Lower East Side, it can be interesting to see the storefront of Russ & Daughters.
You can also go inside and try the delicious food.
When you go here, you can get a delicious bagel that is baked at Russ & Daughters Brooklyn. You can get the bagel with any of the smoked fish options, spreads, or other toppings. You can customize your bagel sandwich to make it to your liking.
Address: 179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
Go to the Meow Parlour Cat Cafe
Meow Parlour is the first cat cafe in the city.
You can go here to spend time with cats that guests can adopt and have food and drinks at the same time.
You can get all kinds of coffee drinks as well as other beverages, and there are many types of pastries and other food items. For example, you can get delicious vegan chocolate chip cookies at Meow Parlour.
There’s also a kids hour during which adults and children under 9 can visit the cat cafe and spend time with the cats, and it is possible to do “Yoga With Cats” at Meow Parlour during which you play with the cats and do a yoga class while the cats surround you.
Keep in mind that if you want to go to Meow Parlour, making a reservation is recommended, as this is a very popular place in the city.
Address: 46 Hester St, New York, NY 10002
Go to Regal Essex Crossing and See a Movie
Regal Essex Crossing is a movie theater that you can at 129 Delancey Street. You can see all the latest Hollywood movies at this theater which is one of the most fun activities on the Lower East Side.
The movie theater has relaxing reclining seats, a great sound system, and high-quality screens, adding to your experience of seeing a movie here.
Also, when you go here to see a movie, I recommend getting Regal Essex Crossing’s delicious popcorn.
Address: 129 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
Get Ice Cream at Il Laboratorio del Gelato
Il laboratorio del gelato is an ice cream store that opened in 2002 and that you can find on Orchard Street. It is one of the best ice cream stores in New York City.
This place started out as a place where new flavors and recipes were developed, and this place grew to be the largest hand-crafted gelato restaurant wholesaler in New York City.
You can go to the store in the Lower East Side to taste delicious gelato and sorbet, which is possible every day of the week.
At the store, you can choose from 48 flavors of sorbet and gelato by the scoop.
The flavors that are available change throughout the day to ensure the freshest and highest quality ice cream.
In addition to that, you can also get shakes, sundaes, ice cakes, and other treats at Il laboratorio del Gelato.
Address: 188 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
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Best restaurants on the Upper East Side
Best things to do on the Upper East Side
Breakfast spots on the Upper West Side
What To Do on the Lower East Side Tips
For some of the activities that I mentioned in this article, you need to buy tickets or it is recommended to have an advanced reservation, so make sure to do this. For example, when you want to go to Meow Parlour and spend time with cats, because of the popularity of this activity, it is recommended to make an advanced reservation.
When deciding what to do on the Lower East Side, you can make use of the map that I included in this article to see which places are near each other. This makes it easy to determine the order of the activities that you’ll do if you plan on doing two or more activities.
Lower East Side Things To Do Map
I hope you liked these activities. Thanks for reading my guide to the best things to do on the Lower East Side!